Albertaborn, you're playing my song! My family has been strongly debating the perfect location for us to live sustainably as well. As much as I favor the slocan valley, you get more bang for your buck the further north you head. We're just starting to scan 100 mile house, prince george, williams lake etc. It sounds like youre a little further ahead on scouting locations.

Its been said before "the devil's in the details."
It doesnt sound like you have concrete plans on how land ownership and labor is to be divided. What are your thoughts on this?
Id be more than happy to explore some cohabitation options with a group of like minded people. There is strength in numbers. Unfortunately, it seems I too only know broke folk who wanna weed pick for their supper.

I also have the benefit of having lived off grid and have it fail. I know a few pitfalls that need to be avoided. Location being the most important aspect. I shouldnt have to tell preppers this but... water is concern #1, shortly followed by zoning laws.

Captain, my only concern is that 16 acres is not alot for farming. Id prefer an arrangment with a smaller personal property and 100+ acres in a common property agreement. An agreement could be reached where cash and/or labor was required to optimize food production, and the benefits shared equally. Or form a corporation and all parties invest X acres Y $'s and Z manhours. (A few ideas off the top of my head) im sure with a little more sleep ill have some better alternatives but it's doable. (Its too bad bc doesnt have the condominium property act that weve got in AB. Stratas arent set up well IMO)
Enough ramblimg from me. Im off to dream about how to live tomorrow

The area around 100 Mile House, Williams Lake, Prince George etc., is great place to start looking. There are a number of lakes up there and the area around like Anahim Lake makes the most sense to me as far as getting land, the availability of fresh water along with being able to fish and the like.
I don’t want to have to start living off the grid right away. I like the idea of having fully serviced properties and then gradually with the installation of solar panels and wind power etc., rely less and less on the grid.
Depending on how many families were going to join the “co-op” would decide the amount of land needed to support them. It would also depend on what was to be grown and/or raised on that land as well.
I was part of a commune during my “younger” days and while it started off fantastically it soon broke down into chaos with a number of people wanting to sit around and enjoy ingesting certain plants that Mother Nature provided rather than putting in a few hours of hard work each day, thereby leaving the lions share of work to be done by others.
That is why I like the idea of each family having their own area and they get to reap what they sow that would include being allotted a certain portion of the communal area and if they don’t put in the hours they don’t get to enjoy the benefits.
I don’t want to come across as hard hearted but having heard about other places that have failed and having seen it first hand for myself I want to make sure that if someone is lazy or decide that the lifestyle is not for them they don’t affect the entire group.

sounds like paridise to me, dont know if i want to move out west but really intrested in how this works out for you, and anyone up for giving it a try in new brunswick?

sounds like paridise to me, dont know if i want to move out west but really intrested in how this works out for you, and anyone up for giving it a try in new brunswick?

It does sound like paradise doesn’t it, but even in paradise there can be growing pains.
As far as giving it a try in New Brunswick...it could be an option.
The first problem I see is that in a SHTF scenario I believe the northern east coast of the USA (Washington to New York City) will be one of the first areas hit and depending on what it is hit with it wouldn’t be too much of a stretch to see NB being effected.
That is one of the reasons I hesitate moving towards the maritimes.
As far as out west here, Seattle in the US and Vancouver in Canada are the only major cities anywhere close and it is well over 6 hundred miles away and whatever might hit them will have to travel over some pretty high mountains to effect the Prince George/ Anahim lake area.
I try to never say never but at this point I don’t see myself going too far east.

Best of luck.

Well the area you are looking into is beautiful country for sure. We have our cabin (10 acres) off the fishing Highway (24), with 1000' of our own private lake frontage which is just a short 1/2hr east of 100Mile. While the fishing and hunting oppt's are very plentiful, I would ensure you look close at the viability of crops.

I am not certain as we have only owned up there for 2 full years, but we do not see a lot of farming (though little greenhouses dot most of the full time resident properties). The elevation of the area, means it holds onto old man winter pretty long (snow isn't usually gone till very late May (if your lucky I hear), and the frost (and snow) likes to return in early September...not much of a green thumb myself (that is the wife's favorite pasttime at home), but it seems that the growing season is pretty short. That's not to say that something can't be done, just that the growing season seems like a small window of oppt.

Just some thoughts that I've noticed the past, I guess almost three years now. We do frequent the place a lot...10 days for Christmas/New Years, the entire month of August, a boys 10 day fishing trip in July and another 5-6 day hunt in the fall, as well as 5-6, 3 day weekends throughout the year...so we have gotten our fair time in with all the season's...which is our favorite time of year is still a lively debate around the campfire...

Cheers
OffThePath

The beauty is that you can enjoy it now and when the opportunity presents itself and gradually do any needed improvements in preparation for the time when you may have to live there full time.
I agree with you about the weather, the lack of growing areas and the necessity of a greenhouse.
I spent considerable time in the Yukon and what we did there was put in our “summer garden” and grow and harvest the fast growing vegetables prior to the frost and preserve them to eat throughout the winter.
A greenhouse would be a must and was exactly what I was hoping to have.

Offthepath - I'm off hwy 24 at one of the lakes as well. Lived here permanently 10 years now. Growing a garden is really tough zone 1 - 2. 62 frost free days, no fruit tree except crab apples. A greenhouse is a must, had to bring in my own dirt for growing. If you are looking to buy land try and find some that butts up to crown land. While I don't have large acreage I butt up to 200 acreas of crown land that I use for fire wood and hunting etc... plus the lake is awsome for fishing summer and winter. I still haven't gotten in solar or wind power but have enough equipment to keep me going when the we lose the power. Long winters up here, if I had to look again I would look at something at a lower altitude...I'm 3800 above sea level.

Hey capt any chance we can sail this ship south? 😉

Hey capt any chance we can sail this ship south? 😉

Avast, how far south were you thinking matey?
(If it is down into the Excited States of America I would have to cast yee adrift as I have no desire to sail myself and my first and best mate into those troubled waters.)

Ye Capt I was thinking down in the southern mountains where it's a wee bit warmer 😆

Ye Capt I was thinking down in the southern mountains where it's a wee bit warmer 😆

Do you have some place more exact in mind?

I had no particular spot more of a geographic/growing zone in mind. Warmer is better due to less heating energy and longer growing season.

One of the areas I have researched in BC is called the Caribou. What intrigues me about that part of the province is in certain parts of it they have a weather phenomenon and they actually refer to it as the “banana belt,” for its warmer winters and great growing seasons.
I realize that warmer winters is a relevant term but when compared with 20, 30 and 40 or more below zero almost anything above that mark could be considered warmer.
I intend to keep looking but for right now the Caribou has aroused my curiosity.

Hey Cap'n, what area exactly has this phenominon/ The converstion we had on the previous page, (100 Mile, Highway 24) is the Cariboo (two O's 😉 ), and I am not aware of this happening in this area...would be neat to know though?

Any insights as to where this magical place in the Cariboo is?

Cheers
OffThePath

I am interested in a sustainable community but areas of interest would be the Sunshine Coast or ferry serviced Gulf Islands or Vancouver Island .
Has anyone looked into the Therah cooperative on Galiano island ?