Sunday 3 June 2012

We Visit the Diefenbunker

Yesterday, the Diefenbunker was open as part of Doors Open Ontario! So we took off just after lunch for the one hour drive to Carp, Ontario. It was cloudy with threatening skies, a perfect day to go underground. The Diefenbunker was named after the Prime Minister of Canada at the time, John Diefenbaker.

The Diefenbunker was built in the 1950's to protect the government from nuclear attack. This once secret bunker is now a museum and National Historic Site of Canada.

I have to say that I'm not a great history buff, probably due to an inept history teacher who failed to make history interesting to me anyway. We arrived and were told that the next tour was in 1 1/2 hours so rather than wait for the tour we were allowed to go on a self tour so we didn't see as much or learn as much as we would have if we had waited. Oh well, maybe next year.

This is the entrance to the underground bunker

The blast tunnel leading to the bunker

Radioactivity

A dry toilet-not nice

One of the many hallways

One of the offices - note the dial phone

Cafeteria
One of Gordon's friends used to work in the Diefenbunker repairing communications equipment. Lots of old technology there!


4 comments:

  1. All that old square floor tile.... Looks very much like the Government Buildings of yesteryear... Did you kids do the duck and cover exercise when you were in school...? We sure did!

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  2. I don't think I would like living underground.

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  3. Hi Sandra.

    Thanks for sharing your experience at the Diefenbunker with your readers. Too bad you didn't get on a guided tour, it is one of the best ways to learn about the Bunker. We had almost 3000 people there on Saturday and Sunday, so I am not surprised that it was a 1.5 hour wait.

    Not sure how far away you are but if you would like to return and write a blog post about all the underground secrets that the Bunker holds, we would be happy to offer you a free guided tour.

    Please feel free to email me: k.eyamie at diefenbunker.ca

    Thanks so much,
    Kelly Eyamie
    Marketing & Community Relations Manager
    Diefenbunker: Canada's Cold War Museum
    http://diefenbunker.ca
    613-839-0007

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  4. There you are, Sandra and Gordon!
    A free guided tour of the bunker.
    I hope you can make it, and tell us about it.
    Reminds me of the times I spent in underground shelters during WWII.
    Happy Trails, Penny, TX

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