Diefenbunker

The seven Emergency Government Headquarters (commonly referred to as Diefenbunkers) are nuclear fallout shelters that were built across Canada at the height of the Cold War, during the infancy of the ICBM threat. The nickname, "Diefenbunkers", was 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.

These facilities were built, often in great secrecy, at rural locations outside major cities across Canada. Most were two-story underground bunkers (the largest one—just outside of Ottawa—had four floors) capable of withstanding a near-miss from a nuclear explosion. Each underground building had massive blast doors at the surface, as well as extensive air filters to prevent radiation infiltration. Underground storage was built for food, fuel, fresh water, and other supplies for the facility which was capable of supporting several dozen people for weeks.

Bunker locations

Several "Diefenbunkers" were built in locations across the country. The largest "Diefenbunker" was located west of Ottawa in Carp and was expected to shelter many of the most important federal government bureaucrats, senior military officials, and federal politicians. This location was the second chosen. The original location was approximately six miles west of Almonte. The site was abandoned when ground water proved impossible to remove.

The largest bunker was designated the Central Emergency Government Headquarters (CEGHQ):
* Carp, Ontario (CFS Carp)

The seven smaller bunkers were designated as Regional Emergency Government Headquarters (REGHQs):
* Nanaimo, British Columbia (CFS Nanaimo) – REGHQ
* Penhold, Alberta (CFS Penhold) – REGHQ
* Shilo, Manitoba (CFB Shilo) – REGHQ
* Borden, Ontario (CFB Borden) – REGHQ
* Valcartier, Quebec (CFB Valcartier) – REGHQ
* Val-d'Or, Quebec (CFS Val-d'Or) – REGHQ
* Debert, Nova Scotia (CFS Debert) – REGHQ

Other bunkers to note:
* Edenvale, Ontario (CFB Borden)
* Richardson, Ontario (CFS Carp) – Transmitter site (T1) for the CEGHQ
* North Bay, Ontario (NORAD backup)

Other bunkers in Ontario included Central Relocation Units (CRUs) to supplement the CEGHQ in:
* Kemptville
* Carleton Place
* Cornwall
* Smiths Falls
* Renfrew
* Arnprior

Similar sites were chosen to accompany the REGHQs elsewhere in Canada. These would be located in close proximity to the REGHQs. The RUs in general (central or regional) 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.

Legacy

Following the end of the Cold War, all 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.

Existing Diefenbunkers which members of the public may visit include the facility at the former CFS Carp, now converted into a year-round Cold War museum, as well as the smaller facility at the former CFS Debert, which is opened several times a year for tours. As of 2005 the bunker at CFS Debert is home to the cadet regional gliding school in the summer, is available to other groups throughout the year, and is occasionally used as a barracks by military units in transit across Nova Scotia.

One interesting footnote surrounds the Diefenbunker that was located at CFS Penhold in Alberta. This facility was decommissioned and at one point a movie studio expressed interest but it 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, such as 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.

ee also

*Canada in the Cold War

External links

* [http://www.diefenbunker.ca/ The Diefenbunker Cold War Museum]
* [http://archives.cbc.ca/IDC-1-71-274-1469/conflict_war/cold_war/ The CBC archives video of inside the Diefenbunker at CFS Carp]