By the accident of geography and history we find ourselves squarely between the two greatest powers on earth. We have no fortresses facing either. We want to live at peace with our northern neighbours, as we have lived so long at peace with our southern neighbours.

- John George Diefenbaker

September 26, 1960, speech to the United Nations


Conscious of Canada's precarious position between the Soviet Union and the United States during the tension of the Cold War, the Canadian government and the military leadership were concerned with the problem of preserving control in the event that normal communications were disrupted by a nuclear attack by the Soviet Union on targets in the United States. In 1959 construction began on the Central Emergency Government Headquarters. It began operation in 1961 and was nick-named "The Diefenbunker" after the Prime Minister of the time. The four-storey, 100 000 square foot bunker was constructed using 32 000 cubic yards of concrete and 5 000 tons of steel. The communications centre was manned 24 hours a day from 1961 until it was decommissioned when Canadian Forces Station Carp was closed in 1994.
 

 Short timelines for construction forced much of the planning for the facility to be done while work was underway. This model showing the four levels of the bunker was used in the design process.

Click on an area to see it.

Visit the Official Diefenbunker Website.

Visit the Grose Educational Media Social Studies Home Page.

Sources:

Diefenbunker Tours. 1977. A Tour Down Through History . Carp, Ontario.

Wente, Margaret ed.. 1975. "I Never Say Anything Provocative " Witticisms, Anecdotes and Reflections by Canada's Most Outspoken Politician. Peter Martin Associates: Toronto.

(The background tile is an image of a B-52 Stratofortress from a stamp issued by the United States Post Office in 1957 to honour the anniversary of the United States Air Force.)

© Grose Educational Media, 1997