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Diefenbunker

Canadian Forces bases in Canada (closed)Canadian Forces bases in OntarioCold War military installationsCold War museums in CanadaContinuity of government
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Diefenbunker
Diefenbunker

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. Between 1957 and 1961, during the Cold War the Government of Canada led by then Prime Minister John Diefenbaker authorized the Diefenbunker 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. In 1994, CFS Carp was decommissioned and closed.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. The bunker is important as an engineering achievement and to the critical path method of planning used in its construction. 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. The Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada (HSMBC) plaque 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 and civil defence system until it closed in 1994. 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.

Excerpt from the Wikipedia article Diefenbunker (License: CC BY-SA 3.0, Authors, Images).

Diefenbunker
Carp Road, Ottawa West Carleton-March (West Carleton)

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Latitude Longitude
N 45.351666666667 ° E -76.047222222222 °
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Carp Road 3943
K0A 1L0 Ottawa, West Carleton-March (West Carleton)
Ontario, Canada
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Emergency Government Headquarters
Emergency Government Headquarters

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. Most of these facilities were built, often in great secrecy, at rural locations outside major cities across Canada. The majority of the larger facilities were two-story underground bunkers while the largest at CFS Carp had four floors; these facilities were designed to withstand a near-miss from a nuclear explosion. Each underground facility had entrances through massive blast doors at the surface, as well as extensive air filters and positive air pressure to prevent radiation infiltration. Underground storage was built for food, fuel, fresh water, and other supplies for the facilities which were capable of supporting several dozen people for a period of several weeks. The facilities were operated by personnel from the Royal Canadian Corps of Signals, renamed to Communications Command after the 1968 unification of the Canadian Armed Forces.

Dunrobin, Ontario

Dunrobin is a community in West Carleton-March Ward in the City of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. It is located about 35 kilometres northwest of Downtown Ottawa. Dunrobin lies within a valley, nestled between the Ottawa River and the Carp escarpment, and is located at 45.18° latitude and 75.55° longitude. Dunrobin is located on the former boundary between West Carleton Township and Kanata (formerly March Township). Dunrobin was amalgamated with the city of Ottawa in 2000. Dunrobin is expanding steadily with a current population of about 1,000 people. The Dunrobin Community Association defines the community boundaries as Murphy Sideroad, Constance Lake Road and Berry Sideroad on the south, the Ottawa River to the east, a line following Limestone Road to Kinburn Sideroad to Stonecrest Road to Thomas A. Dolan Parkway to Marchhurst Road on the west, and on the north by a line following Kilmaurs Sideroad to Woodkilton Road to Kinburn Sideroad to Constance Creek. Dunrobin was settled in the 19th century at the corner of Dunrobin Road and Thomas A. Dolan Parkway. The town centre comprises a community centre with outdoor recreation facilities and a number of small businesses. While originally started as an agricultural community it now serves mostly as a focal point within a larger community that has a mixed population of farmers, commuters who work in Kanata and Ottawa-Gatineau, cottagers and pensioners. Some nearby points of interest include Fitzroy Provincial Park, Constance Bay and the Diefenbunker museum. Dunrobin took its name from Dunrobin Castle near Golspie, Scotland. On September 21, 2018, a high-end EF3 tornado struck the community, damaging or destroying 60 buildings and seriously injuring three people.