The Diefenbunker is a
nuclear bunker built outside
Ottawa,
Ontario,
Canada. It was built between
1959 and
1961 (at a cost of twenty million dollars, CND) to house
Canadian government leaders,
civil servants, and
military personnel (but not their families) in case of a nuclear attack on
Ottawa. It was designed to resist a 5
megaton nuclear weapon detonating 1.8
kilometers away. It could house over 500
people, with supplies for 30 days. The name 'Diefenbunker' came from the
prime minister at the time,
John Diefenbaker. It is a four story underground building, with a total area of 100,000 square feet. The bunker is composed of 32,000
cubic yards of
concrete and 5,000
tons of
steel, resting on top of massive
springs to absorb any shock.
After being built in 1961, the installation was toured by Diefenbaker. Upon finding out that only himself, and not his family, would be permitted inside the bunker in case of a nuclear attack, he claimed he would never use the bunker. The only other prime minister to ever enter the bunker was Pierre Trudeau, who did a short 30 minute tour before leaving, saying the same thing that Diefenbaker did.
In 1994, the bunker was put out of active service. It is now a public cold war museum, and people can visit it for guided tours. It's very nice and cool inside, so it's a good idea for a very very hot day.