Strengths
• Established 22-acre rural property close to the GTA
• Multiple existing residential and support buildings already in place
• Operating off-grid with independent solar systems
• Long-established organic gardens and fertile land
• Founder’s prior experience running a retreat centre and hosting programs
• Diverse potential revenue streams (retreats, agriculture, education, accommodation)
• Strong community network of facilitators and practitioners
• Flexible land layout allowing phased development
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Weaknesses
• Infrastructure requires ongoing maintenance and staged upgrades
• Administrative and regulatory complexity as the project scales
• Limited immediate accommodation capacity until additional cabins are built
• Founder preference for visionary and relational leadership rather than administration (requiring delegation as the project grows)
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Opportunities
• Growing demand for nature-based retreats and resilience-focused education
• Expansion of retreat programming and seasonal offerings
• Development of food forest and high-value specialty crops
• Introduction of livestock systems for food, land management, and education
• Planned medical cannabis micro-cultivation as a high-potential revenue stream
• Private membership model fostering loyalty and repeat participation
• Potential to serve as a model for similar sanctuary projects elsewhere
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Threats
• Regulatory uncertainty and timelines related to medical cannabis licensing
• Weather variability affecting agriculture
• Broader economic uncertainty impacting discretionary spending
• Zoning or regulatory changes over time
• Dependence on aligned people for stewardship and programming