Artifact Features

25 Artifacts: Admission and Discharge Book

25 Artifacts: Admission and Discharge Book

In honour of the Diefenbunker’s 25 anniversary, we continue to highlight 25 artifacts from within our collections. This week, we are featuring the Department of National Health and Welfare’s civil defence first-aid station log, from 1966. Acquired by the museum in...

Admission and Discharge Book from the Diefenbunker's collections.

25 Artifacts: I am a Woman for Peace

Today, March 8, is International Women’s Day. Annually, on this day, we celebrate the social, economical, cultural, and political achievements of women from around the world. As part of the Diefenbunker’s 25th anniversary, we will be highlighting 25 artifacts from...

Tracking Temperatures with the Tempscribe Thermometer

As the weather gets chillier, both outside and underground, we decided that there was no better artifact to feature for the end of November than the Tempscribe Thermometer.  Produced between 1960 and 1990, the Tempscribe Thermometer is a chart reading thermometer...

The Tempscribe Thermometer

The Concrete Cores of the Diefenbunker

With August coming to an end, we would like to highlight one more artifact from within our collection for Archaeology Month. This blog post will discuss the concrete cores of the Diefenbunker and will examine their archaeological and architectural impact. ...

Rebar and the innerworkings of the Diefenbunker mid-construction.

The Atom Struck Tile: A Representation of Tragedy and Peace

  This past week marked the 77th anniversaries of the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. In commemoration of these catastrophic events, and in conjunction with Archaeology Month, we wish to highlight a relevant artifact in the Diefenbunker’s collection: The...

Atom Struck Tile pictured in open box. The Tile is inscribed and reads "Forgive and Forget."

Artifact of the Month: The Blast Tunnel

The Blast Tunnel was designed to divert the force of an explosion away from the main part of the bunker. In the event of a nuclear explosion, anything inside of the tunnel would have been destroyed.Building the Blast Tunnel Laying the concrete floorThe finished...

Blast Tunnel descending into the background.

The Eames Chair

    Are you tired of re-upholstering your old dingy couch? Are you fed up with bleh designs and mute colour patterns for your furniture? Are you looking for a non-flammable piece of military grade fiberglass to park yourself in?   Well then, look no further than...

Eames chair

The Bank of Canada Vault

​In 1960s, the Cold War neared its zenith. The members of the NATO alliance faced the eventuality of a nuclear war with the Soviet Bloc. As the possibility of this reality formalized, nations considered how to strengthen their defense and plan for future...

Bank of Canada Vault

Artifact of the Month: Radiac

Our Artifact of the Month for July is a little on the dangerous side. Pleased ensure that you are behind the yellow line at all times. This is going to get radioactive! Welcome to Radiac, a small room located on the 100 Level (bottom floor) of the museum. This room...

Artifact of the Month: The Model

If you’ve ever wondered how exactly the Diefenbunker was built, this is the blog post for you!Our featured Artifact of the Month is: The Model!The Model is the original construction model from 1958. Because something like the Diefenbunker had never been attempted...

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