Canadian Forces Station Carp (The Diefenbunker)

The Diefenbunker was commissioned by Prime Minister John Diefenbaker in 1959, as part of his government’s reaction to escalating tensions in the Cold War. The purpose of the bunker was to house key members of the government and military in the event of a nuclear attack on Canada. The structure was capable of withstanding a nuclear blast up to 5 megatons from 1.8 km (1.1 mi) away and would allow the Canadian government to operate safely underground for 30 days in order to assist with the governance and rebuilding of the country. The bunker is 100,000 square feet over four levels. It is made of 32,000 cubic yards of hand –poured concrete and 5,000 tons of steel.

The Diefenbunker was designated a National Historic Site in 1994, due to its significance as Canada’s most important Cold War history site, and its unique construction. Many areas of the bunker, including the PM’s Suite, the Emergency Government Situation Centre, the CBC Emergency Broadcasting Studio, the Military Federal Warning Centre, the External Affairs Ministerial Office, the Public Works Minister's Office and the Bank of Canada Vault, are being restored to their operational condition. The rest of the 358 rooms have been converted to exhibits of the Cold War era.