Carp - Hardwood Plains in Ottawa, Ontario — Central Canada (North America)
The Central Emergency Government Headquarters
Le Siège Central du Gouvernement d'Urgence
Irreverently known as the "Diefenbunker," this structure is a powerful symbol of Canada's response to the Cold War. Designed in the 1950s to withstand all but a direct hit by a nuclear weapon, it was intended to shelter key political and military personnel during a nuclear attack. Fortunately, it never served its intended purpose, although the Diefenbaker government made plans to retreat to its protection during the Cuban missile crisis of 1962. The bunker functioned as the hub of a communications network and civil defence system until it closed in 1994.
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Surmommée le «Diefenbunker», cette structure est un frappant rappel de la réaction du Canada à la Guerre froide. Conçue durant les années 1950 en vue de résister à tout, sauf à l'explosion de plein fouet d'une ogive nucléaire, elle était destinée à abriter les dirigeants-clés du Canada en cas de cataclysme. Heureusement, elle n'a jamais été utilisée à cette fin, bien que le gouvernement Diefenbaker ait songé à s'y réfugier durant la Crise de Cuba en 1962. Le bunker a servi de centre de communication et de système de défense civile jusqu'à sa fermeture en 1994.
Erected by Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada/Commission des lieux et monuments historiques du Canada.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Disasters • Government & Politics • Man-Made Features • War, Cold. A significant historical year for this entry is 1962.
Location. 45° 21.062′ N, 76° 2.849′ W. Marker is in Ottawa, Ontario. It is in Carp - Hardwood Plains. Marker is on Carp Road (Route 5). Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 3911 Carp Rd, Ottawa ON K0A 1L0, Canada. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 7 other markers are within 21 kilometers of this marker, measured as the crow flies. Christ Church 1838 (approx. 5.6 kilometers away); The Founding of Almonte (approx. 18 kilometers away); Former Almonte Post Office (approx. 18.1 kilometers away); Mississippi River Improvement Company (approx. 18.2 kilometers away); The Rosamonds in Almonte (approx. 18.3 kilometers away); Dr. James Naismith (approx. 18.9 kilometers away); "Auld Kirk" 1836 (approx. 20.4 kilometers away).
Also see . . .
1. Diefenbunker: Canada's Cold War Museum. (Submitted on July 27, 2014, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania.)
2. John Diefenbaker. Wikipedia biography. (Submitted on July 30, 2020, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York.)
Credits. This page was last revised on April 29, 2023. It was originally submitted on July 27, 2014, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania. This page has been viewed 449 times since then and 18 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14. submitted on July 27, 2014, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania. 15. submitted on July 30, 2020, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York.