The Diefenbunker is a massive 100,000 square feet four levels bunker, built to protect the government in the event of a nuclear attack on Ottawa. It was commissioned by Canadian Prime Minister John Diefenbaker in 1959, as part of his government's reaction to escalating tensions in the cold war. The Diefenbunker was designed to hold 535 people for up to 30 days.
It was a top-secret operation. A former farm in Carp was chosen as the perfect site.
The site was completed and began operation in 1961.
© Diefenbunker Museum: OSAX
© Emily: Rec room and cafeteria
© Kevin and Ruth: Prime Minister's bedroom
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© Leslie Hossack: Women's quarters, level 300
© Marcia Lea: The operation 1
© OlivierGa: Salle machine informatique
© OlivierGa: War room
© Sarah Mulholland: Atom bomb
© Suellen: Lunchroom
The Diefenbunker was given National Historic Site status in 1994 and was closed the same year. The building remained empty until the foundation of a museum in 1997. I visited the Diefenbunker in… 2009? We sure had a lot of fun but the overall experience was kinda really strange!
Well, the Diefenbunker is now a not-so-clandestine relic of the cold war. Wait… there is another bunker carved into the rock…
Well, the Diefenbunker is now a not-so-clandestine relic of the cold war. Wait… there is another bunker carved into the rock…
The original Diefenbunker site was abandoned because of flooding. Today the unfinished underground construction is underwater.
