Diefenbunker

Last updated • 7 min readFrom Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia

Canadian Forces Station Carp
Diefenbunker.JPG
Carp Diefenbunker gate and entrance
Location Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Coordinates 45°21′06″N76°02′50″W / 45.35167°N 76.04722°W / 45.35167; -76.04722
Founded1962
FounderDiefenbunker Development Group
Built1959–1961
Original use Emergency Government Headquarters
Current useMuseum
ArchitectFoundation Corporation of Canada, L. Col. Ed Churchill
Governing bodyDiefenbunker, Canada's Cold War Museum
Website Diefenbunker: Canada's Cold War Museum
Official nameDiefenbunker / Central Emergency Government Headquarters National Historic Site of Canada
Designated1994

The Diefenbunker, formerly known by its military designation, Canadian Forces Station Carp (CFS Carp), is a large underground four-storey reinforced concrete bunker and nuclear fallout shelter located in the rural area of Carp, Ontario approximately 30 km (19 mi) west of downtown Ottawa. [1] Between 1957 and 1961, during the Cold War [2] the Government of Canada led by then Prime Minister John Diefenbaker authorized the Diefenbunker [3] to be designed and built as the Central Emergency Government Headquarters (CEGHQ Carp) in an attempt to ensure the continuity of government subsequent to a nuclear weapons attack by the Soviet Union. [1] In 1994, CFS Carp was decommissioned and closed. [1]

Contents

In 1994, the Diefenbunker was designated a National Historic Site of Canada because it is considered the most important surviving Cold War site in Canada. [4] [5] The bunker is important as an engineering achievement and to the critical path method of planning used in its construction. [5] In addition, the Diefenbunker is symbolic of the Cold War, a strategy of nuclear deterrence and the Canadian people's determination to survive as a nation following a nuclear war. [5] The Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada (HSMBC) [6] plaque [7] located at the Diefenbunker states:

Irreverently known as the "Diefenbunker," this structure is a powerful symbol of Canada's response to the Cold War. Designed in the 1950s to withstand all but a direct hit by a nuclear weapon, it was intended to shelter key political and military personnel during a nuclear attack. Fortunately, it never served its intended purpose, although the Diefenbaker government made plans to retreat to its protection during the Cuban missile crisis of 1962. The bunker functioned as the hub of a communications network [8] and civil defence system until it closed in 1994. [5]

In 1998, the facility was re-opened as a museum called the "Diefenbunker: Canada's Cold War Museum" allowing the general public year-round access to tour the facility. [1]

History

The blast tunnel entrance. The doors to the actual bunker are perpendicular to this tunnel which reduces the effects of a nuclear shock wave. Blast tunnel entrance at CFS Carp.jpg
The blast tunnel entrance. The doors to the actual bunker are perpendicular to this tunnel which reduces the effects of a nuclear shock wave.

In 1958, at the height of the Cold War and the infancy of the intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) threat, Prime Minister John Diefenbaker authorized the creation of close to 50 Emergency Government Headquarters (nicknamed "Diefenbunkers" by opposition parties [9] ) across Canada. These shelters were part of what came to be known as the Continuity of Government plan, [10] [11] which was meant to protect various members of government in the event of a nuclear attack. [9]

The original site, some 9.7 km (6.0 mi) east of Almonte ( 45°15′06.66″N076°19′31.05″W / 45.2518500°N 76.3252917°W / 45.2518500; -76.3252917 (Almonte, Ontario) ), was abandoned when ground water proved impossible to remove. An abandoned gravel pit outside Carp was selected instead, where construction soon began in 1959 and was completed by 1962. [9]

The Carp shelter would be the largest of such facilities (over 9,300 m2 (100,000 sq ft) [10] ) and the only one in the immediate Ottawa area. The underground 4-storey bunker required 32,000 tonnes of concrete and 5,000 tonnes of steel. The structure was capable of withstanding a nuclear blast of up to 5 megatons from 1.8 km (1.1 mi) away. It had massive blast doors at the surface, as well as extensive air filters to prevent radiation infiltration. [9] Although supposedly effective against surface nuclear detonations, the facility was later found to be vulnerable to conventional Bunker buster bombs developed after its construction, as these bombs had time delay fuses that would detonate after they had penetrated deeply enough underground. [9]

Underground storage was built for food, fuel, fresh water, and other supplies. The bunker was built to accommodate 565 people for up to one month without receiving additional supplies from the outside. [9] It included an emergency broadcast studio for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation [9] and a vault on the lowest level to hold the gold reserves of the Bank of Canada.

These facilities were administered by the Royal Canadian Corps of Signals (later the Communications and Electronics Branch). A decentralized transmitter site, the Richardson Detachment, with numerous transmitter antennas, was located further to the west near Perth, Ontario that was supported from a 2-storey underground facility of similar construction to the Carp facility but much smaller. The Perth bunker has seen some recent local controversy, as it still remains on government owned land, surrounded by local development. Radio receiving facilities CFS Carp Almonte Detachment and CFS Carp Dunrobin Detachment, with complete receiving antenna arrays, were also built in the region, however, all of those buildings were above ground. [12]

A re-creation of the very limited quarters provided for the Prime Minister. Military restrictions prohibited the Prime Minister from being accompanied by his wife and for this reason John Diefenbaker is rumoured to have refused to ever use the facility. Prime Minister's quarters at CFS Carp.jpg
A re-creation of the very limited quarters provided for the Prime Minister. Military restrictions prohibited the Prime Minister from being accompanied by his wife and for this reason John Diefenbaker is rumoured to have refused to ever use the facility.

Diefenbunker, Canada's Cold War Museum

The main conference room inside the Diefenbunker to provide continuity of Canada's government activities that were legal and constitutional in case of a nuclear attack. Main conference room inside Diefenbunker.jpg
The main conference room inside the Diefenbunker to provide continuity of Canada's government activities that were legal and constitutional in case of a nuclear attack.

CFS Carp was decommissioned in 1994 [15] following the reduction of the ICBM threat.

From 1959 to 1994, the site was owned and operated by the Canadian Department of National Defence. [11] After the local municipality took control of the facility in 1994, the community took a great interest in the bunker, requesting access to public tours of the facility. [11] The local municipality took control of the facility and a group of local volunteers, recognizing the heritage and tourism value of the Carp Diefenbunker, undertook to open the facility as a cold war museum and conduct public tours. It was purchased by the Diefenbunker Development Group in 1998, and officially opened as a museum. The name of the facility was changed to "Diefenbunker, Canada's Cold War Museum" [16] shortly thereafter. It is currently open year-round for public tours. [10] [9]

Many areas of the bunker, including the PM's Suite, the Emergency Government Situation Centre, the CBC Emergency Broadcasting Studio, the Military Federal Warning Centre, the External Affairs Ministerial Office, the Public Works Minister's Office and the Bank of Canada Vault, are being restored to their operational condition. The rest of the 358 rooms have been converted to exhibits of the Cold War era. [15]

Growth of the Museum

Unit Crest of CFS Carp, "Communicate and Protect" DSC01350 - CARP.jpg
Unit Crest of CFS Carp, "Communicate and Protect"

Upon its opening in 1998, the museum was run entirely by volunteers. However, the 5,000 visitors received by the museum that year was too much to be handled solely by volunteers. [11]

In 1999, the museum's second year of operation, a curator was hired along with some students. The museum's visitation doubled to 10,000 people that year. [11]

The museum continued to grow in popularity during the 2000s. Close to 15,000 visitors passed through the Diefenbunker in 2000. Additional part-time staff were hired throughout the year to keep up with museum maintenance and upkeep. As of 2008, the Diefenbunker averages approximately 25,000 visitors each year. Four full-time staff, nine part-time staff and numerous volunteers work to keep the museum running smoothly. In 2012, the museum had 45,280 visitors. This was one of the highest increases in attendance other than the opening year of the Bunker. [11] In 2017, Canada's sesquicentennial, the Diefenbunker welcomed 88,000 visitors through its blast doors. [17] Since March 2016, the museum has also hosted an escape room that they state is the world's largest. [18]

The mandate of Diefenbunker, Canada's Cold War museum is "to increase throughout Canada and the world, interest in and a critical understanding of the Cold War, by preserving the Diefenbunker as a national historic site, and operating a Cold War Museum. [19]

Collections and research

The Diefenbunker houses a collection of Cold War artifacts, an archive and a library, all of which are made available to researchers upon request, and to the general public through the exhibitions. [20]

Funding

The Diefenbunker: Canada's Cold War museum is a not-for-profit, charitable museum. [19] It is funded privately; [19] the main source of revenue for the museum comes from admission sales (approximately 75% of total revenue [15] ). The Diefenbunker actively applies for private, municipal, provincial and federal grants. The museum also relies on the generous support of the community through donations and sponsorship. [15]

Additional services

The Diefenbunker offers additional services on top of public tours. The museum has space available to rent both for events and storage. [9] The decommissioned bunker has been used as a movie set on several occasions, including for The Sum of All Fears [9] and Rulers of Darkness . [21]

Further reading

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bunker</span> Defensive military storage fortification

A bunker is a defensive military fortification designed to protect people and valued materials from falling bombs, artillery, or other attacks. Bunkers are almost always underground, in contrast to blockhouses which are mostly above ground. They were used extensively in World War I, World War II, and the Cold War for weapons facilities, command and control centers, and storage facilities. Bunkers can also be used as protection from tornadoes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Emergency Government Headquarters</span> Underground infrastructure system in Canada

Emergency Government Headquarters is the name given for a system of nuclear fallout shelters built by the Government of Canada in the 1950s and 1960s as part of continuity of government planning at the height of the Cold War. Situated at strategic locations across the country, the largest of these shelters are popularly referred to as "Diefenbunkers", a nickname coined by federal opposition politicians during the early 1960s. The nickname was derived from the last name of the Prime Minister of the day, John Diefenbaker, who authorized their construction. Over fifty facilities were built along several designs for various classes of service.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Continuity of government</span> Principle of emergency government

Continuity of government (COG) is the principle of establishing defined procedures that allow a government to continue its essential operations in case of a catastrophic event such as nuclear war.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Canada in the Cold War</span>

During the Cold War, Canada was one of the western powers playing a central role in the major alliances. It was an ally of the United States, but there were several foreign policy differences between the two countries over the course of the Cold War. Canada's peacekeeping role during the Cold War has played a major role in its positive global image. The country served in every UN peacekeeping effort from its inception in 1948 until 1989. This resulted in Canada provided the greatest amount of UN peacekeepers during the Cold War.

Canadian Forces Station Debert was a Canadian Forces station located in Debert, Nova Scotia. It was most recently used during the Cold War as a communications facility and was home to a "Regional Emergency Government Headquarters" (REGH) complex, more commonly known by their nickname "Diefenbunker."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carp Airport</span> Airport in Carp, Ontario

Ottawa/Carp Airport or Carp Airport is located 1.2 nautical miles south of Carp, Ontario, Canada, a small village that is now part of Ottawa. Carp is the only airport in the Ottawa area where private hangar space is readily available, so it is a popular home base for local general aviation pilots.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carp, Ontario</span> Rural community in Ontario, Canada

Carp is a compact rural community in West Carleton-March Ward in the City of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, located in the northwestern portion of the municipality on the Carp River. It is about 33 km (21 mi) from downtown Ottawa. Prior to amalgamation in 2001, Carp was located in the West Carleton Township.

The Office of Critical Infrastructure Protection and Emergency Preparedness (OCIPEP) is a Canadian government bureau that was created during Anne McLellan's tenure at the Department of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness (PSEP).

Carp Road is an arterial road in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada that runs between Fitzroy Harbour and Stittsville, through the village of Carp. The road is located in the city's west end, beginning in Fitzroy Harbour at Galetta Side Road and ending in Stittsville at Stittsville Main Street. Most of the route is rural with the exception of Stittsville where the road travels in a residential development. Ottawa Regional Road #5 continues as Stittsville Main Street south of Carp Road, then becomes Huntley Road south of Stittsville toward the town of Richmond.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Atomic tourism</span> Tourism involving travel to nuclear sites

Atomic tourism or nuclear tourism is a form of tourism in which visitors witness nuclear tests or learn about the Atomic Age by traveling to significant sites in atomic history such as nuclear test reactors, museums with nuclear weapon artifacts, delivery vehicles, sites where atomic weapons were detonated, and nuclear power plants.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tagansky Protected Command Point</span> Cold War Museum, restaurant in Moscow, Kotelnichesky Lane

The Cold War Museum (Moscow) or Bunker GO-42, also known as "facility-02" (1947), CHZ-293 (1951), CHZ-572 (1953), and GO-42 (from 1980), and now Exhibition Complex Bunker-42, is a once-secret military complex, bunker, communication center in Moscow, Russia, near the underground Moscow Metro station Taganskaya. It has an area of 7,000 square metres (75,000 sq ft) and is situated at a depth of 65 metres (213 ft) below ground.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Barnton Quarry</span> Disused stone quarry in Edinburgh, Scotland

Barnton Quarry is a disused stone quarry in Corstorphine Hill, Clermiston, Edinburgh, Scotland. The site was later used as a military command centre, and is now being converted into a museum.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Government bunker (Germany)</span> Massive underground complex built during the cold war

The Government Bunker(Regierungsbunker) in Germany, officially named Ausweichsitz der Verfassungsorgane des Bundes im Krisen- und Verteidigungsfall zur Wahrung von deren Funktionstüchtigkeit (AdVB), in English: "Emergency Seat of the Federal Constitutional Organs for the State of Crisis or State of Defence to Maintain their Ability to Function" was a massive underground complex built during the Cold War era to house the German government, parliament and enough federal personnel needed to keep the government working in the event of war or severe crisis. Located only about 25 kilometres (16 mi) south of Bonn, Germany, in the Ahr Valley between the towns of Ahrweiler and Dernau, it was one of the best kept secrets of West Germany. It was built between 1960 and 1972 inside two abandoned railway tunnels that were built as part of the Strategic Railway, maintained and kept in a working condition for about 30 years and decommissioned in 1997. A small part of the once-secret site is now open to the public as Government Bunker Documentation Site, while the vast majority is abandoned and sealed.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">RAF Holmpton</span> Royal Air Force base in Yorkshire, England

Royal Air Force Holmpton or more simply RAF Holmpton is a former Royal Air Force Cold War era nuclear bunker that was built in the 1950s as an early warning radar station as part of the ROTOR Radar Defence Programme. Located just south of the village of Holmpton, in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England, RAF Holmpton remained a part of the Defence Estate right up to 8 December 2014 when it was sold into private ownership after 62 years of military service.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">National Defence Headquarters (Canada)</span>

National Defence Headquarters (NDHQ) was created through the integration of the Canadian Armed Forces Headquarters with the civilian Department of National Defence (DND) staff in October of 1972. NDHQ is not a specific location, but is instead housed throughout a collection of offices in buildings across the National Capital Region, although it is most commonly identified with the Major-General George R Pearkes Building on Colonel By Drive in Ottawa.

Many countries around the world have civil defense organizations dedicated to protecting civilians from military attacks and providing rescue services after widespread disasters. In most countries, civil defense is a government-managed and often volunteer-staffed organization.

The Dunrobin Detachment was a military-operated radio communications receiver station linked by land line to CFS Carp located on the corner of Dunrobin Road and Vance's Side Road NW of Dunrobin, Ontario. A second antenna receiver site was located further West near Almonte, Ontario; the Almonte Detachment. The detachment was unmanned and the location primarily used as a remote antenna farm. After the end of the Cold War, CFS Carp was decommissioned and the antenna site was no longer needed.

The CFS Carp Richardson Detachment was a military operated radio communications transmitter station linked by landline to CFS Carp located off Lanark County Road 10 East of Perth, Ontario. The detachment was built with a hardened two story underground bunker built to accommodate the Signals personnel needed to operate the transmitter in case of war, as well as a mess hall, sleeping quarters, offices, decontamination facilities, and its own power generation facilities. Its location was chosen to be far enough away from CFS Carp to ensure survivability in the case of a nuclear strike against CFS Carp, and to reduce the risk of interference from its twenty powerful radio transmitters.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">CFS Carp Almonte Detachment</span> Canadian military radio receiver station

The Almonte Detachment was a military-operated radio communications receiver station linked by land line to CFS Carp located in Burnt Lands alvar off Lanark County Road 49 East of Almonte, Ontario, Canada. A second antenna receiver site was located further east near Dunrobin, Ontario; the Dunrobin Detachment. Both of these sites were linked to CFS Carp Richardson Detachment, which was a remote-operated transmitting site. CFS Carp Almonte Detachment was unmanned and the location primarily used as a remote antenna farm. After the end of the Cold War, CFS Carp was decommissioned and the antenna site was no longer needed.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Diefenbunker Museum - Official homepage
  2. ↑ CBC: Cold War Canada
  3. ↑ The Diefenbunker – Cold War Secret Defence Facility
  4. ↑ "Diefenbunker / Central Emergency Government Headquarters National Historic Site of Canada" . Retrieved 2021-12-01. Formally Recognized: 1994/06/05
  5. 1 2 3 4 Parks Canada: Developing the Statement of Commemorative Intent
  6. ↑ Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada (HSMBC)
  7. ↑ Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada (HSMBC) plaque
  8. ↑ RC Sigs Militaria Web Site
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Thermidor, Emeline (November 17, 2010). "The Diefenbunker: Echoes from our past, or back to the future?". The Maple Leaf. Archived from the original on June 29, 2013.
  10. 1 2 3 Diefenbunker, Canada's Cold War Museum Archived 2019-08-06 at the Wayback Machine in Ottawa Museums. Retrieved March 15, 2013.
  11. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Diefenbunker, Canada's Cold War Museum Archived 2013-03-29 at the Wayback Machine . Retrieved March 15, 2013.
  12. ↑ "CFS Carp - Units". Archived from the original on 2013-10-23. Retrieved 2013-06-02. CFS Carp was to provide the administration, security and housekeeping services needed to maintain a constant state of operational readiness for all sites under its command; most importantly, the communication facilities at Carp, Richardson, Almonte and Dunrobin
  13. ↑ Catch some Cold War cinema at The Diefenbunker — Canada’s most unusual movie theatre
  14. ↑ Peters, Dave (January 2003). "CD - The Continuity of Government Program - Principles". The Diefenbunker, Canada's Cold War Museum. Archived from the original on 5 November 2013. Retrieved 1 November 2013.
  15. 1 2 3 4 Peters, Dave (April 2011). "The 'Diefenbunker': Then and Now" in Mysteries of Canada. Retrieved March 15, 2013.
  16. ↑ In Diefenbunker, Canada's Cold War Museum Archived 2013-04-30 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved April 15, 2013.
  17. ↑ "Diefenbunker Annual Report 2017" (PDF). Diefenbunker Museum. June 2018.
  18. ↑ DeMara, Bruce (March 9, 2016). "Cold war Diefenbunker joins 'escape room' craze". Toronto Star . Retrieved January 27, 2022.
  19. 1 2 3 About the Diefenbunker Archived 2013-03-04 at the Wayback Machine in Diefenbunker, Canada's Cold War Museum. Retrieved March 15, 2013.
  20. ↑ Collections and Research Archived 2013-03-25 at the Wayback Machine in Diefenbunker, Canada's Cold War Museum. Retrieved March 15, 2013.
  21. ↑ "Manotick filmmaker revives Canadian UFO story". Your Ottawa Region. May 23, 2012.
Map all coordinates using OpenStreetMap

Download coordinates as:

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.