Jason Lilley shares his journey behind the building of Mill Lane Saunas
Jason Lilley’s journey toward opening Mill Lane Saunas in Melancthon began in 2010. After years of physical strain on his body, he sought relief from chronic aches and pains.
That’s when his lifelong friend, former NHL player Aaron Downey, introduced him to the health benefits of saunas and cold plunges.
“He’s a sauna guru,” Lilley said about Downey, who’s from Shelburne. “Him and a couple of his teammates did sauna and cold tub therapy to help rehabilitate their bodies, so I got into it from him.”
As a carpenter by trade, he decided to build a sauna of his own, and not long after, one of his friends asked if he could build one for them. More friends jumped in, asking if Lilley could do the same, and before long, word spread throughout the region about his craftsmanship and custom work.
“From there it turned into a full-time job, building custom, one-off saunas,” he explained.
Mill Lane Saunas, named after the street Lilley grew up on in Horning’s Mills, officially launched in 2012 and has been busy ever since. He hand-builds around 10 to 15 custom saunas each year, with clients ranging from Alberta to New Brunswick – and even Chicago, Illinois.
Lilley also builds cold plunge tubs and sauna stoves through Mill Lane Saunas.
Mill Lane Saunas is primarily a one-man operation, with Lilley at the helm, which enables him to provide a more personalized sauna-building service.
“I’m the one who people talk to, I’m the one who designs it, I’m the one who builds it, and I’m the one who installs it,” Lilley said. “That’s one of the big things that separates me from all the other production companies, is the personal aspect of it, which I think is important.”
Another aspect of Lilley’s business that makes it unique is the materials used to build each sauna. Every sauna starts with a six-by-six timber frame, providing long-term strength and stability.
“The six-by-six timber frame is just a really overly built, solid structure for its size, that will last the test of time,” Lilley said. “I’ve never had to replace one… and I don’t have any reason to believe they’re not going to last 25 to 30 years – if not more.”
Instead of having customers search across an inventory of saunas and cold plunges to see what best aligns with their needs, Lilley builds them to their specifications.
Clients can customize their saunas’ seating, windows, door placement, roof style, frame design, exterior stain, change room, hidden shower, and landing. Lilley works with them to map out their vision and bring it to life.
“I take it from there and design what you’re after,” Lilley explained. “I build them in my shop, and then I disassemble them and bring them to you to reassemble on site.”
He also has a handful of pre-built saunas for clients to choose from.
The combination of sauna therapy and cold plunges makes Lilley feel like his 20-year-old self again, and he enjoys the mental benefits as well.
“It makes me feel refreshed. You get to sweat out a lot of those toxins that you don’t get to do on a daily basis,” he said. “Whether you’re in there for 15 or 30 minutes, it gives you peace and quiet – and time to reflect. It’s a detox mentally, just as much as physically.”
Lilley added, “Some days when I don’t even have it going, I’ll sit in there… I got a beautiful view with a full glass front, so it gives me 20 minutes just to reflect on the day or think about what’s coming up, the following day.”
When it comes to cold plunges, he said taking a dunk boosts his energy levels and cognitive thinking.
“You get a 250 per cent increase in dopamine for hours on end afterward,” Lilley said.
In addition to offering health benefits, Mill Lane Saunas’ custom-made products are visually pleasing and easily complement the aesthetics of a cottage, rural property, or backyard. They offer a unique blend of luxury and functionality.
“Nowadays people are using them as pieces of art,” Lilley said. “Instead of hiding the sauna, people can put it up front on their Lakeside property, and use it for artistic value.”
Looking ahead, Lilley enjoys inventing fresh designs and concepts for Mill Lane Saunas, creating products that are innovative and unique.
“Every year, I come up with something new, something that no one else has done yet, that is game changing in its own way,” he said.
“I like being able to go and create new things every day. It keeps your brain healthy and working. It’s a muscle, too, and it needs exercise.”