The Ark Two Survival Community is NOT a Commune. Nor is it based upon any particular religious or political concept. It is a pluralistic community that welcomes members from any religious, racial or cultural background.

Except in times of CATASTROPHE the community remains loosely knit. Members of the community can live at a distance, (although this is not recommended) and come to the facility if they feel that a catastrophe is imminent.

No one lives in the facility, although several families live nearby. The community tries to develop TEAM leaders with different types of expertise, and the Team leaders generally live within the vicinity.

Ideally, new members of the community would purchase or rent their primary home, (or a secondary home such as a resort cottage) within 20 miles of the facility. This, however, is not a requirement. The reasoning behind their having such a home location within the area, however, is that they would be near to the facility, should an emergency occur, and that they would have a base from which to re-establish their lives, during the reconstruction period after an emergency. We are located 90 miles northwest of Toronto, and Canadian Law changed in 1998, so that U.S. residents can purchase property in Canada, without tax penalty, and can reside here, only having to cross back over the border once every six months.

Use of the facility is anticipated in the worse case (an all out nuclear war) to be short term. By this we mean a period of from 3 weeks to six months. The facility would continue to be used as a resource for such functions as community administration, communication, and the ongoing work of agricultural recovery. It would also still be available as a refuge for any other emergencies, such as temporary social disturbances and so forth. Under the nuclear scenario, it is possible that children may need a longer period of sheltering for their sleep periods, than would adults.

Under other scenarios, such as Earth Changes, there would be other uses of the facility. One basic scenario would be as a refuge from social disturbance and a base for the restoration of agriculture. In this latter regard the facility has fenced off, with a five foot fence a separate protected area for agriculture. The headwaters of the Pine River run through the facility as a water resource, and there are large ponds available.

Key to agricultural recovery is the necessary expertise. Member families of the survival community have farmed on this same land since before the beginning of the last century. It is anticipated that a situation may require labor intensive farming, of the gardening type, that members of the survival community presently maintain. There is sufficient land to provide new members their individual gardening plots, or to let them participate in joint community efforts at food production.

More central to agricultural recovery, is that the whole surrounding area is a well established agricultural community that has been VERY productive over many decades. Nevertheless, in anticipation of EXTREME conditions, preparations have been made for hydroponic seed germation and other such approaches.

For those concerned about Earth Change scenarios, it should be noted that the survival facility is located on the highest level of land in Ontario, far above any possible flood plain. That it is built upon an area of solid pre-cambrian rock, which has suffered no historical earthquake damage, and that the shelter itself, being underground, provides complete protection from any form of radiation, solar or otherwise. Any other personal concerns in this area will be addressed upon request.

During a Catastrophe the shelter operates much like a ship or submarine. There is a shelter commander and crew to maintain its operation. During the state of immediate emergency the shelter is NOT operated as a democracy. In order to protect the maximum number of people, the occupants are separated by age and sex. This admittedly concerns some people, but it must be remembered the facility is a Life Boat, not a Luxury Cruise Liner.

During an emergency, the adults have duties and are only permitted 8 hours per day of bunk time. They will be very busy the rest of the time. Young children and infants, are encouraged to sleep 12 hours a day, so as to reduce activity in the shelter. Nevertheless, in order to accommodate the maximum number of persons, that Canadian Government regulations permit in a shelter this size, it is necessary that all the bunks be assigned for shifts of a fixed number of hours per day, and that on alternate shifts someone else will have to use the bunk. This is the reason the sleeping arrangements have to be assigned by sex and age.

Community organization, aside from the time of emergency, will have to be determined by the community and the circumstances. In a scenario that is not too severe, individuals in the survival community, may simply return to their previous homes and something approximating their previous life style. In a more severe scenario, the members of the survival community may simply merge into the larger surrounding community and whatever response that community makes. In a very severe scenario, the members of the survival community may have to organize themselves into some sort of longer term continuing entity. All of these responses are hypothetical and there is no need to overly speculate upon them until such time as one sees what the circumstances dictate.

The key to a successful experience in the survival community, is your participation ahead of time. Participation in the TEAM activities, of preparing for contingencies ahead of time. Becoming acquainted with the TEAM leaders and community members, so that you know them, and that they know you. The basis of this community is built upon a Spirit of Service. Those with that spirit will find that they fit right in and that their participation will be greatly appreciated.

If you want to know more particulars about this community, you can contact any of the TEAM leaders or The Community Coordinator.

If for some reason you feel that this Survival Community is not the one for you, then you should find another more suitable community. To assist you in that we used to have a list of hundreds of survival groups and communities in North America. However, circumstances have changed and it is now much more difficult to find and make contact with other communities. Whatever you choose to do, we HIGHLY recommend that you join SOME community, if you believe there is an imminent danger, because your chances of survival are greatly enhanced by being in a community rather than being on your own.

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