Collections and Research
Discover stories, artifacts, and people from the past.
Our collections and research webpages provide resources from the Diefenbunker including:
- a search of our collections
- audio and video clips from oral histories
- updates on original museum research into the Cold War and artifacts in our collections
- resources for you to learn more about the Cold War and taking care of your own artifacts
Voices from the past: Oral histories of the Cold War
“Heritage to a nation is what memory is to a person.” – Richard Alway
Between 1962 and 1994, thousands of Canadian military personnel, public servants, and contractors came through the Diefenbunker for postings, exercises, and routine duties, making sure the site was not only functioning efficiently as a military communications facility, but was also ready — should the need arise — to serve as a survival shelter for the nation’s government.
Listen to oral histories from these former personnel to discover what it was like to work and live at the Diefenbunker.
Wayne Byrne
Control/Machine Room Operator
1958 – 1961; 1967 – 1983
Terry Currie
Construction
1957
Garry Dowd
Corporal; Message Centre
1963 – 1970
Murray Fyfe
Contract Telephone Engineer
1960s
Mike Green
Teletype Technician
1968 – 1972
Gina Gushue
Reservist; Teletype Operator
1979
Liisa DeNoble
Secretary for Commanding Officer
1971 – 1973
Brenda Langman
Private; Switchboard Operator, Federal Communication Centre; Teletype Operator, Message Centre, OSAX
1984 – 1989
Michael DeNoble
Corporal; Facility Control Centre Operator
1970 – 1975
Wayne Marshall
Switchboard Operator
1962; 1965 – 1966; 1977 – 1980
Dave McBride
Teletype and Cipher Technician
1963 – 1970; 1978 – 1982
Spook Mills
Communications Technician; Teletype Technician
1962 – 1969
Dave Peters
Civilian Employee, Emergency Preparedness College; Director, Emergency Operations Coordination; Director, General Operations
1983 – 1990; 1990 – 1992
John Publicover
Cook; Kitchen Staff
1966 – 1976
Janet Puddicombe
Teletype Operator
1981 – 1987
Pierre Remillard
Building Operations: Construction and Maintenance
1960 – 1995
Bill Renaud
Federal Communication Centre Supervisor; Station Warrant Officer; Emergency Preparedness Canada Emergency Government Facilities Technical Officer
1973 – 1977; 1980 – 1984; 1986 – closing of the bunker
Don Roper
Telephone Technician; Sergeant in Technical Station; Master Warrant Officer
1965 – 1970; 1976 – 1978; 1984 – 1986
Helen Rosseau
Radio Technician
1979 – 1985
We are continuing to collect oral histories from former personnel or others with a connection to the Diefenbunker site in an effort to preserve this history. We would love to hear from you!
If you are interested in sharing your story, please contact our Curator by email at s.campbell@diefenbunker.ca or by phone at 613-839-0007 x253.