It’s not everyday you come across some end-of-the-world planning.
Everyone calls it the Diefenbunker, but when this Cold War nuclear bunker was built from 1959–1962, they were simply Emergency Government Headquarters. Several dozen of these bunkers were authorized by John Diefenbaker, Canada’s then-Prime Minster, during the height of the Cold War. Dubbed ‘Diefenbunkers’ by his political opponents, this was one of the largest bunkers constructed. Supposedly capable of withstanding the blast of a five-megaton nuclear bomb from less than 2 kilometers away, the facility could accommodate hundreds of the most important government officials and workers for up to a month without resupplying.
After being decommissioned in 1994, the museum was renovated and staffed by volunteers and the local government before being opened to tourists in 2008. There’s plenty of bilingual signage around, and plenty of recreations set up to give you a sense of what it looked like.
Your own tour will start you through the pipe you saw in the first picture, through the thickest door you’ve ever seen, then through a couple of different small radiation decontamination rooms full of the decades-old tech. You won’t spend too much time here, but it’s a worthy reminder that ensuring everyone’s safety was paramount.
The heck is this? A vent of some kind, methinks — it wasn’t specifically explained. It’s one of the few features in a featureless vault of a room that would have held Canada’s gold supply and otherwise prevent it from getting irradiated. Another big door to take in here, though no gold was ever moved in.
Just some of the tech seen here — the emergency broadcast center from within the bunker would have helped survivors deal with life post-fallout. Nuclear attack warnings, notices of food and water availability, fallout predictions…
Mad Men called — they said they wanted their props back. Almost looks like a roll of toilet paper it’s typing on….
Go ahead, pretend it’s the end of the world. Emergency conference time!
A fancy oscilloscope seen in one of the server / computer rooms. If you’ve seen the movie Wargames featuring a very young Matthew Broderick, this room will look like something seen in that movie.
The crazy thing about all these disks is that your smartphone probably has more computational power and storage space than this entire room of computer stuff.
No idea what’s going on here, but it looks ominous.
To be sure, I’m glad Canada never needed to employ this system, and quite frankly, I’m certain the officials were as well. Regulations prohibited the spouses or children of anyone working in the facility from joining them — including the PM himself. It’s a rather chilling place, considering how it may have been used, but hopefully is just another piece of history the world will never need.
Name: Diefenbunker — Canada’s Cold War Museum (Musee canadien de la Guerre froide)
Address: 3929 Carp Rd, Ottawa, ON K0A 1L0 (GPS: 45.351657, -76.047739)
Directions: There’s no public transportation here, so it’s time to drive. From Ottawa. take the Trans-Canada Highway ON-417 W to exit 144. From there, take Carp Road North for about 10 kilometers. Expect to spend 1 to 1 1/2 hours getting there from Ottawa.
Hours: 11am-4pm daily (closed Christmas and New Year’s Day)
Admission: $14, free parking
Phone: 613–839–0007
Website: http://www.Diefenbunker.ca
