Only a few people attempt to create secret places and fewer people can keep them hidden. But one such secret place exists that too just outside a major Canadian city. Hidden deep underground, this secret lair is the brainchild of a visionary man who has inspired others to build similar structures of their own. Not all is positive though, his project has raised many eyebrows over the years and even angered the authorities. But what exactly is his project?
Secret Project
The visionary man in question is Bruce Beach. He started working on his secret project in the ‘80s. He started buying school buses and buried them underground in a secret location, somewhere in rural Canada. Bruce must have given some serious thought to what he was trying to accomplish. For a long time, he worked on it quietly and only a few people knew about this crazy old man who was burying buses underneath the ground.
Mixed Opinions
His project earned praise and also drew a lot of criticism along with intervention from the authorities. While most people are unaware of his not-so-well-kept secret, but those who do, can’t help but have a strong opinion about it, whether positive or negative. Only recently has Bruce decided to share his little secret with the world. He had his reasons to keep this under wraps, but since its revelation, it has been quite a polarizer.
Decision To Move
Born in Kansas in 1934, and having lived through the horrors of the Vietnam War and the lingering tensions of the Cold War, Bruce was convinced that he needed to move to someplace safe with his wife. Canada was what they chose. Canada offered a safer environment for the couple. The seclusion ensured a greater degree of prolonged safety, but just moving north to freezing cold and sparsely populated area wouldn’t be enough. There was something else he wanted to do.
A Plan
In the ‘70s, the nuclear war threat was felt with grave fear, having seen the consequences at Hiroshima and Nagasaki. It seemed that a world war may break out at any time between Russia and the States during the Cold War. Instead of waiting for the hell-fires to char every living being on the land, Bruce came up with a concealed plan called “Ark Two”. It drew the attention and fed the imaginations of countless like-minded people when the secret was finally revealed.
Horning’s Mills
Bruce moved to his wife’s hometown, the Canadian village of Horning’s Mills in the early 70s, which was just an hour and a half’s drive away from Toronto. Its isolation and scenic landscapes mesmerized Bruce; and to add on, it was safe! It was perfect for executing his project. The village stood gracefully in the middle of the Great Leaks. By 1980, Bruce had finally finished an elaborate blueprint of what would turn out to be one of the most outlandish and interesting projects ever to be seen by the Canadian province of Ontario.
Building Ark Two
Bruce started acquiring old school buses, starting in 1980, for about $300 per piece. It wasn’t the engines that interested him or the mobility, but the solid and sage structures of the school buses. Working his way forward, he slowly collected about 42 buses and stored them in a tightly packed formation in an old lot near his residence. By 1985, the first step of his plan was fully realized, and he was ready for step 2.
Why School Buses?
Bruce had very specific plans, and he chose to use the school buses because of several built-in features they offered. The school buses were quite spacious with open floor plans; and by law, it was mandatory for the school buses to have their roofs reinforced with steel beams. This ensures the safety of child passengers in case of an accident, adding to the weight-bearing capacity of the roofs considering the dirt that would pile up on them when they would be buried under the ground.
You Build It, They Will Come Looking For It
The school buses were set up in a tight formation over a 12.5-acre property. Cutting the chassis and turning them into massive, interconnected structures of winding corridors, rooms, storage spaces, and bulkheads, claimed a lot of time. But Bruce wasn’t alone. When he began the construction, a small army of like-minded volunteers joined him on his visionary project. More people started showing up out of interest and in a few years, they would have completed a complex construction.
The Buses, Submerged
It took several years of slow-paced work to complete the project. A lot of thought and planning is needed to build such a complex structure without many resources at one’s disposal. But it was finally done and Bruce was ready for the next step. After making sure the chassis was airtight, concrete was poured over the structure. This concrete would forever encase the structure in a thick and resilient substance. But what was he actually building under the ground?
Making It Invisible
Once the concrete was set hard and properly dried, Bruce decided to cover the entire construction with 14 feet of dirt. This is what would add enormous weight and the structure would collapse had he not considered using school buses with reinforced steel beams on their roofs. After he was done burying the buses underground, the whole construction became invisible to the outside observers. It was safe, under the thick layers of concrete and earth.
Survivalist Utopia
Bruce’s vision was now taking shape after years of hard work and help from volunteers. The initial construction was complete. He successfully built a giant 10,000 square feet bunker that could easily withstand a nuclear blast, along with accommodating over 500 people underground. He named this mega-complex structure made out of school buses and concrete “Ark Two” and it is one of the largest underground structures in North America. This is a huge accomplishment, but there was more to this structure than what seemed.
Sound Structure
Although a complex structure by an untrained man built out of school buses buried under concrete and dirt may appear to be a little unsafe, Bruce Beach isn’t any other man. He is a serious man and a visionary planner. Bruce consulted about the structural strength of this construction from the engineer who designed and constructed Toronto’s subway system. After going over Bruce’s detailed plans, he suggested a few changes and once they were done, he approved the structure as sound and safe.
Building A Community
Bruce could not have, and did not, build this underground megastructure by himself, alone. It was a single man’s vision and initiative, but without the help of friends and volunteers, it was impossible. As the project progresses, about 50 people from Horning’s Mills as well as the members of the survivalist community came together and joined hands on the construction. They took part in planning and toiled to build this underground fortress. But the question is, why would a sane individual take part in such a project?
Earning A Spot
Participating in building something so incredible is a reward in itself. But, what motivated the volunteers was the guarantee of securing a spot on this impenetrable fortress in case an unfortunate event happens. This massive shelter was open for anyone on a priority basis if they choose to work on its completion and maintenance. Bruce invited volunteers to spend few weekends a year working around the structure. In return, if a disaster strikes, their place in the safe house is there for sure. But the secrets didn’t end there.
Entering The Shelter
Getting inside the shelter is not as simple as opening the door and walking right into it. Firstly, access needs to be guaranteed before the visit. After the access has been guaranteed, one must enter through a rusty old door, only part of the structure visible from above the ground, which houses a power generator behind it along with the entrance to the underground labyrinth. Visitors or future vault-residents then descend to 14 feet under the earth. After that, they reach the actual underground living area, loaded with amazing features.
Neat And Clean
Just ensuring the safety alone from a disaster doesn’t make Ark Two completely safe enough. One of the biggest dangers of living in an underground vault doesn’t pose from above, but rather, from inside. If anyone has contracted a virus or some infectious sickness, it may bring great dangers to the people who are residing in the safe vault. Even healthy-looking individuals may be incubating deadly viruses or infectious diseases, and letting them into a sealed vault could put many others at risk as well. How would one screen for sickness?
Screening And Decontamination
Bruce had set up a special decontamination chamber at the entrance to avoid contamination. The chamber is equipped with a stainless-steel double sink, a shower (and a bathtub for children and differently-abled), and a food decontamination area. This is meant to curb any dangers of contamination and illness by any of the individuals seeking shelter in the vault. This prudent facility is just one of the many specialized chambers built in this underground maze.
Life Support
Inhabitants of Ark Two would need more than just shelter from fallout and nuclear radiation to survive. They needed access to safe drinking water, plumbing, and electricity too. But Bruce had planned everything. Ark Two has an elaborate plumbing system as well as a well full of drinking water. The plumbing runs through the entire complex and is connected to an industrial-grade septic tank. There are diesel generators and enough fuel to keep the electricity running for at least three months before re-stocking is required. Quite impressive!
Impressing Preppers
An international community of people is called “Preppers," and Bruce Beach is a part of it. They believe that catastrophes are inevitable and in those dreadful times, the governments won’t prove to be of much help. The preppers like to be equipped enough to deal with such disasters to the best of their ability as a small community. Ark Two didn’t fail to impress them.
What Feeds The Ark?
“When you go inside the bunker for the first time, it is a different planet," said one member of the Ontario Prepper Survival Network. "It’s like you’re on Mars. When you hear about this concept of 42 school buses underground, to fathom it is nothing compared to going in and actually seeing it… It’s crazy in there.” Food is equally essential for survival. So, the Ark has two industrial kitchens, one for cooking and another for washing dishes. There are large storage rooms full of food and pantry items. Still, continuous food supply is one of the major challenges.
Maintaining The Freshness
Keeping the vault ready with food, enough for feeding 500 people underground, isn’t an easy task. They had to throw away tons of food over the years as waste. The shelter had been on standby for three decades and even the food items with long shelf life, such as cans and other preserved ingredients, would have to be replaced time and again to maintain freshness. This place had surprising elements at every turn.
Unique Features
Providing shelter to 500 people with nowhere to go is a challenging task. There is a wide array of needs that will have to be fulfilled to pull this off. Thus, Bruce had to go the extra mile to provide whatever may look necessary. Along with the living quarters, there is a facility of classrooms, a radio communications center, a library, day rooms, an infirmary, a dentist’s office, and a mortuary. He took everything into account to make Ark Two as comfortable as possible for the refugees of the vault.
Breaking Up Families
Ark Two isn’t a five-star hotel but a refuge shelter meant to help people feel safe from the attacks. The space in the refuge is at a premium, and staying together with one’s family isn’t an entertained priority. Sleeping quarters at the shelter will be split into Men’s and Women’s, which means families won’t be able to share a living space. But all this is for a good reason, as Bruce explains it.
What About The Children?
Bruce did consider the wellbeing of kids while their parents would be sleeping apart from each other in this underground vault. In addition to classrooms and a nursery, kids would be able to keep up with learning and education even during the most difficult of times. He even built a play area for children inside the safe shelter. The chamber even has multiple chess sets which are an important learning tool while being an interesting game. But was this shelter totally secluded from the outside world?
Not Losing The Touch
The shelter was built for a long isolated survival, but still, Bruce didn’t neglect the ability to contact other survivors after disaster hits. Ark Two has an advanced radio broadcast system, which can send and receive signals at both AM and FM frequencies. The radio broadcast system is strong enough to reach not only Canada, but the US too, and it is built to serve as the survivor’s major communication means with the outside world. The implementation of these genius ideas is truly unbelievable!
Introduction To “Preppers”
Who are “Preppers?” They are the people who believe any catastrophe - man-made or natural, can hit the civilization without warning and such catastrophes are imminent to occur. They have decided to work on ensuring their survival during such disasters. They spend most of their money and time to train and equip themselves with the necessary means. Bruce stands out as the very example of a serious “Prepper”. He even featured on an episode of National Geographic’s documentary series, known as ‘Doomsday Preppers’, but he is not comfortable being categorized as a member of that community.
Not A Prepper
According to Bruce, Preppers are individualistic and are primarily concerned with just their own safety. Bruce finds himself distinguished from them, as he didn’t build this complex mega structure just for himself, but for as many people as he could help.
He says that Ark Two is driven by altruism and a desire to help others. He doesn’t believe in maintaining just his safety. Though he sees himself as an altruistic contributor, many have raised resistance to his efforts.
Nosy Local Authorities
Bruce built Ark Two with an intent of public service and reported that the shelter is open to everyone. But the local authorities did not seem to be pleased with this project. They have hindered the construction multiples times and tried to get the project shut repeatedly. Ontario’s government classified Ark Two as a public haze and spent a lot of money to make it go away, even though he built it with a proper permit and on his private property. Bruce had to appear in court more than thirty times over the years.
Fire Department Troubles
The fire department classified Bruce’s fortress as a fire hazard. They didn’t approve of what he built. They closed it down several times and also showed up at a gathering that Bruce organized, in an attempt to shut it down. Bruce regards the attempts of authorities to shut down his project as illegitimate, and believes those are just distractions to delay what he was trying to accomplish.
The Prophecy
Bruce has served in the USAF as a radio control tower operator and later, he taught computer science at a college. Talking from his experiences, he believes a nuclear war is on the verge of breaking, and it will be after Pakistan bombs India. “I used to always say the end of the world was going to be two years from now,” he told the National Post, “but now I say it is going to be two weeks from now — and if I am wrong, I will revise my date."
Ensuring Safety
Bruce believes his project is purely altruistic and of humanitarian intent. He also operates a network called SAFE to prove his humanitarian undertaking. It stands for “Safe America For Everyone,” and everyone would be welcome to Ark Two without any discrimination based on caste, race, gender, politics, or religion. The SAFE website states: "Anyone is welcome to join the Ark Two Refuge Facility - so long as they do so before the catastrophe occurs.”
Optimism In Pessimism
Bruce has stated: "I am an optimist about the long-term future of mankind but a pessimist about the immediate future.” This clearly points towards his belief of an imminent catastrophe, but he also believes that it will stand out as an opportunity to rebuild a healthier and better society once everything settles down post-disaster. He advises everyone to think and set their priorities clear, and asks everyone to work on plans in case such a thing ever strikes and our world, as we know it today, changes forever.
