#30. The Man
Bruce Beach, an 83-year-old man from Ontario, Canada, embarked on a very ambitious project that consumed most of his time and money. The project is deemed crazy by many people.
Local authorities have tried the best to stop him because he is not following regulations. But what is Bruce hiding underneath the ground? And most importantly, why is he doing this?
#29. How It Began
Bruce came from a generation that witnessed a lot of destruction. He lived through the Vietnam War and the Cold War, where people had no idea whether they would be alive the next day. Rumors about the end of the world were constantly spread on the media, and people were terrified.
He learned to prepare for the worst, and with how things are doing nowadays, he felt like he should prepare even more in case of a massive disaster. While it seems odd, there are thousands of people who share his concerns.
#28. Seeking Shelter
All the way back in 1970, Bruce and his wife decided to move to Horning's Mills, a small village that they considered to be very safe. Nothing much happens in that town, so they would be very protected there.
The smaller the town, the better chances you have of surviving a disaster. But that wasn't enough, and Bruce knew that he would need to do much more to make that place the ultimate safe haven for him and his wife.
#27. The Start Of His Collection
In 1980, Bruce began the biggest project he would ever undertake. He thought a good item to prepare for the worst would be... an abandoned bus. What many people saw as junk was a gold mine to Bruce.
He started searching for abandoned or old school buses to buy and take to his house. Each of them would cost around $300, which wasn't as expensive as he initially thought. So, he bought more and more, until he had a huge collection.
#26. Time To Stash It
Now that Bruce had an impressive collection of 42 school buses, he had to find a place to put them. Well, he arranged them over 12.5 acres of his property, where he had built a huge 14-feet-deep pit to put them all in.
His neighbors were confused, to say the least, but Bruce continued with his task, working extremely hard every day. imagine if your neighbor did something like that. Would you call the authorities?
#25. Only The Beginning
Even though this had taken him months of hard work, this was only the beginning of his plan. Now that all the buses were on the ground, he buried them under two feet of concrete.
Each bus was connected to each other in the form of a labyrinth, and the reinforced steel roofs of each bus were the perfect shelter. It was a claustrophobe's nightmare, but Bruce's dream, and his dream was not even close to being done.
#24. Its Purpose
So, what was the purpose of all these buses buried underground? To create a shelter, of course. Because of his fear of something tragic happening in the future, he decided to build a massive shelter that could protect about 500 people in the case of a terrorist attack, a war, or a natural disaster.
He wanted to build the perfect place to protect as many people as possible in case something horrible happened, and he called it Ark Two, in reference to the famous story of Noah's Ark.
#3. Ark Two
Bruce named his shelter that way as a reference to Noah's Ark, the biblical story about how Noah built an Ark that saved two of each species when the world was ending. Noah saved the planet from extinction after massive rainfall flooded the Earth.
Much like Noah, Bruce plans to be very careful about who he lets into his shelter, and those who want to stay there will have to go through a test first. After all, while the shelter was big, there was only so many people he could fit in there.
#22. Health Emergency
The scenario that Bruce feared the most was some sort of pandemic that would put everyone's health in danger. He would, therefore, make sure those who went into his shelter weren't infected, or else he would compromise the entire place.
He needed an air-tight plan to make sure everyone inside was healthy. He also built seven entrances where people would be checked before they went inside. For each entrance, he designed a perfect system.
#21. The Decontamination Process
To make sure nobody comes in with a virus, after each of the seven entrances, Bruce plans on installing a decontamination chamber, which will rid people of any possible infection before they go into the shelter.
Bruce is not taking any chances when it comes to the apocalypse, and he wants to make sure everyone inside is safe. In an apocalyptic world, there would be no medical supplies, so stopping the infection would be super important.
#20. Not Alone
Although Bruce did most of the work, he did not build this massive bunker alone. He enlisted an engineer to help him make the structure safe so that people would not be trapped underground or worse, buried alive.
While the whole thing is extremely bizarre, it also seems to be extremely safe. It looks kind of scary, but he made sure to make it disaster-proof. And he didn't only put effort into the structure...
#19. Electricity
There are no windows, obviously, so the bunker is actually equipped with diesel generators that can run for three months. He has plenty of fuel stocked up in the shelter, and he also installed a plumbing system inside.
People can go to the bathroom and take showers as they normally do in the real world, which would be essential in the event of an apocalypse. And he did much more to make sure people's basic needs are met.
#18. Water
Not only do people need energy, but also water. So, how did Bruce get water down there? The apocalyptic genius built his own well to provide water to the bunker that works on its own and doesn't require anyone to leave the shelter and get water.
His goal is that the shelter be sufficient enough that no one has to risk their lives by leaving it. If people are down there, it means that the outside world is dangerous, and leaving the shelter would defeat its purpose.
#17. His Shelter, His Rules
Although the shelter is meant to house 500 people, Bruce plans on ruling the place. It could be peaceful at the beginning, but that amount of people all locked up underground could get angry and start fights.
Keeping all those people in line won't be easy, so he has devised a strict set of rules to make sure everyone can live in peace and harmony. For example, men and women will have to sleep separately, even if they are husband and wife. And this is why...
#16. Rules Are Rules
Bruce is thinking about maximizing the space of the shelter and for that, he needs to separate families coming in. Although it may be hard for some people, he doesn't want families crowding entire rooms that could fit more people.
In order to save as many people as possible, space has to be maximized and people must follow the rules. Those who don't want to follow the rules will be encouraged to leave - or even forced to.
#15. Kids' Space
Many of the people that are going to be living in the shelter will be kids, so Bruce is preparing for that. He gathered toys for them to play and created not only a classroom for them but also a nursery.
There are children's bunks, blackboards, and chess sets, among other things, to keep the kids entertained while they are underground. It's not much, but he believes it is enough given the circumstances.
#14. Always Ready
Bruce has thought about every situation and prepared for it. For example, he got an old dentist's chair and even built a mortuary in the shelter. The most interesting part of the bunker, however, is its prison.
Yep, that's right. He built a small area where those who break the rules or disturb the peace will be kept in place. Nobody is better prepared than this guy!
#13. Communication Is Key
While the bunker is prepared to withstand pretty much anything, people can't stay underground forever. He has installed a powerful radio communications system to keep up with the outside world.
This system will help them make sure that as soon as it is safe for people to come out, they are the first to know. What could possibly happen that would force people to stay in that bunker, though?
#12. Prepping
Prepping is an activity that is more common than people think. Preppers are those, like Bruce, who believe that the end of the world is somehow near and must prepare to survive it.
Some people believe in religious stories, others think that a deadly war will destroy society as we know it. But Bruce believes in something completely different.
#11. The More, The Merrier
Bruce is not alone in this. He actually created a prepper network with people in his area and they all get together once a year to discuss their prepping strategies and surprisingly, there's many of them out there.
They learn techniques from each other and exchange resources, and of course, plan to band together when the world comes to an end. Bruce already has a few people in mind to join him in the bunker.
#10. Letting People In
For a long time, Bruce was cautious about letting anyone in. But as word got out about his shelter, many people and even the media wanted to catch a glimpse of the unbelievable structure.
He wanted to keep it private, but he eventually gave in and allowed a camera crew to film around his shelter in exchange for payment. This, however, brought one big issue into his life.
#9. Big Issues
The camera crew discovered some pretty big issues with his bunker. This comes as no surprise when you think about the fact that an 83-year-old is trying to run this place alone, which is pretty much impossible.
The crew found a rat infestation inside, mostly around his supplies of food. There were floods as well, and the place just wasn't in conditions good enough for people to live.
#8. Heartbreaking News
Soon after the cameras left, Bruce received some pretty bad news from the Canadian government. Somehow, they heard about the conditions of the shelter, and they believed that his bunker was a hazard and therefore had to be closed.
This took Bruce by surprise because this was the opposite of what he was trying to do. He was building it to make people safe! What could he do now?
#7. The Fight Begins
Bruce wasn't going down without a fight. He went to court over 30 times to get his permits approved, but he was rejected every single time. He tried his best to comply with government regulations, but it didn't work.
The government did not want anything to do with Ark Two, but Bruce never believed in something like he believed in his project. After months of fighting his way in court, the government reached a decision.
#6. The Closing
The city of Ontario got tired of fighting with Bruce over something they would never approve, so they just shut Ark Two down quite literally. Government officers went over there and sealed off its entrances so that no one could ever get it.
Now it was up to Bruce to figure out a way to fix this and get his bunker back. He needed the help of his family now more than ever.
#5. Lack Of Support
Bruce's kids are all grown up, and they are not fans of his colossal project. In fact, they grew tired of it over the years and they cannot stand it now, which is hard for Bruce to accept.
They believe his apocalyptic views are ridiculous and they want no part in it. Still, Bruce built a special place inside for them and their children to live there when the world ends.
#4. Never Giving Up
Despite lacking the support of his children, Bruce continues to try to make his massive shelter work. He worked every single day to re-open the seven entrances of his shelter and eventually made it.
When he is not busy fighting the local government, he is out trying to find supplies and adding new things to his beloved Ark. The shelter is his life's biggest dream and purpose, and he refuses to give up.
#3. His Goal
He is 83 years old and doesn't expect to be living for much longer. So, why is he doing all of this? For future generations, of course.
While he believes that many preppers are in it for selfish reasons, his main goal is to protect society and make sure that people can move on from whatever tragedy strikes them. He hopes that his Ark will bring his community a new beginning.
#2. What He Fears
Bruce is certain that something horrible will happen that will leave the world in shambles. But what would that be, exactly? What his experience has taught him is that humans have no limits.
He believes that a nuclear holocaust will ensue in the near future, destroying large parts of the planet and killing millions in the process.
#1. A Matter Of Time
Bruce thinks it's just a matter of time before a nuclear winter destroys the world as we know it. Many people, like his children, think he's crazy, while others give him all their support and hope that they can join him.
No matter what people think about Bruce, tthere is one thing that everyone can agree on, and that is that Bruce is doing a very kind thing for humanity.