About Us

About the Founder

Westwoods Farm & Inn is founded by Layne O’Donnell, a Canadian entrepreneur, builder, and community-focused business owner based in Squamish, British Columbia.

Layne is also the founder of Plunge Wellness, a cold-plunge and sauna studio she opened in 2024. The business was built largely by hand with the help of family and friends. Layne invested approximately $60,000 of personal capital into the project and financed the remaining build costs using personal credit cards, taking on roughly $75,000 in debt. That debt was fully paid off within ten months of profitable operations, and Plunge Wellness remains debt-free to this day.

Plunge has grown into a profitable, community-anchored business serving thousands of locals in a town of just 25,000 people. Its success is rooted in intentional growth, financial transparency, and deep respect for place and community.

Layne’s background in social media marketing, business development, and interior design played a significant role in the studio’s success, as well as in her previous ventures. Plunge Wellness was never intended to be an end goal. Within its first year, the business had already outgrown its space, and as wellness trends continued to evolve, Layne recognized a deeper gap in the wellness landscape.

During a trip in early 2025, she had a moment of clarity: something was missing. Not adventure, not novelty — but real rest. Not a short-term escape or a wellness “bandaid,” but a place to slow down, disconnect, and reconnect with family, values, and the land itself.

Westwoods was born from that realization.

Westwoods Farm & Inn is a natural evolution of Layne’s work — but one designed on a much longer horizon.

A Values-Led Approach

Layne approaches Westwoods with the same philosophy that guided Plunge Wellness:

  • Build slowly and intentionally

  • Stay compliant and transparent — Plunge Wellness was the first cold-plunge and sauna studio in the region to operate with approval from Vancouver Coastal Health

  • Design for long-term resilience, not quick returns

  • Involve community, not extract from it

Philanthropy and community support have always been central to Layne’s work. Layne and her mother co-founded North Van Cares, and giving back has consistently guided how she builds businesses. Westwoods follows that same ethic — prioritizing contribution, responsibility, and long-term benefit over short-term gain.

Westwoods is not a luxury resort, a speculative land play, or a short-term investment vehicle. It is a multi-decade project focused on agriculture, education, and stewardship — supported by small-scale accommodations and wellness programming designed to make the farm financially sustainable.

The Team Behind Westwoods

The team supporting Westwoods includes PhD-level environmental professionals, architects and engineers with agriculture-specific experience, wellness and hospitality consultants, public and women’s health professionals, individuals with city and regional planning expertise, investor relations managers, and a panel of legal advisors guiding the project at every stage.

Like the project itself, Westwoods — and the team behind it — goes far deeper than what’s visible on the surface.

The work began quietly in January 2025, a full year before Westwoods was shared publicly, allowing time for due diligence, planning, and thoughtful foundation-building before inviting the wider community in.

Details regarding the full team and business plan are available to qualified parties upon execution of a mutual non-disclosure agreement.

Why Westwoods

Westwoods began with a single question:
What does it look like to care for land properly — and build something that can last beyond one person or one lifetime?

The 157-acre property that will become Westwoods is predominantly forested land in the Squamish Valley. Layne’s goal is not to “develop” the land in the conventional sense, but to steward it intentionally — supporting long-term ecological health while creating a financially viable, working farm.

Westwoods is designed to support:

  • Regenerative agriculture and long-term land stewardship

  • On-farm education and skill-sharing

  • Modest, carefully constrained agritourism that helps fund the farm sustainably

The project is intentionally phased, compliance-driven, and aligned with Agricultural Land Reserve (ALR) principles: farm-first, wellness-second.

Westwoods is not about maximizing density or short-term returns. It is about building a model where agriculture, education, and carefully scaled accommodations work together to support the land for generations to come.

Land, History, and Responsibility

Westwoods is located on the traditional, unceded territory of the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Nation.

Layne recognizes that land ownership in Canada exists within a colonial framework and approaches Westwoods with humility, ongoing learning, and a commitment to respectful stewardship. The project is being shaped with an emphasis on ecological care, education, and collaboration wherever possible, acknowledging both the history of the land and the responsibility that comes with caring for it.

Looking Ahead

Westwoods is being built in phases, beginning with land stewardship and agricultural groundwork, followed by a limited number of small cabins to support farm operations. Over time, the vision includes diversified crops, on-farm products, educational programming, and carefully scaled agritourism — all designed to serve the land first.

This is not a finished idea. It is a living project.

Westwoods exists for people who believe that:

  • Wellness starts at the root

  • Farms should be economically viable

  • Land deserves patience, care, and restraint

Layne is building Westwoods for the long term — and inviting the right people to grow alongside it.

Jacquie McCarnan — Director of Real Estate, Investor Relations & Philanthropic Initiatives

Peter O’Donnell
– Capital Projects Advisor

Mark Vaughan
– Director of Landscape Architecture & Environmental Design

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Westwoods is a long-term, values-led project in the Squamish Valley focused on regenerative agriculture, land stewardship, education, and carefully scaled agritourism. The farm is designed to be financially sustainable while remaining farm-first in purpose and use.

  • Westwoods is located in the Squamish Valley in British Columbia, on land within the Agricultural Land Reserve (ALR). Specific site details are shared selectively as the project progresses.

  • No. Westwoods is not a luxury resort or a short-term retreat destination. Any accommodations or wellness programming are designed to support the ongoing operation of the farm and its agricultural mandate.

  • Westwoods is in an early, pre-development phase focused on due diligence, planning, regulatory compliance, and land stewardship. The project is being developed in phases over multiple years.

  • Yes, the long-term vision includes a limited number of small-scale accommodations intended to support farm operations and agritourism, subject to regulatory approvals and ALR guidelines.

  • Westwoods is designed farm-first, not hospitality-first. Agriculture, education, and land stewardship guide all decisions, with wellness and accommodations playing a supportive role rather than driving the project.

  • Compliance is a core priority. The project is being developed in alignment with ALR principles and local planning frameworks, with professional advisors involved throughout the process.

  • Westwoods was founded by Layne O’Donnell and is supported by a multidisciplinary team including environmental professionals, architects, engineers, planners, wellness and hospitality consultants, investor relations specialists, and legal advisors.

  • Not at this time. Public access, programming, and accommodations will be introduced gradually and only as appropriate for the land, the project phase, and regulatory approvals.

  • Westwoods selectively engages with aligned investors, advisors, and partners who share the project’s long-term, values-led approach. Conversations begin through a formal inquiry process.

  • Additional project details, including the full team and business plan, may be shared with qualified parties following completion of a mutual non-disclosure agreement.

  • Any future programming will be considered carefully and in alignment with agricultural priorities and regulatory requirements. No event offerings are currently available.

  • Westwoods is located on the traditional, unceded territory of the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Nation. The project is guided by principles of respect, learning, and responsible stewardship.

  • There is no fixed opening date. Westwoods is being built intentionally over time, with progress determined by planning, approvals, and land readiness rather than arbitrary timelines.

  • At this stage, the property is not open for visits. Future access will be communicated when and if appropriate.

  • Updates are shared periodically through the Westwoods website and official communication channels.