Allegro, your interest seems harmonious with ours. It's encouraging to know that younger folk are cultivating the longterm alternative vision.
I'm watching for a chance between work obligations , to resume exploring our potential land (north) more thoroughly, and open to other plots also...still preferring un incorp. regions.
We still have about half the capital needed for purchase, and have not given up....but for me, i need to have a space by next year to start shifting my gear to....and may have to opt for a smaller place on my own or with fewer villagers than envisioned earlier.
I also have a connection with someone north who is gearing up to modify containers on a large scale. He liked my sketches, so we may work together at some point.
I'll PM you a bit later with more details if you'd like to explore further.

Now I imagine it would be fun if I lived there, to post a sign on my property that read "Salesmen & Solicitors welcome as there are no more animals to shoot and I'm getting out of Practice"!

Seems I can't do it here as there are only animals around and they don't read well enough to see the humour!

Updating:
The property is still for sale. I'm hoping to acquire a UTV in the next 2 weeks, in order to explore more thoroughly the details/features of the land, in one or 2 days. Then sharing this, maybe a few more folks will be motivated to share this potential :), in central Ont....unless a better location turns up. I'm open to either at this point, but still prefer the original one.
Feel free to collaborate with me on this, based on factual data. Anyone can use the practice now, and before it becomes an absolute necessity.
Cheers...

Many of you may have read the article below already, but i found it particularly appropriate on the whole :

Update:
Someone beat me to acquiring the 4x4 for the thorough land exploration and gps tracking, but i've found another one which needs some repair.
When that's a fact, i will try to go before sept. hunt season if i catch up on my work at home. If not, i'll have to go between hunt seasons, late into fall. There may be a small group who will hike the land in specific areas, at the same time.
Hope to take lots more photos and get to areas impossible by foot in one day.
Still looking for a few more shareholders who are interested in the community aspects of preparation and see the value of the huge space to enhance individuality of our private spaces.
I'll be amazed again if it's not sold this fall.

PM me for further exchange.....villager

Finally made it up to explore the north end of the property on abandoned logging road.
A friend and i used his 6-wheeler to get thru to the entrance clearance, though we had to cut up about a dozen logs to get to the end.
It looks more promising than i imagined from the google pic. Plenty of moose,deer,wolf , bear evidence....and enough clearspots with random trees just in that area for a very good garden of several acres,...and im sure there are more than that. About an acre of strawberries and blackberries held us up a while ...looking over our shoulders.
It's about a 50-50 mix of evergreen and hardwoods with some clearly defined areas. 2 streams, 4 beaverponds.

We couldn't get thru the tighter evergreen branches with the ATV, and the thunderstorm was on its way.
It poured down 5 min. after getting home to his place.
I intend to do the next trip on dirtbike to wind my way thru....looking for a 250 Yam or kawa now.
I'm more cranked about this now in spite of the long period of little response financially.
But, this is the time when vultures come circling to hijack a great deal also, when prices traditionally come down.
Come on folks , be a part of this potent process towards a dynamic homestead, before it gets plucked, flipped, and chipped 🙂
more later...villager

New to the site. Read through all 14 pages. Wow how far this has come from an idea to actual. I love the idea of the community of homesteads. Back to basics both for preparedness and just for the idea of life. People working together with their own skills to build something. Funny how hard this is to set up in other municipalities, how the very idea of wanting to live off the grid is considered extremist to most. Love the idea. Keep posting.

Good to read from you , drwkids. The "idea" has been with me personally for about 50yrs....and has been experienced in various renditions along the way. It's always been a challenge to actualize with/as a group, but now there is a social urgency like never before and a great need for more precedents while it's still relatively easy, and the advantage inherent in an un organized region. In our case, there is potential hydro access at one end , so i've referred to ours as off-grid optional, since there is vastly more space beyond the edge to be offgrid,emf-remote. It will facilitate building, as time is a big factor in the development ...but will be only a short run of wire for the workshops and a cluster of cabins/main eat/meet space.
We are going to explore the proposed land again within a week . Just got 2 used dirtbikes to get into areas which we could not access last time on ATV.

Villager, it's nice to know that you're still pursuing this and everyone should 'wake up' to your idea sooner then later I would hope...

For everyone else reading this I can account for Villager's character. Having sat down for a beer with him on a personal meeting after meeting several times his intentions are nothing less then noble.

Having a personal interest in this concept I have explored it myself. Personally, I'm not all for the 'living together in harmony and sharing' mentality, however, sharing a property collectively with a few like-minded people just makes sense 'should something occur'.

Warning: I would advise anyone entertaining and/or exploring such an avenue to beware of business-orientated prepper organizations that will take advantage of your goodwill and accuse you of fraud - even if it's just a discussion. It's been my experience that while your intentions and motives are more then capable and righteous that people in the business of making money off of preppers in the province of Ontario would like nothing less but to assassinate your character and/or organization publicly for their own selfish means. It saddens me that genuine organizations that want to help people in the realm of prepping have become the target of people in the business of prepping that are interested in nothing more then gaining more profit.

Villager, my hope is that you don't come across any such prepper businesses in Ontario - although, knowing the integrity of your character and your genuine desire to give back to the community I would expect nothing less then to stand by your side if your credibility was ever questioned.

In Canada the circle of preppers is small and integrity speaks volumes...

Hey Che....
thanks for the supportive posture you express!
I just returned an hour ago from "our site", after 2 days of exploration to parts which we had not seen up-close.
We have confirmed 4 water-streams,some enough for modest hydro generation, and enough soil for our purposes,....and certainly huge amounts of hard/soft wood for fire and building.
The local neighbor-with-wife-and baby whom i met originally, put us up in his extra space, shared his brandy over a long evening chat , made us breakfast, and continued talking about the common concerns and solutions for an alternative life which makes sense in every respect....and incidentally , fosters a framework for preparedness.
He tuned our carburetors,and we went out 6hrs. non-stop each day. I haven't worked so hard in years!
Only wiped out 8 times!!!...with a gps and camera strapped onto the handlebars.
Haven't done that since i was 19.
Anyway, Che...about the "harmony and sharing" : these are relative terms which beg their own definitions in the context which is only imagined until experienced, and then discovered that they are the result of solid defined agreement, both in spirit of intent and in detailed signed documents, in sufficient trust to give it a chance. We owe this to ourselves, and not to possibly stay jaded from our previous encounters with the elements you mentioned .
Still, everyone has the option of choosing....for a while longer.
All the best in your particular focus as well!

i didnt read every 15 page of this thread yet but i found it very interesting the idea to acquire a ghost town and build a prepper survivalist minimalist comunity or eco town
and i was wondering of you guys heard about the ghost town namesd kitsault in BC
it look very neat

Newsflash!
.... for those still interested in developing a prepared community as a consequence of living practical,shared values.

Once again, a new offer has come in by third-party agents / investors out of the U S, who want to develop the exceptional property we have been cherishing for almost 2 yrs. now.They have to cash/confirm it by thursday.So we have only a few days.
Our local agent says she would (rather) accept our (lower) offer because she would get full commission.
We are short by almost 100k., and have been working our membership site the past days to see who "gets it" enough to not lose this unique place and opportunity in cent ral on tario
Any combination of loans, credit lines, mortgages in any amount, by any number of members so inclined would turn this around. I've maxed out my own situation, and we are lucky to have a major investor on board...but he has limits too.

After our third, recent exploration, discovering springs in the stream, that was the clincher for me, yet there's more to see on the west side ...which we wanted to do next week. Now instead we'll have to focus on the em-urgency of this situation....

So, likely a final heads-up on an unbelievable bargain for short-term, seasonal retreat, transitional , or visionary longterm village-type scenario with reasonable parameters that virtually all can live with, especially if they are aware of the future alternatives. A recent influx of folks with less cash than enthusiasm is encouraging...but our modern serfdom system does not value that as legal tender 🙂
"PM" me , chat a bit, and thereby access the relevant details via our home site.

Where are y'all?

Countdown 3 days:

We have emergency online chat meetings each evening till wed. when the cash is due. Folks have to have read our general protocol/requirements before participating. Believe me , the details are important.
We had an excited meeting tonight , and anticipate more .
If we lose this relatively large, ideal property, we have an alternative smaller piece in mind in roughly the same area, and will disclose the details to members after the larger property's fate is determined.by this coming weekend. It would truly be a pity to lose it because of its' variable terrain potentials.
Many scenarios are possible in either place, all equitable by the choices that members indicate, with shared commons costs...like wells, inroads etc.
This is epic her/hist/ory being written if grasped in time. Don't miss the effective joy of the ride into transition.
Soon i may not be apparent anymore in this appeal to reason, for folks who are likely future great friends.
Let's seize the day! .... before night falls.
villager

What are the specifics?

-What are the terms of agreement for the property everyone agrees to?
-Where is the property?
-How much money?
-Is it a deposit that will be refunded if the deal falls through or is a % withheld for costs?
-What form of payment is required? Is a letter of credit sufficient at this point, or do you need cash? Cert. Cheque?

I cant find any of this information on the meetup group and would really appreciate clarification before I would feel comfortable handing over any money.

We had a late online meeting last nite, and have been revising our financial structure. It had been too complex for most to understand.
The new rendition will be shortly forthcoming....so we still have a theoretical miracle chance to acquire the property.
If it is sold to others, there are 1 or 2 others as contingencies.
If it is not sold, we have more time ? to gain shareholders/participants...but snow comes soon, and with it, less incentive for most to begin exploring.
Currently the membership is by 1k (refundable minus commons costs-share to date) deposit and subsequent "purchase" of 3-acre plots for each private space, @3k . The rest is the shared "commons", but all the land including the 3acre plots belongs to the community corporation. The dwellings are built/owned by the individual members and can be sold to, or inherited by, qualifying likeminded persons , or by the community. (likeminded as defined by the community's eco/criteria)

I'll PM you the rest of the specifics.

My wife and I are VERY interested in this proposal, but like thesrownson I would like some more of the specifics. Could you please PM me as well?