On Your Bucket List: Diefenbunker (Ontario)
The Diefenbunker Museum
With a new Cold War heating up, the Diefenbunker Museum is on everyone’s bucket list these days. Located in the quaint village of Carp, half an hour west of downtown Ottawa and downwind from any potential radiation clouds, the Diefenbunker is an easy drive from the city.
Built at the height of the Cold War from 1959-1961, the Diefenbunker is an engineering marvel. This former federal facility was built on time and on budget, and its engineers were then recruited to build EXPO67. The four-story 100,000 square foot underground blast shelter contains 32,000 cubic feet of hand-poured cement and 6,000 tons of steel. Located under a hill, the building is earthquake secure and is able to withstand a fivemegaton blast up to a mile away – 250 times the size of the bomb dropped on Hiroshima. 535 carefully selected government and military personnel could have stayed in the Bunker for a month, and would have had to keep our nation running during a war, and rebuild what was left of it.
The brainchild of former Prime Minister John Diefenbaker, what was known as Canadian Forces Station Carp is now the only bunker in Canada open to the public. After decommissioning in 1994, the facility was saved by local volunteers and is now a thriving community museum and a National Historic Site of Canada. A rare and authentic piece of history, the bunker itself is considered an artifact, and is evidence of Canada’s will to survive
as a nation following a nuclear war; a reminder of what was one of the most critical periods in modern history.
Today the Diefenbunker is an absolute must-see award-winning tourist attraction, and a Canadian Signature Experience. Come tour the facility and learn more about the Cold War, the Canadian government, the beauty of concrete, and how to prepare for a nuclear attack! If you’re lucky enough to visit around Hallowe’en, you may even experience a zombie invasion! With an exciting and innovative year-round calendar of events, there are so many things to experience, from hunting for Easter eggs with family and romantic Valentine’s dinners 20 m (60 ft) underground, to eerie theremin concerts and Berlin Wall-style graffiti walls. A mecca for local youth, the Bunker has popular Spy Camps and birthday parties, and new role-playing Conflict Resolution Workshops. Business meetings in the historic Dr. Strangelove-like War Cabinet Room take on extra significance in this relic of the Cold War.
As featured on the Amazing Race Canada Season 2 finale, there is a lot to discover in this hidden treasure. Come have an unforgettable experience in a real piece of history at Diefenbunker: Canada’s Cold War Museum.