Every February, the nation’s capital hosts Winterlude, a festival to celebrate the best winter has to offer. The first Winterlude was hosted in 1979, but before then, Canadian Forces Station Carp (CFS Carp, aka the Diefenbunker) had our own way of getting out into...
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...
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...
“I feel impelled to speak today in a language that in a sense is new – one which I, who have spent so much of my life in the military profession, would have preferred never to use.That new language is the language of atomic warfare.” These were the words President...
We are introducing a new segment to our blog: Artifact of the Month!January's artifact of the month features the decontamination showers Geiger counter. Imagine this: Canada has been hit by a nuclear attack.You are one of the 535 people designated to enter the...
100 years ago, the guns fell silent, on November 11th, 1918. The final shot of the First World War rang out and for the first time in 4 years the fields were silent. Across the world, millions of people held their breath as they waited to see who would come home...
This week we introduced a new member to our team: Grant! He’s our new Development Assistant! Here’s a few words about his first week. “My first week at the bunker has been outstanding! Everyone was very welcoming and extremely friendly. I was introduced to the...
