Diefenbunker
Encyclopedia
Emergency Government Headquarters are nuclear fallout
bunkers built by the Government of Canada
at the height of the Cold War
during the infancy of the ICBM
threat. Scattered across the country, the shelters are popularly known as "Diefenbunkers", a nickname coined by federal opposition politicians of the early 1960s, and was derived from the name of the Prime Minister
of the day, John Diefenbaker
, who authorized their construction. Over 50 bunkers were built, including the many redundant Relocation Unit locations as well as retrofitted buildings that comprised many Zone Emergency Government Headquarters locations.
Most of these facilities were built, often in great secrecy, at rural locations outside major cities across Canada. The majority of the larger facilities were two-story underground bunkers while the largest at CFS Carp
had four floors; these facilities were designed to withstand a near-miss from a nuclear explosion. Each underground facility had entrances through massive blast doors at the surface, as well as extensive air filters and positive air pressure to prevent radiation infiltration. Underground storage was built for food, fuel, fresh water, and other supplies for the facilities which were capable of supporting several dozen people for a period of several weeks.
in the village of Carp
west of Ottawa
, within the National Capital Region
. In the event of a nuclear event, it was expected to shelter many of the most important federal civil servants and politicians and senior military officials. This location was the second chosen. The original location was approximately six miles west of Almonte
. That site was abandoned when ground water proved impossible to remove. There have been rumors that a tunnel leading to an alternate exit/entrance of the bunker was dug under the Ottawa River. This entrance was said to be in Aylmer or in Pontiac Quebec. However, this entrance was never discovered.
The six smaller bunkers were designated as Regional Emergency Government Headquarters (REGHQs):
Communication Bunkers:
Other bunkers in Ontario included Central Relocation Units (CRUs) to supplement the CEGHQ. These were not "true" bunkers for the fact that they were simply reinforced underground rooms located in basement of post offices and other Federal Government installation. They were connected by phone and teletypewriter lines to the main bunker at CFS Carp
. They were located in:
Similar sites were chosen to accompany the REGHQs elsewhere in Canada. These would be located in close proximity to the REGHQs. These Regional Relocation Units (RRUs) would be used as a backup to the larger equivalent (for redundancy).
There were also MEGHQs and ZEGHQs in Canada, not supervised by the federal government to help with rescue and reconstruction efforts over time of crisis.
, most of the Diefenbunkers were decommissioned. Several of the facilities on active Canadian Forces Bases, such as CFB Borden and CFB Valcartier, remain in government control. Diefenbunkers located on smaller Canadian Forces Stations were mostly sold off, or demolished.
The only Diefenbunker which members of the public may visit is the one at former CFS Carp
, now converted into a year-round Cold War museum. However, the Canadian military cleared out the bunker as it was decommissioned, so the museum has had to try to reacquire the original furnishings that were disposed of.
A Diefenbunker located at CFS Debert
was opened for tours for several years. As of 2005 it was home to the cadet regional gliding school in the summer, and was also occasionally used as a barracks by military units in transit across Nova Scotia
. In 2009, it was sold to a data firm.
One interesting footnote surrounds the Diefenbunker that was located at CFB Penhold in Alberta. This facility was decommissioned and at one point a movie studio expressed interest, but was ultimately purchased by a member of the public. When subsequent owners of the Penhold Diefenbunker advertised the facility for resale, there was rumour that a chapter of an outlaw biker gang, possibly the Hells Angels
, was expressing interest. This prompted the federal government to repurchase the facility and have it systematically demolished and hauled away at considerable expense.
has a scene that was shot on location at CFS Carp's Diefenbunker. The scene consisted of the President of the United States
, James Cromwell, and his political advisors performing a war game
scenario.
Nuclear fallout
Fallout is the residual radioactive material propelled into the upper atmosphere following a nuclear blast, so called because it "falls out" of the sky after the explosion and shock wave have passed. It commonly refers to the radioactive dust and ash created when a nuclear weapon explodes...
bunkers built by the Government of Canada
Government of Canada
The Government of Canada, formally Her Majesty's Government, is the system whereby the federation of Canada is administered by a common authority; in Canadian English, the term can mean either the collective set of institutions or specifically the Queen-in-Council...
at the height of the Cold War
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
during the infancy of the ICBM
Intercontinental ballistic missile
An intercontinental ballistic missile is a ballistic missile with a long range typically designed for nuclear weapons delivery...
threat. Scattered across the country, the shelters are popularly known as "Diefenbunkers", a nickname coined by federal opposition politicians of the early 1960s, and was derived from the name of the Prime Minister
Prime Minister of Canada
The Prime Minister of Canada is the primary minister of the Crown, chairman of the Cabinet, and thus head of government for Canada, charged with advising the Canadian monarch or viceroy on the exercise of the executive powers vested in them by the constitution...
of the day, John Diefenbaker
John Diefenbaker
John George Diefenbaker, PC, CH, QC was the 13th Prime Minister of Canada, serving from June 21, 1957, to April 22, 1963...
, who authorized their construction. Over 50 bunkers were built, including the many redundant Relocation Unit locations as well as retrofitted buildings that comprised many Zone Emergency Government Headquarters locations.
Most of these facilities were built, often in great secrecy, at rural locations outside major cities across Canada. The majority of the larger facilities were two-story underground bunkers while the largest at CFS Carp
CFS Carp
Canadian Forces Station Carp is a former Canadian military facility located in the rural farming community of Carp, Ontario, approximately 30 km west of Ottawa....
had four floors; these facilities were designed to withstand a near-miss from a nuclear explosion. Each underground facility had entrances through massive blast doors at the surface, as well as extensive air filters and positive air pressure to prevent radiation infiltration. Underground storage was built for food, fuel, fresh water, and other supplies for the facilities which were capable of supporting several dozen people for a period of several weeks.
Hierarchy
Different levels of command centres included:- CEGHQ, Central Emergency Government Headquarters, located in Carp, OntarioCarp, OntarioCarp is a large village west of urban Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.The village takes its name from the Carp River which runs through the village.The main street was formerly a section of the Trans-Canada Highway and carried much of the traffic coming from the west into Ottawa...
, in the National Capital RegionNational Capital Region (Canada)The National Capital Region, also referred to as Canada's Capital Region, is an official federal designation for the Canadian capital of Ottawa, Ontario, the neighbouring city of Gatineau, Quebec, and surrounding urban and rural communities....
. Designed for use by senior federal politicians, civil servants, and monarchy. - REGHQ, Regional Emergency Government Headquarters, of which there were seven, spread out across the country. Each of these had a RU backup bunker(see below).
- IREGHQ, Interim Regional Emergency Government Headquarters
- MEGHQ, Municipal Emergency Government Headquarters
- ZEGHQ, Zone Emergency Government Headquarters, built within the basements of existing buildings, generally designed to hold around 70 staff.
- RU, Relocation Unit, or CRU, Central Relocation Unit. Often bunkers built as redundant backups to REGHQs and MEGHQs were given the RU designation.
Locations
The largest "Diefenbunker" was located at CFS CarpCFS Carp
Canadian Forces Station Carp is a former Canadian military facility located in the rural farming community of Carp, Ontario, approximately 30 km west of Ottawa....
in the village of Carp
Carp, Ontario
Carp is a large village west of urban Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.The village takes its name from the Carp River which runs through the village.The main street was formerly a section of the Trans-Canada Highway and carried much of the traffic coming from the west into Ottawa...
west of Ottawa
Ottawa
Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...
, within the National Capital Region
National Capital Region (Canada)
The National Capital Region, also referred to as Canada's Capital Region, is an official federal designation for the Canadian capital of Ottawa, Ontario, the neighbouring city of Gatineau, Quebec, and surrounding urban and rural communities....
. In the event of a nuclear event, it was expected to shelter many of the most important federal civil servants and politicians and senior military officials. This location was the second chosen. The original location was approximately six miles west of Almonte
Almonte, Ontario
Almonte is a Canadian exurb and former mill town located in Lanark County, in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario, Canada. Formerly a separate municipality, Almonte is now a ward of the town of Mississippi Mills, which was created on January 1, 1998 by the merging of Almonte with Ramsay and...
. That site was abandoned when ground water proved impossible to remove. There have been rumors that a tunnel leading to an alternate exit/entrance of the bunker was dug under the Ottawa River. This entrance was said to be in Aylmer or in Pontiac Quebec. However, this entrance was never discovered.
The six smaller bunkers were designated as Regional Emergency Government Headquarters (REGHQs):
- Nanaimo, British ColumbiaBritish ColumbiaBritish Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
(Camp Nanaimo) – REGHQ - Penhold, AlbertaPenhold, AlbertaPenhold is a town in central Alberta, Canada. Penhold is surrounded by the county of Red Deer No. 23, south of Red Deer at the junction of Highway 2A and Highway 42. It is located north of Calgary, along the Red Deer River...
(CFB Penhold) – REGHQ - Shilo, Manitoba (CFB ShiloCFB ShiloCanadian Forces Base Shilo is an Operations and Training base of the Canadian Forces, located east of Brandon, Manitoba. During the 1990s, Canadian Forces Base Shilo was also designated as an Area Support Unit, which acts as a local base of operations for south-west Manitoba in times of military...
) – REGHQ - Borden, Ontario (CFB BordenCFB BordenCanadian Forces Base Borden is a Canadian Forces base located in Ontario.The historic birthplace of the Royal Canadian Air Force, CFB Borden is the largest training facility in the Canadian Forces...
) – REGHQ - Valcartier, Quebec (CFB ValcartierCFB ValcartierCanadian Forces Base Valcartier is a Canadian Forces Base located in the municipality of Saint-Gabriel-de-Valcartier, approximately north of Quebec City...
) – REGHQ - Debert, Nova ScotiaDebert, Nova ScotiaDebert is an unincorporated farming community in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia. It is located approximately 20 km west of the town of Truro. The Village of Debert is home to two churches, Baptist and United, plus a Fellowship Center, as well as a gas station and two garages. There are...
(CFS DebertCFS DebertCanadian Forces Station Debert was a Canadian Forces station located in Debert, Nova Scotia. It was most recently used during the Cold War as a communications facility and was home to a "Regional Emergency Government Headquarters" complex.Originally this facility was developed with an airfield...
) – REGHQ
Communication Bunkers:
- Nanoose Bay, British ColumbiaNanoose Bay, British ColumbiaNanoose Bay is a community of about 5 000 people in the Canadian province of British Columbia. It is located between Nanaimo and Parksville on the Strait of Georgia on the east coast of Vancouver Island. The town is named after a First Nations band related to the Nanaimo Indians...
(Nanoose Bay Transmitter Station transmitter for CFS Nanaimo) - Penhold, AlbertaPenhold, AlbertaPenhold is a town in central Alberta, Canada. Penhold is surrounded by the county of Red Deer No. 23, south of Red Deer at the junction of Highway 2A and Highway 42. It is located north of Calgary, along the Red Deer River...
(Penhold Transmitter Station transmitter for CFB Penhold) - Hughes, Manitoba (Camp Hughes Transmitter Station transmitter for CFB ShiloCFB ShiloCanadian Forces Base Shilo is an Operations and Training base of the Canadian Forces, located east of Brandon, Manitoba. During the 1990s, Canadian Forces Base Shilo was also designated as an Area Support Unit, which acts as a local base of operations for south-west Manitoba in times of military...
) - North Bay, OntarioNorth Bay, OntarioNorth Bay is a city in Northeastern Ontario, Canada. It is the seat of Nipissing District, and takes its name from its position on the shore of Lake Nipissing.-History:...
(22 Wing North Bay) Canada's NORAD Bunker, backup for NORAD Bunker at Cheyenne MountainCheyenne MountainCheyenne Mountain is a mountain located just outside the southwest side of Colorado Springs, Colorado, U.S., and is home to the Cheyenne Mountain Air Force Station and its Cheyenne Mountain Directorate, formerly known as the Cheyenne Mountain Operations Center .Throughout the Cold War and...
) - Edenvale, OntarioEdenvale, OntarioThe former Village of Edenvale is a ghost town in the Province of Ontario, Canada. It was located on Ontario Highway 26 in Springwater Township, along the Nottawasaga River, in Simcoe County...
(Edenvale Transmitter Station transmitter for CFB BordenCFB BordenCanadian Forces Base Borden is a Canadian Forces base located in Ontario.The historic birthplace of the Royal Canadian Air Force, CFB Borden is the largest training facility in the Canadian Forces...
) - Perth, OntarioPerth, OntarioPerth is a town in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario, Canada . It is located on the Tay River, 83 km southwest of Ottawa, and is the seat of Lanark County.-History:...
(CFS Carp Richardson Detachment) – Transmitter site (T1) for the CEGHQ at CFS CarpCFS CarpCanadian Forces Station Carp is a former Canadian military facility located in the rural farming community of Carp, Ontario, approximately 30 km west of Ottawa.... - Great Village, Nova ScotiaGreat Village, Nova ScotiaGreat Village is a community of approximately 500 people located along Trunk 2 and the north shore of Cobequid Bay in Colchester County Nova Scotia...
(Great Village Transmitter Station transmitter for CFS DebertCFS DebertCanadian Forces Station Debert was a Canadian Forces station located in Debert, Nova Scotia. It was most recently used during the Cold War as a communications facility and was home to a "Regional Emergency Government Headquarters" complex.Originally this facility was developed with an airfield... - Saint Raymond Portneuf, Québec. Transmitter for CFB Valcartier.
Other bunkers in Ontario included Central Relocation Units (CRUs) to supplement the CEGHQ. These were not "true" bunkers for the fact that they were simply reinforced underground rooms located in basement of post offices and other Federal Government installation. They were connected by phone and teletypewriter lines to the main bunker at CFS Carp
CFS Carp
Canadian Forces Station Carp is a former Canadian military facility located in the rural farming community of Carp, Ontario, approximately 30 km west of Ottawa....
. They were located in:
- KemptvilleKemptville, OntarioKemptville is a community located in the Municipality of North Grenville in Southern Ontario, Canada in the northernmost part of the United Counties of Leeds and Grenville...
- Carleton PlaceCarleton Place, OntarioCarleton Place is a town in the eastern portion of Eastern Ontario, Canada, in Lanark County, about west of downtown Ottawa. It is located at the crossroads of Highway 15 and Highway 7, halfway between the towns of Perth, Almonte, Smiths Falls, and the nation's capital, Ottawa...
- CornwallCornwall, OntarioCornwall is a city in Eastern Ontario, Canada and the seat of the United Counties of Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry, Ontario. Cornwall is Ontario's easternmost city, located on the St...
- Smiths FallsSmiths Falls, OntarioSmiths Falls is a town in Eastern Ontario, Canada. It is in the census division for Lanark County, but is considered a separated town and does not participate in county government...
- PembrokePembroke, OntarioPembroke is a city in the province of Ontario, Canada, at the confluence of the Muskrat River and the Ottawa River in the Ottawa Valley...
- ArnpriorArnprior, OntarioArnprior is a town in Renfrew County, in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario, Canada. It is located at the mouth of the Madawaska River, as it enters the Ottawa River in the Ottawa Valley...
Similar sites were chosen to accompany the REGHQs elsewhere in Canada. These would be located in close proximity to the REGHQs. These Regional Relocation Units (RRUs) would be used as a backup to the larger equivalent (for redundancy).
There were also MEGHQs and ZEGHQs in Canada, not supervised by the federal government to help with rescue and reconstruction efforts over time of crisis.
Engineered
Douglas Stewart head engineer for the Canadian National Defence was the man behind the curtain. He was the key to the design and engineering for the Diefenbunkers.Decommissioning and legacy
Following the end of the Cold WarCold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
, most of the Diefenbunkers were decommissioned. Several of the facilities on active Canadian Forces Bases, such as CFB Borden and CFB Valcartier, remain in government control. Diefenbunkers located on smaller Canadian Forces Stations were mostly sold off, or demolished.
The only Diefenbunker which members of the public may visit is the one at former CFS Carp
CFS Carp
Canadian Forces Station Carp is a former Canadian military facility located in the rural farming community of Carp, Ontario, approximately 30 km west of Ottawa....
, now converted into a year-round Cold War museum. However, the Canadian military cleared out the bunker as it was decommissioned, so the museum has had to try to reacquire the original furnishings that were disposed of.
A Diefenbunker located at CFS Debert
CFS Debert
Canadian Forces Station Debert was a Canadian Forces station located in Debert, Nova Scotia. It was most recently used during the Cold War as a communications facility and was home to a "Regional Emergency Government Headquarters" complex.Originally this facility was developed with an airfield...
was opened for tours for several years. As of 2005 it was home to the cadet regional gliding school in the summer, and was also occasionally used as a barracks by military units in transit across Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...
. In 2009, it was sold to a data firm.
One interesting footnote surrounds the Diefenbunker that was located at CFB Penhold in Alberta. This facility was decommissioned and at one point a movie studio expressed interest, but was ultimately purchased by a member of the public. When subsequent owners of the Penhold Diefenbunker advertised the facility for resale, there was rumour that a chapter of an outlaw biker gang, possibly the Hells Angels
Hells Angels
The Hells Angels Motorcycle Club is a worldwide one-percenter motorcycle gang and organized crime syndicate whose members typically ride Harley-Davidson motorcycles. In the United States and Canada, the Hells Angels are incorporated as the Hells Angels Motorcycle Corporation. Their primary motto...
, was expressing interest. This prompted the federal government to repurchase the facility and have it systematically demolished and hauled away at considerable expense.
In popular culture
The film Sum of All FearsThe Sum of All Fears (film)
The Sum of All Fears is a 2002 American action film/political thriller directed by Phil Alden Robinson and based on the novel The Sum of All Fears by Tom Clancy...
has a scene that was shot on location at CFS Carp's Diefenbunker. The scene consisted of the President of the United States
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
, James Cromwell, and his political advisors performing a war game
Military simulation
Military simulations, also known informally as war games, are simulations in which theories of warfare can be tested and refined without the need for actual hostilities. Many professional contemporary analysts object to the term wargames as this is generally taken to be referring to the civilian...
scenario.
See also
- Base Borden Military MuseumBase Borden Military MuseumBase Borden Military Museum is a military museum located on the grounds of CFB Borden, in Borden, Ontario, Canada. Combining four separate museums, it has numerous items, equipment and vehicles from all eras of Canadian military history, including a large number of historic armored vehicles and...
- Canada in the Cold WarCanada in the Cold WarCanada played a middle power, and occasionally an important, role in the Cold War. Throughout the US/Soviet rivalry, Canada was normally on the side of the United States...
- Canadian War MuseumCanadian War MuseumThe Canadian War Museum is Canada’s national museum of military history. Located in Ottawa, Ontario, the museum covers all facets of Canada’s military past, from the first recorded instances of death by armed violence in Canadian history several thousand years ago to the country’s most recent...
- Canadian Warplane Heritage MuseumCanadian Warplane Heritage MuseumThe Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum is a Canadian aviation museum located at the John C. Munro Hamilton International Airport near Hamilton, Ontario. The museum has 36 military jets, propeller-driven aircraft and helicopters on display....
- CFS DebertCFS DebertCanadian Forces Station Debert was a Canadian Forces station located in Debert, Nova Scotia. It was most recently used during the Cold War as a communications facility and was home to a "Regional Emergency Government Headquarters" complex.Originally this facility was developed with an airfield...
- Elgin Military MuseumElgin Military MuseumThe Elgin Military Museum is located in St. Thomas, Ontario. Its mandate is to preserve the local historical record of military service from the War of 1812 to present day peace keeping missions of the Canadian Forces.-History:...
- National Air Force Museum of CanadaNational Air Force Museum of CanadaThe National Air Force Museum of Canada, formerly known as the RCAF Memorial Museum, is an aviation museum dedicated to preserving the history of the Royal Canadian Air Force and is located on the west side of CFB Trenton in Trenton, Ontario....
- Organization of Military Museums of CanadaOrganization of Military Museums of CanadaThe Organization of Military Museums of Canada is a national organization for the promotion of military museums in Canada.The OMMC was established in 1967 by a group of military museums, historians, and military history enthusiasts. It has over 40 individual and 60 institutional members including...
- Royal Canadian Regiment MuseumRoyal Canadian Regiment MuseumThe Royal Canadian Regiment Museum is a military museum located at Wolseley Barracks in London, Ontario, Canada, the historic home of the The Royal Canadian Regiment .-History:...
- The Grey and Simcoe ForestersThe Grey and Simcoe ForestersThe Grey and Simcoe Foresters is a Primary Reserve infantry regiment of the Canadian Forces. It is part of Land Force Central Area's 32 Canadian Brigade Group...
Regimental Museum - The Military MuseumsThe Military MuseumsThe Military Museums is a reorganization of the former Museum of the Regiments in Calgary, Alberta, announced by Sophie, Countess of Wessex, on June 3, 2006...
- The Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders of Canada Museum