In the spring of 2020, when Quebec and the rest of the planet were taken by surprise by COVID-19, Benoit put into practice what he had spent years preparing for. This 60-year-old survivalist was able to test the true meaning of self-sufficiency on his 300-acre estate in the Laurentians, where he took refuge for two and a half months with his wife and children while authorities fully grasped the extent of the pandemic.
Coming from a modest background and becoming a father at 16, Benoit (he prefers not to disclose his last name) experienced poverty. That's where he developed his survivalist instincts, he says. Through hard work, this construction entrepreneur has been able to realize his ambitions by building a second home where he can live independently.
Every corner of his three-bedroom house—a sturdy and energy-efficient bungalow—has been carefully considered. "There is no empty and useless space," explains the survivalist. Although connected to the Hydro-Québec grid, he also has three wood stoves (two of which are in the house) and a 30,000-watt generator.
"I also have the equivalent of three years of firewood in reserve. In fact, I will never run out of wood," asserts the man himself.
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After years of planning and hard work, his property now provides him with sustenance. Benoit's estate includes an orchard (apples, plums, and pears), fields of berries, a huge vegetable garden, a water source, a naturally stocked trout lake, a sugar shack, and game—both small and large—available at will or according to the seasons.
Home canning and freezing allow him to live in self-sufficiency. By adding purchased products (rice, pasta, flour, etc.), he eats like a gourmet. He currently has reserves for several years. Salt, spices, honey, and maple syrup—foods that keep for a very long time, he says—are allies for adding flavor to recipes...
**All translations are made from the original article written in French.
