Feb 3, 2022

Get to know...Oak Bay Luxury Getaway

Updated: Apr 19, 2022

Welcome to an exciting feature in our Get to know... series - where we invite you to learn more about the amazing companies that make up our SHE Certified Community™. Our fifth feature highlights our first international SHE Certified Company - Oak Bay Luxury Getaway - the first ever Airbnb to become a Certified BCorp. We had the owner, Jennifer, answer some questions that dive deep into their property and sustainability efforts. Check it out below!

Introduce your company!

Oak Bay Luxury Getaway is a travel destination on the Airbnb platform that showcases our Sustainable Tourism accommodation. We welcome up to 8 guests (and pups) at a four bedroom, three full bath home located in an UNESCO Designated Biosphere (Georgian Bay Biosphere) featuring the largest freshwater archipelago in the world. Guests who join us can feel good about traveling without increasing their own carbon footprint. Oak Bay Luxury Getaway is the first Airbnb property to attain BCorp certification, ensuring that when you visit, you can experience as close to net zero travel as possible.

What is your mission as a company?

We provide safe accommodations for the traveling public who support the environment, are respectful of people and the planet before profit. In every decision, there is a very strong emphasis on the environment, our local economy, diversity, safety and ethics of our suppliers, gender equity and a goal of net zero emissions.

We are located on the shores of Georgian Bay (Great Lakes Water system) on a golf course known as Oak Bay Golf and Marina. This golf course is the only golf course in Canada that is a Bee City.
When you are here you can walk on the Canadian Shield by simply walking outside as our landscaping features organic Muskoka rock.
The energy we use in this home is clean, and we support Solar where we can.
We have a full kitchen with energy star appliances that encourage guests to travel with whole foods and be able to cook and create with reduced packaging needs.
We support and calculate our carbon footprint based on the decisions made by our guests. And we report these findings on our website at Oak Bay Luxury Getaway.
We support women first businesses in our gifting, and in particular women led businesses.
We welcome women led retreats for wellness, education and empowerment.
We have a Peloton Bike on site for our guests.

"I am extremely proud to be a woman-owned and run company because I am a part of a network of women globally who live without ceilings as it relates to development, growth, standing for the environment, and speaking freely about business ideas, and directions of the company." - Jennifer, Owner

Introduce yourself!

I am Jennifer Schnier, your Host here at Oak Bay Luxury Getaway. I am a Superhost/Community Leader with Airbnb. I have a Masters degree in Environmental Studies featuring Sustainable Economic Development from the University of Waterloo.I am the Vice Chair of the Georgian Bay General Hospital Foundation.

I am a proud Mother of two natural born children, and four step children. In total six boys.

I live with my husband Alec and we have two labernese dogs in Port Severn Ontario. I am a Grandmother twice around.

Which SHE marks have you been certified for?

I am Certified SHEruns™ and SHEowns™, and strongly supported by my Husband who is in charge of super white linens for our guests.

Why are you proud to be a Certified SHEruns and SHEowns™ company?

I am extremely proud to be a woman-owned and run company because I am a part of a network of women globally who live without ceilings as it relates to development, growth, standing for the environment, and speaking freely about business ideas, and directions of the company. I also am honouring and paving a path for my sisters, my nieces, my daughters in law, and my granddaughter to have confidence to try new ideas, explore, pivot and celebrate. I am creating a safe business environment that is a foundation for the women in my life to be creative, to try and to be supported. I am honouring the women before me who struggled with the freedom to try.

What benefits have you experienced being a woman-led business?

I have turned heads, people are seeing success. They are stopping by, asking questions, wondering how they can get involved. They are for the first time ever…willing to listen to what I have to say. Honestly, the paradigm hasn’t shifted in the world yet. My biggest challenges have been put in place by men, that includes negative comments, little faith, inability to see the vision and a consistent placement of barriers set in place to make the task that much harder.

External photo of Oak Bay Luxury Getaway

"In every decision, there is a very strong emphasis on the environment, our local economy, diversity, safety and ethics of our suppliers, gender equity and a goal of net zero emissions. "

- Jennifer, Owner

In what ways other than gender equity do you think your company is making the world a better place?

In this small little space, a woman has become the first BCorp Airbnb property in the world. Took a risk and opened up a rental property in a UNESCO Designated Biosphere and dared to have the conversation about what might happen if we all made a few choices like collecting food waste, or reducing packaging, or just considering what can be done in their own lives to reduce our carbon footprint.