ABOUT US
We are here to share the love of sauna culture. For us, sauna is a quintessential part of life. This life is for everyone, and we want to create opportunities + experiences for all to feel at home in the sauna.
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Sharing a Love of Sauna Culture.Catalysts of community-centred sauna culture in Canada, we believe sauna is for everyone - no gatekeeping, just good heat. We’re for people who want to slow down, warm up, and build stronger communities from the inside out. True to löyly, down to the last detail.
From our base in the Rocky Mountains of BC, we fire up saunas across the East Kootenays, with home bases near Kimberley / Cranbrook and Fernie. We bring the heat through high-quality mobile rentals, private + community sessions, and events where the rocks are hot and the conversation flows. If you’re ready to make sauna part of your everyday life, we design + build custom saunas that blend timeless Finnish tradition with Canadian mountain grit. Our work goes beyond the backyard. We partner with municipalities, organizations, and developers on bespoke and large-scale, community-first sauna projects - locally and across Canada - always with cultural authenticity and a community-centered ethos at the heart. As proud members of Sauna From Finland, we share in a global mission: ensuring everyone, everywhere, can experience a truly great Finnish sauna. Rooted in ʔamak̓is Ktunaxa, we honour the Land we live on, the traditions we carry forward, and the simple truth that in sauna, everyone belongs - the only requirement is to show up and feed the fire. |
MEET THE TEAM
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Juho PelkonenCo-founder, OperationsJuho builds saunas the way he was taught - sturdy enough to last generations, and always with room for one more on the bench. He grew up in what he calls “Big R” rural Finland, where sauna was part of the daily rhythm. His father, a builder, made sure the sauna was always the first thing built in a new home. After earning a Master’s in Marketing from the University of Jyväskylä, Juho traded Finnish forests for the Rocky Mountains of BC and a career in forest firefighting. As wildfires - and his stress levels - rose, he returned to his roots, co-running Kamu Sauna and consulting on custom builds + large-scale, community-first sauna projects across Canada.
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Becky PelkonenCo-founderFor Becky, sauna is where tradition meets possibility—a place to slow down, spark ideas, and share laughs. As co-founder of Kamu Sauna and Ilomaa Forest Farm, she shares authentic, nature-based sauna as a cultural “third space” that fosters community renewal. A sustainability educator with a Master’s in Responsible Tourism and 20+ years in Indigenous and rural development, Becky designs regenerative tourism initiatives and researches the role of third spaces in building resilient places. She is also an active voice in global sauna culture, speaking at and hosting events such as the World Sauna Forum to help keep sauna’s essence alive amid worldwide growth.
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Niamh MurphyFernie Operations, Marketing + Outreach
In some circles, Niamh is known as the cold plunge queen. In others, she’s the one pulling the perfect löyly. Either way, she’s the head-of-everything Kamu Sauna in Fernie BC, bringing heat to a region built on mountain culture. Originally from the South Coast of England, she came to Fernie through the “powder portal” and never looked back. A trainer with a women's strength collective, she uses sauna and cold immersion for recovery, resilience, and connection. A natural storyteller and content creator—serious about great ideas, never about herself—she honours sauna as intangible cultural heritage while keeping it wild, joy-filled, and deeply tied to Fernie’s blend of movement, wellness, and community.
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Proud Members of Sauna from FinlandFor us, sauna is more than heat. It’s culture, community, and connection to nature. We are members of Sauna From Finland so we can help ensure everyone has the chance to experience a truly authentic Finnish sauna.”
Curious what makes a sauna authentic? Check out our Journal Article to learn more. |
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