In brief
Debert, 113km north of Halifax, once a World War Two training base, now hosts a luxury bunker condominium project. Crypto mogul Jonathan Baha'i bought the 64,000‑square‑foot Diefenbunker in 2013 for just 31,300 Canadian dollars and plans to turn it into 50 high‑end units replete with self‑sustaining food, biometric access, 24‑hour security and on‑site medical services. While the project already sold 11 units and will also rent out its rooms as a boutique hotel, locals debate whether the historic site is truly being preserved. The broader trend of converting former military structures into data centers, hotels and survivalist communities highlights a growing culture of pre‑peding to future disasters.
In the quiet town of Debert, 113km north of Halifax, a Cold War‑era military shelter is being turned into a luxury condo complex.
Crypto entrepreneur Jonathan Baha'i purchased the 64,000‑square‑foot Diefenbunker for C$31,300 in 2013 and has partnered with Baha’s Fallout Complex Inc to sell 50 high‑end units to the ultra‑rich.
The project promises self‑sustaining food supplies, biometric access, around‑the‑clock surveillance, onsite medical services, a spa, a yoga room and a cigar lounge, and even a small private airstrip for tenants with private planes.
The bunker, which originally was designed to support 329 people for 30 days after a nuclear attack, now houses a modern data centre that will expand to 15,000 square feet to provide secure, low‑power computing for customers.
Although the project has already sold 11 units, the owners will rent out vacant condos as a boutique hotel, with profits shared among owners, and the cost of buying or renting will remain confidential.
Local residents and museum officials worry that the historic site is being privatized, but Debert’s mayor says the community supports the development, and the project could bring tourism and business to the town.
Across Canada and the United States, former military bases are being repurposed into survivalist residences, data‑centres, and luxury hotels, reflecting a growing demand for disaster‑preparation and “doomsday” infrastructure.
