The Diefenbunker

In 1959, when the Canadian government began digging a massive hole in a farmer’s field near Carp just west of Ottawa, it claimed that it was for an army signals installation (no one believed them); in actual fact, it was a four-level, underground emergency government headquarters. Opened in 1961 as an emergency shelter in the event of a nuclear war, it was designed to resist an indirect five-megaton blast (probably why it is out of town), and was built on a five-foot-deep gravel pad that would allow the whole building to shift during the explosion (even the boiler and the air conditioner were mounted on top of giant shock absorbers).

Once it became public, it was informally dubbed the “Diefenbunker” by the media in honour of the presiding Prime Minister John Diefenbaker. It stood at the ready for more than 30 years, a 100,000-square-foot outpost complete with hospital, morgue, Bank of Canada vault, and CBC studio. In its 30 years of operation, the only PM who ever visited it was Pierre Trudeau.

The shelter was decommissioned in 1994 and became the Cold War Museum in 1998; museum guides, many of them former bunker workers, take visitors on a 90-minute tour of the site. Other events have included exhibitions of Cold War-themed art (including work by Ottawa artist Adrian Göllner), a film club, and a lecture series. No cameras. Visits by reserved, guided tours only. Check website for hours and tour start times. 2911 Carp Rd., 839-0007 or 1-800-409-1965