On September 22, 2022, we held the first session in our Cold War Speaker Series, where we were delighted to welcome Dr. Sean M. Maloney of the Royal Military College of Canada. Dr. Maloney presented his topic, The Secret History of Nuclear War Films and their...
“The Gouzenko affair crippled Russian spy efforts in North America for more than a decade.”-Vasili Mitrokhin (former KGB archivist) In the waning days of the Second World War, Soviet cipher clerk Igor Gouzenko was becoming disenchanted with the Stalinist regime;...
. Did you know that there is no heating and cooling machinery inside the bunker to support day-to-day operations? The Bunker relies on the geothermal system from the earth around it for heating and cooling.Fun facts: The coolest day of the year inside the Bunker on...
There is never a shortage of interesting stories at the Diefenbunker! This month, we are featuring two artifacts together.
On August 29, 1949, the Soviet Union detonated their first nuclear weapon, bringing them into the nuclear arms race that defined the Cold War era. This moment in history brought Cold War anxieties to the forefront in the United States – they were no longer the only...
Change is afoot at the Diefenbunker! One of the many new and exciting additions to the Diefenbunker, coming soon, is the Community Room on Level 400 - but, before I tell you more about this room, let me first introduce myself: My name is Vanessa, and for the month...
We recently had the unique opportunity to host a fascinating individual here at the Bunker, Sebastian Major. Sebastian is the creator and host of the podcast Our Fake History. It is produced in Toronto with the help of his wife, Beth Lorimer. A podcast about myths...
When the bunker was decommissioned in 1994 the secret was out. Everyone knew and heard about the Diefenbunker and what it meant for Canada’s survival. As the years have passed, many of its secrets have been revealed, but not all. As a result, there are a LOT of...
While scrolling through twitter this month I came across a thread that sparked some interest. A twitter user that we follow named Andrew King @twitandrewking had done some background research on Cherry Blossom candies. Like all Canadians, I recognized the candy but...
From September until January 2020, the Bunker welcomed Alison, a high school co-op student with a passion for history. For 4 months Alison worked on a new exhibit which has filled our “Treasures from the Diefenbunker” display case. During her 4 months here Alison...
