By: Julia Fini
In 1959, Prime Minister John Diefenbaker commissioned the Diefenbunker to be built in response to the Cold War. Located in Carp, Ontario, the bunker would be within evacuation distance of downtown Ottawa, providing easy access for the government. The purpose of the bunker was to comfortably host key members of the government should a nuclear attack occur in Canada. The construction of the bunker was a top-secret operation under the name of Project Emergency Army Signals Establishment (EASE). Building the bunker took less than 18 months. The bunker itself is 100,000 square feet over four separate levels, adding up to 75 feet underground, designed to withstand a 5 megaton nuclear blast from 1.8 kilometers away. It was ready for use in 1961, acting as the Canadian Forces Station (CFS) Carp as well as its intended use. It was the location of some of Canada’s most top-secret communications throughout the Cold War. Even when in use by the CFS, the bunker was full of fresh food and rations and prepared to go into lockdown at a moment’s notice. Fortunately, a nuclear strike never occurred, and the Diefenbunker was never utilized as a shelter. The Diefenbunker achieved National Historic Site status in 1994, the year it was decommissioned. Today, the bunker has been transformed into a museum. Each layer of the Diefenbunker is open for exploration, with rooms and exhibits set up to make you feel like you’re living through the Cold War. Meeting rooms, bedrooms, a medical centre, and the cafeteria are some of the larger number of areas you can learn about. When you enter the bunker, you are not living in the 21st century, you are thrown back in time, living as a member of the CFS deep under the ground. It’s an incredible experience, one that allows people to not only learn history, but live it. If you’re into history and the Cold War, or just looking for a way to spend the next couple hours, consider heading into the Diefenbunker to gain new knowledge and live in a time other than your own.
References:
Cold war Diefenbunker joins ‘escape room’ craze | The Star Never used Diefenbunker serves as massive Cold War museum | CTV News Home – Diefenbunker Museum
コメント