Venue Information
Sage Hill’s in-person Spring and Summer programs take place at the peaceful St. Peter’s Abbey and St. Peter’s College.
St. Peter’s Abbey is a Benedictine monastery that provides quiet and relaxing workspaces for university classes and writing retreats. St. Peter’s College is an off-campus, affiliated college of the University of Saskatchewan. Our venue welcomes all faiths and beliefs.
The monastery is surrounded by a serene prairie landscape and is a short walk from the village of Muenster. Participants enjoy walking on the monastery and college grounds.
The venue is located on 500 acres of mixed forest and farmlands in East Central Saskatchewan, on Highway 5 in the quiet village of Muenster, SK.
Muenster is 120km east of Saskatoon, 230km north of Regina, and 9 km from the City of Humboldt. Humboldt offers a fair number of restaurants and shops, from liquor stores to pharmacies. Should you want a brief reprieve from writing, Sage Hill staff can drive those without vehicles into Humboldt for supplies.
For directions to St. Peter’s Abbey, visit their website. You can find a campus map and directions here.
The facility has the following amenities:
- Your own private room
- Writing desk and chair in your room
- Space for 1-on-1 instruction and workshops
- Comfortable lounge areas
- Shared fridge and microwave
- Coffee and tea station available at all hours
- Laundry facilities
- Games Room
- Book table for selling your works and buying the works of others
- Library
- Wi-Fi access
- Treed grounds, walking trails, gardens
- Access to fitness centre with the latest professional quality equipment
- Outdoor soccer pitch
Each bedroom at the venue is unique in size and furnishings. Most bedrooms have a private ensuite bathroom with shower; on occasion, room availability is such that some rooms instead share a bathroom in the hall (this typically only occurs during our summer programs). With the exception of accessibility/medical requests, rooms are assigned randomly.
St. Peter’s Abbey is a Benedictine monastery that provides quiet and relaxing workspaces for university classes and writing retreats. The monastery is surrounded by a serene prairie landscape and is a short walk from the village of Muenster. Participants enjoy walking freely on the monastery and college grounds.
Sage Hill Writing and St. Peter’s College/Abbey welcome all faiths and beliefs and there is no expectation of participation in religious services.
ROOMS: Participants stay in Severin Hall, one of the university students’ residences. Severin Hall bedrooms have a single bed, desk, and chair, and an ensuite bathroom, containing a toilet, sink, and shower. There is a kitchenette with fridge and microwave, and a lounge on each level of Severin Hall, and a meeting area on the lower level.
MEALS: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are provided at scheduled times. Each meal is served buffet-style with a set menu and the connecting dining hall provides a place for participants to eat together. The kitchen provides a variety of options with fresh vegetables, salad, fruit, and home-baked breads.
Sage Hill will inform the kitchen of food allergies and sensitivities. However, a gluten-free or dairy-free diet cannot be guaranteed as the kitchen has limited staff members and time. If you have questions about dietary requests, please contact us so that we can determine if the kitchen is able to meet your needs.
OTHER AMENITIES: Wireless internet is available in all guest rooms and lounges. Bedding, towels and pillows are provided. Participants have access to free laundry facilities as well as a fitness complex. There is a selection of books written by past Sage hill participants and faculty available in the Lower Severin lounge. Participants also have access to the St. Peter’s College library onsite.
ACCESSIBILITY: Though Sage Hill is a small organization, we welcome diverse participants and work to provide everyone with a positive, successful experience.
Applicants/participants are asked to inform Sage Hill of their mobility or accommodations needs, as well as their dietary restrictions, at least 2 months prior to the retreat start date, so that we can explore options, make requests on your behalf, and work to ensure a comfortable retreat atmosphere. Rest assured that your requests are not shared with the jury and do not impact your chances of being accepted into a Sage Hill Writing program.
In some circumstances we are unable to meet all requests. For example, see the section above titled “meals” to learn about the venue’s kitchen limitations.
Most spaces at St. Peter’s Abbey are wheelchair accessible. Accessing elevators to move between locations can mean covering longer distances on site. Mobility-related requests may mean changes to a participant’s accommodations due to stair and elevator locations.
GETTING HERE: Participants can either find their own transportation to St. Peter’s Abbey, i.e., by car, or can reserve a seat on Sage Hill’s chartered shuttle for a fee (see the tuition section on your program page for shuttle fees). Those booking transport with Sage Hill meet at the Saskatoon John G. Diefenbaker International Airport to to be taken to the venue on the first day of the program. Muenster does not have any public transport available.
Sage Hill Writing will share more information with participants once they are accepted into the program. We are always happy to answer any questions about the venue or the programs!
