About the Cottage
Jampolis Cottage is not available to writers who require physically accessible accommodation.
WFNS has dedicated significant time and funds to improving Jampolis Cottage accessibility for users of wheelchairs, scooters, and other mobility aids. Despite barriers remaining to independent use of the cottage, we have had to pause these efforts. For more info, see the “Equity & accessibility” tab on the main Jampolis Cottage Residency Program page.
Jampolis Cottage is saltwater, sun, and solitude. Originally built by a stonemason in 1794, the cottage has been expanded and renovated numerous times, most recently by Jane and Neil Jampolis, who added skylights and sea-facing windows to admit an abundance of natural light and views onto the Minas Basin, an inlet of the Bay of Fundy. Along with items donated by Nova Scotian writers and readers, the cottage is furnished and decorated with much of Jane and Neil’s originally chosen furniture and artwork, including numerous bovine paintings and curios collected by Jane in honour of their moniker for the cottage, “Cowslip”—the common name of the yellow-flowered primrose.
Amenities include Wi-Fi and a Wi-Fi-enabled printer, a well equipped kitchen with pantry staples, laundry facilities, and two full bathrooms. The grounds include a spacious deck (with mobility device ramp), a natural-stone fire pit (with firewood provided), and a beach deck overlooking nearby Penny Beach.
Writing, reading, & gathering spaces include the dining & workshop room (ground-floor), with a six-person farmhouse table; the living room (ground-floor) with a sofa, two antique secretary desks, and a sea-facing bay window; and the reading room (upstairs) with a six-person antique table, a chaise longue, a writing desk, and five sea-facing windows.
Bedrooms at Jampolis Cottage have different features and benefits. We encourage retreat groups to discuss sleeping arrangements in advance and to remain open to room rotation during their retreat.
- The Blomidon Room (upstairs; 210 ft²/20 m²; single- to triple-occupancy), named for its view of the Blomidon Cliffs, is furnished with a queen bed, a rollaway cot, and a writing desk and features five sea-facing windows and a preserved stained-glass window.
- The Cowslip Room (upstairs; 210 ft²/20 m²; single- to triple-occupancy), named for Neil and Jane Jampolis’s moniker for the cottage, is furnished with a queen bed, an antique twin bed, and a writing desk and features a skylight.
- The Raddall Room (ground-floor; 130 ft²/12 m²; single- or double-occupancy), named in honour of Thomas H. Raddall II and his contributions to Nova Scotia’s literary community, is furnished with a single bed, a roll-out trundle cot, and a writing desk. It features the Jampolis Cottage Trinketorium, a converted Gaspereau Press type drawer showcasing unique objects meant to inspire resident writers. The Raddall Room is also the focus of continued renovations to increase physical accessibility for residents who use mobility devices, thanks in great part to the financial support of the Raddall family of Liverpool, NS.
Resident writers’ essential companions—including caregivers, personal attendants, family members who require care, and service animals—are welcome to stay at Jampolis Cottage at no charge. No physician certification is required.
- If you require a personal attendant during your residency or retreat, we recommend that your regular personal attendant travel to and stay at Jampolis Cottage with you. You can access free or taxes-only flight, rail, and bus travel for personal attendants through WestJet, Air Canada, Porter Airlines, Via Rail, and Maritime Bus. (Physician certification is required for each of these personal attendant travel programs, so please make travel plans well in advance.) If a personal attendant cannot travel with you, private personal attendants in the Wolfville area can be found through Caregivers Nova Scotia (see the Wolfville section of their list of Annapolis Valley private care providers) or through CareForce.
Resident writers’ guests—including fellow creatives and social visitors—may stay for up to two nights per week of any residency or retreat at no charge. You may not accept monetary compensation from any guest in exchange for hosting them at Jampolis Cottage.
Resident writers’ pets—that is, non-service animals—can be accommodated in most circumstances. Cleaning supplies and some backup essentials for cats and dogs are provided, and residents must pay a single $65 pet cleaning fee if one or more pets will stay overnight. This fee pays for an extra hour of cleaning to make the cottage comfortable for subsequent residents, who may have animal allergies. Please note: no pets are permitted during sponsored group retreats (e.g., the Oliver-Craig Retreat) because participant selection cannot account for pet allergies.
For those with a local personal vehicle, Jampolis Cottage is 1 hour northwest of downtown Halifax; 50 minutes west of Halifax Stanfield International Airport; 15 minutes north of Windsor; and 15 minutes east of Wolfville. The horseshoe driveway and parking pad can easily accommodate up to six vehicles.
For those without access to a local personal vehicle, we advise car rental due to Jampolis Cottage’s rural location. Along with the numerous rental options available in downtown Halifax, there are six rental options at Halifax Stanfield International Airport and an Enterprise Rent-a-Car location in nearby Windsor.
For those who do not drive, there are still several travel options:
- Halifax Stanfield International Airport offers private car services to Windsor for under $150. From Windsor, a local taxi can bring you to Jampolis Cottage.
- Maritime Bus offers bus services from Halifax Airport to downtown Wolfville for under $30. From Wolfville, a local taxi can bring you to Jampolis Cottage. (Per Maritime Bus’s accessibility policy, personal attendants and service animals are permitted free-of-charge. Advanced notice of 72 hours is required if travelling with a wheelchair or scooter.)
- TJ’s Driving Services offers province-wide physically accessible services on a quote-per-service basis.
Local taxi options are limited, so we advise booking them in advance:
- C.J.’s Taxi offers taxi service in the Wolfville and Kentville areas for those without physical accessibility concerns. Service is available 24/7, but we strongly recommend booking at least 24 hours in advance.
- Kings Point to Point offers accessible transportation in Kings County for wheelchair and scooter users. Bookings must be made during office hours (Monday to Friday, 8:30am to 4:30pm) at least 72 hours in advance.
Dining & drinking
- Grocery & liquor stores are found in Wolfville and Hantsport (each a 10-min drive).
- Local produce and perishables are seasonally available at Tangled Garden, Elderkin’s Farm Market, Hennigar’s Farm Market, Stirling Farm Market, and Wolfville Farmers’ Market (each within a 15-min drive).
- Well-reviewed dining in Wolfville (10-min drive) includes The Naked Crepe Bistro, Church Brewing Co., Paddy’s and Rosie’s, Rossa Trattoria, and Troy Restaurant & Grill.
- In Grand Pré and Lower Wolfville, find exceptional craft malt beer at Horton Ridge Taproom (5-min drive), dining at The Evangeline Inn’s Longfellow Restaurant (5-min drive), and dining and wine at any of six vineyards: L’Acadie, Domaine de Grand Pré, Gaspereau, Lightfoot & Wolfville, Luckett, and Mercator (each a 10-min drive).
- For a more rural drive, follow Bluff Road to Hantsport (10-min drive) to find caffeine and light fare at The Barking Bean and Essentially English Bakery & Café.
Artistic recreation
- Libraries, bookshops, galleries, & theatres in Wolfville include Wolfville Memorial Library, The Odd Book, Harvest Gallery, and the Al Whittle Theatre, a historic independent cinema and performance space. Acadia University also provides Vaughan Memorial Library, a campus bookstore, and the University Art Gallery in the Beveridge Art Centre.
- Seasonal arts events in Wolfville include Deep Roots Music Festival (held in fall), Devour: The Food Film Festival (held in fall), and the Acadia Performing Arts Series (with events year-round). Other local events are regularly listed on the Town of Wolfville’s Event Calendar, and literary festivals in the region (typically held in summer or early fall) can be found in our index of Nova Scotia Literary Festivals.
Natural recreation
- Jampolis Cottage overlooks Penny Beach(best for long walks), is a short drive from Avonport Beach (best for swimming and sunbathing), and is a 10-minute drive from Evangeline Beach. A 5-minute drive will bring you to a tour of Tangled Garden, to the Blue Beach Fossil Museum, or to the Grand-Pré National Historic Site and the nearby head of the 110-kilometre Harvest Moon Trailway.
- Other local walking, hiking, & nature destinations include Avonport Dyke (5-min drive); Wolfville’s Reservoir Park, Gaspereau River Trail, Lumsden Pond Provincial Park, and the Harriet Irving Botanical Gardens (each a 15-min drive); Falmouth’s Eldridge Falls and Windsor’s Ettinger Falls (each a 20-min drive); Blomidon Provincial Park (35-min drive); and Burntcoat Head Park (65-min drive), where visitors can walk on the seafloor during the Bay of Fundy’s world-famous low tides.
- Recreational equipment for rent nearby includes bicycles, snowshoes, and walking poles from Valley Stove & Cycle in nearby Kentville (20-min drive) and hydrobikes from Maritime Hydrobikes, which provides delivery and pickup. Depending on the season, you might also take an afternoon away from the pen & keyboard by renting tubes at Gaspereau River Tubing (15-min drive) or skis or snowboards at Ski Martock (25-min drive).
Residents are encouraged to seek local reading, speaking, or workshop opportunities
- in Wolfville (within a 10-min drive) at Acadia University’s Department of English and Theatre, Acadia University’s Vaughan Memorial Library, or the Wolfville Memorial Library;
- in Hantsport (within a 10-min drive) at The Rooms Café & Gallery or the Isabel & Roy Jodrey Memorial Library; and
- in Windsor (within a 15-min drive) at Windsor Regional Library.
The Canning Library (20-min drive), also known as The Merritt Gibson Library and the Little Library in Canning, is another potential event partner. Housed in a historic building on Canning’s Main Street, it is the only independent, community-owned library in Nova Scotia, acting as a centre for literacy, education, and cultural activity and providing enriching experiences, valuable resources, and a great selection of books to residents of Canning and surrounding area for over 30 years.
The Canning Library regularly offers workshops, readings, craft circles, a writing group, internet and printing access, digital literacy training, a youth reading group, and more. Its offerings fluctuate depending on the skills and availability of volunteers, and on grants and other funding. In 2025, the library plans to develop a tool library. The library’s front room is wheelchair accessible.
The Canning Library Board and volunteers invite all writers staying at Jampolis Cottage to get in touch. If you’d like to organize or participate in a reading, launch, or other event—or just come for a visit—please contact canninglibrary@gmail.com.
Investors
The Writers’ Federation of Nova Scotia is grateful to the Jampolis Living Trust; the Nova Scotia Department of Communities, Culture, Tourism and Heritage; the Raddall family of Liverpool, Nova Scotia; and the Municipality of the County of Kings for their foundational investments in Jampolis Cottage and the Jampolis Cottage Residency Program.
