- Words by Tess Van Straaten Photography by Lia Crowe

Josh Dupuis has been building things since he was a child. He started working in construction at just 15 years old, but never thought he91裸聊视频檇 have a business building saunas.

91裸聊视频淚f someone had told me three years ago that I would be building and renting saunas right now, I would have laughed,91裸聊视频� says Josh, the founder of . 91裸聊视频淚t was something that hadn91裸聊视频檛 crossed my mind until my wife, Amy, said she loved saunas.91裸聊视频�

It all started in 2020 when Amy wanted to rent a sauna for Christmas. When they couldn91裸聊视频檛 find one, Josh decided to build one in the backyard.

91裸聊视频淚 thought it would be really cool to have one on a trailer because you could take it anywhere you want. Then I thought, 91裸聊视频楲et91裸聊视频檚 throw it on a trailer and rent it out!91裸聊视频�91裸聊视频� Josh explains. 91裸聊视频淵ou can bring the benefits to everybody and share such a cool thing. Show up at someone91裸聊视频檚 birthday party with a sauna and drop it off91裸聊视频攊t91裸聊视频檚 pretty cool. And we actually went camping with our barrel sauna.91裸聊视频�

So Wildwood was born, and has since built up a business around custom sauna builds and mobile sauna rentals91裸聊视频攊ncluding weekly Saturday stints at Willows Beach in Oak Bay, where they do both drop-ins and pre-booking.

91裸聊视频淏usiness is really good and everybody loves it,91裸聊视频� Josh says. 91裸聊视频淚t91裸聊视频檚 such a great thing to have. Our goal is community building, and at Willows, the groups come and do some cold dips and everyone hangs out. It91裸聊视频檚 really cool and there are big smiles all around. When you come out of the sauna, it91裸聊视频檚 hard not to smile. We really enjoy doing it, because it91裸聊视频檚 such a nice thing to bring to the community and the health benefits are great.91裸聊视频�

For Josh, who also owns Josh Dupuis Construction, the building bug started at a very young age.

91裸聊视频淏eing creative is definitely my passion,91裸聊视频� he says. 91裸聊视频淲hen I was 11 years old, I built my first go-kart just by looking at a picture in a magazine. I bought a welder and learned how to weld. Doing that first go-kart and seeing it drive, that91裸聊视频檚 where it started. I thought, 91裸聊视频榃hat else can I build?91裸聊视频�91裸聊视频�

After struggling in school, Josh moved out on his own when he was just 15 years old and started in carpentry, building homes for five years.

91裸聊视频淚 wanted my freedom and I wasn91裸聊视频檛 very good at school,91裸聊视频� he says. 91裸聊视频淚 was home-schooled and I didn91裸聊视频檛 do well with books, and I couldn91裸聊视频檛 sit still and I couldn91裸聊视频檛 stop building stuff, so I decided to just go build stuff. I never thought I could own my own business because I was so terrible at school and math.91裸聊视频�

But after getting into commercial refrigeration and obtaining his Red Seal in HVAC-R, Josh realized he could do math and concentrate on things he was passionate about. He spent the next eight years building grocery stores all over Canada before quitting his job to start his own construction company in Victoria three years ago.

91裸聊视频淚 was building the Walmart in Langford and on my days off, I was going home to Edmonton, where I was living at the time. It was -50 C there and I was in a T-shirt here, so it made sense to move here,91裸聊视频� says Josh, who grew up in New Brunswick. 91裸聊视频淭he weather is great, there91裸聊视频檚 lots of construction, and Victoria is beautiful. All the hiking here is crazy!91裸聊视频�

Josh grew up playing competitive sports, including baseball, hockey, amateur boxing and skateboarding, and says the best advice he ever received was from a coach, who would say: 91裸聊视频淢ind your thoughts, because they become your words. Mind your words, because they become your actions. Mind your actions, because they become your character. Mind your character, because it becomes your fate.91裸聊视频�

Keeping a positive mindset has been something he91裸聊视频檚 tried to do, even when faced with the challenges of the construction industry.

91裸聊视频淐onstruction can be pretty challenging all the time,91裸聊视频� Josh says. 91裸聊视频淭he timelines, trying to get things done quickly and well at the same time, that91裸聊视频檚 probably the hardest thing. The biggest lesson I91裸聊视频檝e learned is to double-check prices on materials before sending the quote.91裸聊视频�

Summer is also a challenging time for the sauna rental business, especially when the last two summers have seen several heat waves and record-breaking temperatures.

91裸聊视频淚t really slows down when it warms up,91裸聊视频� Josh says. 91裸聊视频淲hen it91裸聊视频檚 30 C it91裸聊视频檚 hard to rent a sauna, but we still had lots of people at the beach. But now that it91裸聊视频檚 raining and not nice, we91裸聊视频檙e pretty busy because it91裸聊视频檚 a pretty unique way to warm up.91裸聊视频�

Passionate about health and wellness, Josh says he thinks saunas are definitely making a comeback as people look for different ways to de-stress.

91裸聊视频淚 think people are really getting more aware of the health benefits,91裸聊视频� Josh says. 91裸聊视频淲hen I have pain from working hard all day, I91裸聊视频檒l do a cold plunge and then a sauna and I just feel so relaxed after. It clears my brain and I find it puts me in a good mood.91裸聊视频�

Wildwood has two rental saunas right now and plans to build a third one soon. The company is also going to be designing cold-dip tubs next year, and is even considering starting sauna boat tours. Josh says his dream is to have a whole fleet of saunas and to be doing custom builds full time.

91裸聊视频淭he biggest mistake I91裸聊视频檝e made has been not starting this company sooner,91裸聊视频� he says. 91裸聊视频淣ot believing that I could be successful and not believing in myself enough. When things get hard, that91裸聊视频檚 when you91裸聊视频檝e got to push through, and once you do, that91裸聊视频檚 what shapes you and makes you better. Don91裸聊视频檛 give up when things get hard. When you push through, that91裸聊视频檚 the game-changer.91裸聊视频�

Story courtesy of , a Black Press Media publication
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