How one woman burnt out by a busy Toronto job 'redefined happiness' after moving to a cabin in the north

Danielle d’Entremont can be seen alongside the cabin she lives in. (d’Entremont)

Suffering from burnout after years of working a high-pressure job in Toronto, Danielle d’Entremont decided to change her life and move north, ending up in a cabin in the Yukon with no running water.

d’Entremont first moved from Toronto, Ont. to Yellowknife, N.W.T. in February 2020.

“I was working at all hours of the day [...] in a high-pressure job and I just was getting completely burned out,” she told CTV News Toronto in an interview Thursday.

The move, in part, was inspired by a 2019 trip to B.C.’s West Coast Trail. The time spent away from the “hustle culture” of city life brought her to the realization that she “hadn’t heard her own thoughts in a long time,” she said.

“It hit me – I was like, ‘I need to make a change. I need to be closer to nature. I need to hear myself think more,’” she recalled. “Because I wasn't happy in the life I was living.”

At first, she said she’d only intended to stay a year, but when offered the opportunity to move to a dry cabin in the Yukon in August 2021, she decided to extend her time in the north.

“I felt very lucky to be in the north where there were so many options for getting outside and being in nature,” d’Entremont said.”My perspective [on Toronto] had started changing [...] the venues were closing down, the things that I loved about the city weren't as active anymore – the art scene, the music scene.”

“At the time, I just really started to ask, ‘Is that something I want to go back to?’”

Moving to the cabin radically changed her life, d’Entremont said.

“Suddenly, I was having to wake up every morning and get a fire started, get my blue jugs filled, figure out where I was going to shower, do my laundry and wash my dishes,” she said. But the changes haven’t deterred her – “There are some big challenges there,” she said. “But overall, I really fell in love with it.”

d’Entremont underlined that she shouldn’t be considered unique for her lifestyle in the Yukon.

“It's very common to live in cabins and dry cabins up here,” she said. “It’s a lifestyle many people are living.”

She says she considers herself a “grateful guest” on the traditional territories of the Kwanlin Dün First Nation and Ta’an Kwäch’än Council.

“People have lived in the Yukon for thousands upon thousands of years – I love sharing the lifestyle I’ve been living, but I’m not unique for living in the Yukon."

Since adopting her new lifestyle, d’Entremont works remotely and has been sharing her story on TikTok. Her account bio describes her as a "former city rat sharing [her] journey learning to survive in a Yukon cabin." One video, entitled ‘How I Decided to Changed My Life,’ has amassed nearly a million views at the time of publication.

@betweenmountainscabin Replying to @Monalissa This question changed my life. I hope it helps you too! 🥰#cabinlife #yukon #fyp ♬ I Think I Like When It Rains - WILLIS

“I really love it,” she said “ But the big thing I want to emphasize to the people who follow my account is that they don't need to move to a cabin to get back in touch with themselves – it really is that journey of inner healing.”

Ultimately, she said she wants her audience to know that there are tangible steps available to achieve a healthier mindset – “no matter where you live.”

“That can include going outside for a walk once a day, finding ways to be in nature, meditating or journaling,” she said. “It feels like such simple stuff, but it's been so huge.”

@betweenmountainscabin Success looks different for all of us, do what makes you happy! #fyp #cabinlife #offgridliving ♬ original sound - .