Some of the Things Fox Harb’r Has Built in 25 Years

Ron Joyce, a son of Tatamagouche, Nova Scotia, established Fox Harb’r Resort following a successful career as co-founder and first franchisee of Tim Hortons. After retiring from the restaurant industry, Ron envisioned a golf destination in his home province, with an emphasis on the Maritime hospitality that inspired his career.

So in 2000 he opened a golf course on the shores of the Northumberland Strait. And not just any golf course. One that was world-class at the time it was opened. And he built a resort to go with it, because he wanted his friends from around the country (and world) to visit and play golf with him. And he built a clubhouse, since they’d need to enjoy a meal after a round of golf. And then . . . well, you get the idea. 

Ron’s original course at Fox Harb’r was nine holes of parkland golf and nine holes of a true links-style course, just like you’d see in Scotland. There aren’t many true links courses in North America, so that was pretty special. 

Now, a New World-Class Golf Course 

In the early 2020s, we made the decision to build on Ron’s vision for Fox Harb’r. Part of that plan is to add nine holes to the links half of the first course so we’ll have an 18-hole links course with the Northumberland Strait as the key feature of the course. Then we’re going to add nine holes to the parkland nine, thus giving us two golf courses. 

The Spa & Spa Expansion 

The spa has been here since nearly the beginning. It’s won many industry awards and features all the massages, wellness therapies, and skincare you’d expect from a luxury spa. But—and you’ll notice a theme there—we’re not content with being excellent, so we’re expanding the spa and offering new services like hydrotherapy and a greater focus on rejuvenation after athletics. 

The Sporting Lodge

After an afternoon of sport shooting, who doesn’t want to hang out in a post-and-beam lodge with a floor-to-ceiling stone fireplace? 

A Residential Community

From the beginning, Ron Joyce envisioned a welcoming community thoughtfully integrated around the golf course. Today, our growing collection of luxury homes and elegant townhomes realize that ambition, blending exceptional comfort and refined living with the natural beauty and tranquility of Nova Scotia’s Northumberland coastline. Designed to foster connection, community, and leisurely enjoyment, these residences provide an unparalleled lifestyle for those who call Fox Harb’r home.

The Airport 

How do you get to Fox Harb’r? Well, there are many ways, but the most direct is through our very own airport. And if you need to arrange a lift to our airport, we have a fleet at the ready.

The Greenhouse Program 

We get high ratings for our restaurants at Fox Harb’r. That’s to be expected for a world-class resort. Less normal? A greenhouse program. We want excellent ingredients for our restaurants, so we grow a lot of them ourselves, including tomatoes, English cucumbers, eggplants, red and green peppers, various herbs, red, yellow, and white onions, beets, carrots, potatoes, zucchini, bok choy, Swiss chard, broccoli, spinach, head lettuce, assorted squash, and all the annuals and 85% of all perennials used on-site. 

A Vineyard 

Interesting but not so well-known fact: Nova Scotia makes excellent wine. We serve a lot of it at the resort. But after years of extolling the virtues of Nova Scotia wine, we decided to go a step further and make our own. Hence, the vineyard and our own version of Tidal Bay wine. 

The Joyce Centre 

Who wouldn’t want to host a wedding, meeting, team-building event, or conference at Fox Harb’r? Now, with the Joyce Centre, it’s even easier to bring us your big event. It’s a generous meeting space with a ballroom, boardroom, two breakout rooms, hospitality hub, two reception areas, and lovely outdoor terraces. 

Looking out on the water from the Joyce Centre, it’s hard to imagine all this 25 years ago. And yet, Fox Harb’r has grown in so many interesting and exciting ways. We can’t wait to see what the next 25 years will bring.