Diefenbunker

Canada's Cold War Museum

Useful Information

Location:	At Carp, 25 km west of Ottawa. From Ottawa Queensway (Hwy 417) West, Carp-Stittsville exit, turn right onto the Carp Road. 8 km to Carp, follow road straight past the Carp Fair Grounds, turn left. Signposted.
Open:	06-SEP to JUN Mon-Fri 14, Sat, Sun, Hol 11, 13, 14. JUL to 05-SEP daily 11-15, tours hourly on the hour, French tour at 13. [2005]
Fee:	Adults CAD 14, Children (6-17) 6, Seniors CAD 12.50, Students CAD 12.50. Groups (10+): Adults CAD 12.50, Children (6-18) 6. [2005]
Classification:	Secret Bunker
Light:	Incandescent Electric Light System
Dimension:	T=17-18 °C.
Guided tours:	D=120 min.
Photography:
Accessibility:
Bibliography:
Address:	Diefenbunker, Canada's Cold War Museum, 3911 Carp Road, Carp, Ontario, K0A 1L0, Tel: +1-613-839-0007. E-mail:
As far as we know this information was accurate when it was published (see years in brackets), but may have changed since then. Please check rates and details directly with the companies in question if you need more recent info.

History

1959	construction of bunker ordered by Prime Minister John Diefenbaker.
1961	bunker completed.
1995	bunker abandoned.
27-JUN-1998	opened for the public.
12-JUN-2003	Cold War research Library opened.

Description

Diefenbunker is the nickname of the former Cold War government command centre of Canada. It now houses what is called Canada's Cold War Museum, a collection of item from the cold war, spy devices and dokuments. The bunkers official name is Central Emergency Government Headquarters (CEGHQ). It was surrounded by six more bunkers, called Regional Emergency Government Headquarters (REGHQs). So the bunker at Carp was intended for the Canadian government, the other bunkers for the regional governments. The construction of the bunkers was authorized by John Diefenbaker, the thirteenth Prime Minister of Canada between 1957 end 1963. So the nickname was especially by the federal opposition politicians of the early 1960s.

At the end of the Cold War the bunkers all over the world beacme obsolete. This one was protected by a group of local who tried to preserve it as an important remains of an era. The entrance fee is rather expensive, but it is not sufficient to maintain this site. The institution also gets money from the city.