The Ark

I never leave negative reviews because I believe in supporting local businesses, but the way my fiancé and I were treated by the owner, Mike, needs to be known by future couples considering The Ark for their wedding.We live in BC but wanted to find an outdoor, casual venue close to our families in Ottawa for our June 2022 wedding and booked The Ark after having a couple phone calls with Mike. During the calls, he assured us the property included waterfront and 164 acres of land that we could access. He said we could carry out our vision of an outdoor dinner and dancing set up, with a bonfire, pizza truck, and mobile bar.A couple months later, my best friend visited The Ark on our behalf to see how our vision could be carried out at the site. She visited during the daytime in the summer and left covered in an insane amount of bug bites. She let us know that there was in fact no waterfront on site, but rather a 5-minute drive away. She also learned that there was only a small area of land that was accessible for wedding guests, the rest was bush. This was very disappointing and a main reason we booked The Ark - for the flexibility of use of the property.When I brought this up with Mike, he was rude to us and nastily insulted my friend's business and refused us a refund on our deposit. He also said there was no way we could have an outdoor dinner due to blackflies - which should have been shared with us in the first place because it's a huge reason why we booked. We truly wish we didn't have this experience, but feel it our duty to share with future couples. Instead, I recommend Manoir de la Foret, where we rebooked and have had an amazing experience with their management.

The Ark hosted the start of the I2P 100km ultra a couple years ago. Mike organized a great pre-run pasta feast before we headed out on the trails at 11pm. The hospitality was great! I look forward to participating in other events like the Mad Trapper trail runs hosted by Mike and the Ark after the pandemic is over.

We had our wedding at The Ark on Sept 1. It was an amazing day! Mike was super responsive during the planning process, as well as flexible with our multiple site visits. The property is beautiful with several great spots for photo ops. Mike was so helpful with setup and with directing the caterer, and when we had a delay starting our ceremony, he entertained our guests with hilarious stories. The sound system worked well both indoors and outdoors and the reception space didn't require much additional decor to come to life. If your wedding vision includes an outdoor ceremony, bringing in your choice of vendors, the flexibility to have your wedding

Great people, Mike and Monique are so welcoming. Went on an ATV outing, (my first) got to drive and it was a blast. Got to visit the horses and goats too!!

Our family has been making our way to the Ark multiple times a year for about a decade. From our first snowshoe race we knew we wanted to take part in as many Mad Trapper events as possible. Our boys have practically grown up at these events! The laid back atmosphere and beautiful property are always worth the hour and a half drive. Most importantly, Mike and Monique are incredible hosts, always making sure everyone has a great time. We are looking forward to many more trips to the Ark!

I’ve dealt with Mike and Monique several times, be it their own snow shoe events, my own fundraiser (trail hike/run), or corporate events. These folks and this venue are superb! Mike is always willing to accommodate special request and Monique’s brownies (when she caters) are out of this world! I highly recommend The Ark and Mike for your fun wedding, corporate event, or to attend one of his very own Mad Trapper races.

We could not be happier to recommend the Ark as a wedding venue. The venue itself is truly a beautiful gem tucked away in nature that will surely make your day very special. However, the thing that is special about having your wedding at the Ark is the owner, Mike “The Mad Trapper” Caldwell. He will make it, “Your wedding, your way”. Mike is a super laid back and calming presence throughout the entire planning process, making sure your day rolls out the exactly the way you want it. He is great at responding to questions and provides great advice throughout the whole process. Have your wedding at the Ark, you won’t regret it!

Our wedding at The Ark this past Oct 1st was truly unforgettable. The venue was perfect, exactly what we were looking for; an outdoor venue with reasonable prices, with that perfect autumn feel. Mike was absolutely stellar with the whole process, he really felt like a member of the family with all the help he provided.Some of the extra add-ons we has were: a fire pit set up with some s'mores, photo opportunities in an antique wagon, a canoe cooler, perfect fall colours, an indoor AND an outdoor setup, and all of our guests raved that it was the best wedding ever! Thanks so much for making our big day so unforgettable!

Recently attended a wedding (as a guest) here. The owner said many people tell him weddings at this venue are the best weddings they've ever attended, and you know what? I'm one of those people. This was, without a doubt, the best wedding I've ever been to. The place was so cute, the forest was absolutely beautiful and the building was rustic and warm. And, oh my god, the fire after the sun set? Amazing. What a perfect touch. It was fun and a lovely place to congregate if you needed a break from the music inside, and it kept us warm in the cold weather. The venue itself is beautiful and elegant without being stuffy, truly a unique place. We had the pleasure of speaking to the owner who was absolutely hilarious. It was great seeing him running around and making sure everything stayed on track. It's definitely not a venue for massive weddings, I think we had about 60 people and I don't think it would have accommodated too many more comfortably so their guest limit (max 80) on the website is a perfect estimate. My partner and I were whispering the whole night about whether this could be the venue for us, whenever we choose to tie the knot.