DiefenBlog

Rex Zero Author Named to the Order of Canada

2012-01-09T10:53:00.006-05:00

On Friday, December 30, Perth-based author Tim Wynne-Jones was named to the Order of Canada by Governor General David Johnston.

Tim is the author of many children's books, including the Rex Zero series. The Rex Zero series, set in 1960s Ottawa, gives us a picture of the life of a young boy in Cold War era Canada. The books are the centre of the Diefenbunker's elementary school workshops and the inspiration behind our Rex Zero Headquarters, an interactive exhibition and classroom on our 400 level.

We have worked in collaboration with Tim Wynne-Jones on creating this space and many children's events based around his wonderful books.

The Diefenbunker would like to extend a huge congratulations to Tim!

Winners of the Lifetime Achievement Award 2010

2011-12-21T15:05:00.002-05:00

The Lifetime Achievement Award is given to a volunteer for a long term contribution and dedication to the value of the museum.With this award, the Diefenbunker extends a Life Membership to each individual. This year, the Diefenbunker congratulated two recipients and thanked them for their immense contributions: Gail Baird and Brian Jeffrey.

At the Diefenbunker, Gail Baird's name is synonymous with professionalism and detail to attention. She provided professional services on a volunteer basis to maintain and enhance the operations and facility of the Diefenbunker, for which such work would normally have meant significant costs to the organization.

Gail joined the Board in April 2003 and resigned in 2010. During that time, as President of Creative Bound, she was the key person who drove the production of the “On Tour” book. Without her knowledge and help it would never have been as successful as it has been.

In addition, Gail with Dixie Trenholm organized the initial tours of the bunker on behalf of the West Carleton Library System. Together, they raised more than $227,000 from tours in a space of some three weeks.

Unfortunately, Gail was unable to attend the AGM and accept her award in person.

It’s hard for anyone to remember a time at the Diefenbunker without Brian Jeffrey. Brian has been involved in the Bunker is a myriad of ways almost since the beginning. For many years, you could always find Brian here on Tuesday nights, Sunday afternoons and for every Board meeting.

Brian Jeffrey compiled the first comprehensive version of the Guide’s Guide to the Diefenbunker. This required a great amount of work, timing the tour, keeping track of points of interest and compiling all the information. He has trained and helped to train dozens of guides and interpreters. He has given countless tours – on public tours, special events and even last minute group tours.

Brian started the Volunteer Radio Group and helped acquired much of the equipment currently used in the Radio room. He coordinated and encouraged volunteer involvement in the Bunker for years. Amongst all of this, Brian was also the Vice President of the Board of Directors for several years.

Brian has been a constant presence in the Bunker, helping out with odd jobs wherever he can, from tours to maintenance projects to restoring furniture. That’s why we were honoured to award Brian Jeffrey with a Diefenbunker Lifetime Achievement Award.

Winner of the Interpreter of the Year 2010

2011-12-16T15:52:00.003-05:00

From left to right: Board Member, Patricia
den Boer; Volunteer, Lorne Beaton; Education
Manger, heather Montgomery. 2011

Volunteers are nominated and awarded by staff and Board Members for their efforts at the Annual General. This year, Board Member, Patricia den Boer presented the Volunteer Recognition awards for 2010. The Interpreter of the Year Award is given each year to a volunteer who has shown dedication and excellence in the role of volunteer Museum Interpreter.

Lorne Beaton has been an interpreter at the Diefenbunker for over 5 years, but he’s been around for much longer than that. He was here in 1995 to visit the Bunker and sign the petition to save it. If you’ve ever had the privilege to join Lorne’s tour, he always tells the story of how he purchased an original Diefenchunk after his first visit.

Lorne’s Tuesday afternoon tour doesn’t miss a single detail. In fact, he spent two years following his brother Doug’s tour before letting himself give one. He wanted to make sure that he had it perfect - that he could answer every question. If you walk by Lorne’s tour group, you’re sure to find the visitors eagerly asking him questions. His amazing amount of knowledge about the details of the Diefenbunker makes him an invaluable resource for visitors and for us.

Above that, Lorne is always around to lend a hand, be it a last minute tour, answering questions, or helping with safety procedures. Showing up to every tour with a smile on his face and patiently answering every question are what make Lorne Beaton the Diefenbunker’s Interpreter of the Year for 2010.

Winner of the Professional Development Award for 2010

2011-12-14T14:27:00.003-05:00

From left to right: Board Member, Patricia
den Boer; volunteer, J.J. Gariepy; and,
Education & Volunteer Manager, Heather
Montgomery. 2011

The Diefenbunker's Annual General Meeting for 2010 took place on December 7, 2011 in our cafeteria space. We were proud to present our Volunteer Recognition awards for 2010. Volunteers are nominated by staff and Board Members, and were presented at the AGM by Board Member Patricia den Boer. The Professional Development Award is given each year to a volunteer who uses his or her professional services to maintain and enhance the operations of the Diefenbunker.

Jean-Jacques Gariepy, better known to us as J.J., has been a volunteer at the Diefenbunker since early 2010. He began as a Library and Archives volunteer, bringing his years of experience in document and information management to our collection. He has since worked tirelessly to properly identify and label our non-historic display and exhibit items.

It wasn’t long before we took him up on another of his many skills – translation. J.J. has successfully and professionally translated dozens of documents for us, everything from lesson plans and educational programming to website text and registration forms. In 2010, he worked closely with Christine McGuire to provide the French text necessary for Project Rustic. J.J. is also the man behind the French version of our Audio Guide, our French Visitor’s Guide and countless other French texts for brochures and signs.

It’s not only J.J.’s long list of contributions that make him the winner of 2010’s Professional Contribution Award. J.J.’s attitude and endless willingness to help the Diefenbunker in any capacity make him a joy to work with. He consistently provides us with professional quality services within very short deadlines, and always does so happily.

The Busy Bunker Bees

2011-11-23T11:41:00.012-05:00

This month marks a new beginning for many projects at the museum. Last week, the Diefenbunker staff was busy meeting with Sarah Freeman from CTV to film a segment that aired on Monday, November 21^st. Interviews were conducted last Tuesday morning with our knowledgeable and enthusiastic staff members and volunteer on some of the most popularly showcased rooms in the bunker: the Emergency Government Situation Centre (EmGovSitCen), the CBC studio, and of course the blast tunnel. Dressed in military, nursing, and Nuclear Biological Chemical uniforms, the staff offered information regarding the history of the bunker; as it was used in the time of DND occupancy and, as it is used today as a museum. An overview of our youth programming highlighted the segment, as John, one of our supervisors, mentioned Spy Camp while Sarah tried our cipher wheel! Three snippets were aired throughout the day on Monday and are now available on You Tube on the Diefenbunker Facebook page!

http://on.fb.me/uidxR6

The busy bunker bees were also preparing for the 4^th annual Cold War Memorial and Book Launch that took place on November 16^th. The event commenced with a group tour of the bunker, followed by a beautiful reading from former E.D. and organizer of the event, Ioana Teodorescu, of the translated Romanian text, The Diary of Happiness by Nicolae Steinhardt. Professor David Monteyne of the University of Calgary, subsequently offered a lecture which posed as a synopsis of his book about fallout shelters in America, Fallout Shelter: Designing for Civil Defense in the Cold War. It shed light on the differences between blast and fallout shelters, geographic distributions of these shelters in urban and rural areas throughout the Cold War, and the shift in architectural design applied to the structures. The whole event ended with a wine and cheese during which David enthusiastically cut his book-themed cake.

We are also happy to announce that we are working on some family friendly holiday programming this year. On December 18^th from 1pm to 3pm, families can partake in story time, arts and crafts, and indulge in our holiday goodies! Expect more specific information to come on the programming shortly. Save the date!

Lastly, during our preparations for these events, we took a pose to attend our museum’s military tour soft-launch two Saturdays ago. Volunteers and staff members a-like, gathered to hear Rob’s, a supervisor here at the museum, presentation on Civil Defense during the Cold War and how it applied to Canada and the Diefenbunker. We hope to officially launch this tour at the Annual General Meeting on December 7^th.

To subscribe to our e-newsletter, please contact administration@diefenbunker.ca.

Carp Fair 2011

2011-10-11T11:00:00.004-04:00

Over the weekend of September 22^nd to the 25^th, the Diefenbunker attended the 148^th Carp Fair that took place at the Carp Fairgrounds, just a stone’s throw away from bunker! A celebration of Canadian agriculture this fair brought fun rides, scrumptious food, antiques displays, the Strongman competition, as well as some great country headliners!

Five volunteers and three staff members manned the Diefenbunker booth throughout the weekend. Those who stopped by received 2 for 1 admission coupons. All together, we greeted an amazing number of over 700 visitors to the booth and collected great feedback from people who had toured our museum before. So thank you all for stopping by!

Photograph courtesy of Brian Jeffrey, 2011. From Left to Right: Mike Braham, Emily Walsh, Brian Jeffrey.

Colonel By Day

2011-08-04T16:18:00.010-04:00

This past Monday, our volunteers Mike and Les participated in Colonel By Day, alongside other local museum workers and volunteers. The event took place at the Bytown Museum. With a booth set up in a prime location and some Cold War artefacts on-hand, our dedicated volunteers stood (or basked) in the hot sun from 9:30am to 4pm informing (and I’m sure amusing with their great sense of humour) the passers-by. Mike and Les were able to share with people information about our ever improving and varying programs, our volunteer opportunities, as well as the possibility to rent storage space…after all, we are a 100,000 square foot building. They even received a warm visit from our former Director, Alex Badzak. All in all, Colonel By day proved to be a success. We would like to say thank you to Mike and Les for their efforts and we hope to see more people next year!

Photograph courtesy of Mike Braham (Colonel By Day, 2011)

DR. STRANGELOVE, a Review by Les

2011-08-03T13:51:00.004-04:00

DR STRANGELOVE : ARE YOU ADDICTED? WANT TO JOIN THE CULT?

Or, as Alfred E. Neuman might say “What Me Worry?”

How could a nuclear war start?

One would like to believe that no sane decision could lead to such a war. That would leave only accident or madness.

If you subscribe to the madness theory, come to the Diefenbunker on 16 Aug to watch Dr Strangelove. If you have already seen the movie, it may be time for your periodic fix. Bring some friends - it is often said that madness is better when shared. If you have not already seen the movie, come out and join the cult.

Dr Strangelove was not Stanley Kubrick’s first, or last, war movie, but it was perhaps his most enduring one – capturing new fans at each viewing. This iconic 1964 Cold War movie, a dark satirical comedy, is a leader in the genre of apocalyptic threat movies that sprang up in the 1950s as science, as the military-industrial complex, and as global political instability caused widespread psychological malaise in people’s minds. For the West the Cold War was a period of sustained alert against Communism.

Can one watch a great movie too many times? If a movie is great each time you view it you will appreciate more fully the creative camera styles, the careful writing, the insightful balancing of emotions, the artistic attention to detail, and the skillful acting that goes well beyond script. Dr Strangelove does not, even upon repeated viewings, disappoint. However, does one really watch Dr Strangelove for its artistic merit?

If you are of a certain age, and of a certain musical persuasion, you may recall that one of Johnny Cash's songs featured a man who had to grow up being called “Sue”. Unreal as this may be, I’ll bet that this man would have liked "Sue" a lot better than being called “Merkin” or “Muffley”. The latter two names are only a few of the unique appellations used by the clever and satirical, and perhaps puerile, writers of Dr Strangelove.

Does the movie depict Playboy Magazine like images because one of the writers had worked for Esquire Magazine? Foreign Affaires, really!

One can praise and condemn Dr Strangelove on so many levels. Why go on a roller coaster? Is it the thrill of the fear? Why watch a movie with characters that are clearly over the top? Is it the only way to portray a fatalistic approach to Armageddon without going mad oneself? Why watch a movie with so many sexual innuendoes? Indeed, most scenes have sexual connotations are blunt to the extreme. Is the purpose of the bomber re-fueling, the large phallic cigars, or the orgasmic atomic bomb that Kong rides between his legs to establish a connection between war, sexual obsession and the male sex drive? Why watch a movie that treats such a serious subject as human annihilation as humorous? Is it because nervous laugher eases the pain? Why add distinctive colours to props in a movie that is to be shown in black and white? Is it because a green war table depicts the poker game of war? As in one of Chris De Burg’s songs, one should not play poker with the Devil.

By the time Dr Strangelove was released in 1964 the Doomsday Clock had been extremely close to midnight several times. The nuclear bomb threat was the prism through which the world looked into the future.

The terror of WWII, with its inhumanity and devastation, was still fresh in many minds. Now, looking into the atomic abyss it was even more frightening. The Suez Crisis, the Cuban Missile Crisis, the Berlin Wall Crisis, the unsettling malaise associated with the assassination of US President Kennedy, the worries of an escalating war in Vietnam, and almost constant announcements of an expanding arms race to counter Soviet achievements in weaponry, in space, in science, and in expanding global reach would not let the world’s population relax. Civil Defence and survival were on the minds of many people. Dr Strangelove would not let the viewers relax either. This first commercially-successful political satire about nuclear war was a cynical, humorous, biting response to the fears of the era.

Kubrick had read a book entitled “Red Alert” (originally “Two Hours to Doom”) by RAF Flight Lieutenant Peter George, published in 1958 under the pseudonym Peter Bryant. George was a pessimistic Englishman deeply committed to the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament in the 1950s. The thesis for his book was the almost absurd ease with which a nuclear war could be triggered. Kubrick was introduced to the book through contacts at the London Institute for Strategic Studies when he expressed an interest, because of growing fears in society at large, in the issue of nuclear war. Kubrick then acquired the screen rights to the story and developed a cautionary tale, against the backdrop of an almost blasé attitude towards life, of the unthinkable - the destruction of mankind through nuclear war. As it was being developed the movie evolved from a suspense drama, initially titled “Edge of Doom”, into the almost silly satirical movie we enjoy today.

Apparently the B-52 bomber scenes in Dr Strangelove were so real that the US Air Force investigated to ensure that there had been no security breaches in access to technical information on its weapons systems. And yet, there was no correction on the estimated number of US deaths to be expected in a nuclear attack on the US. In this 1964 movie the estimate was for “only” 10 – 20 million US deaths in a nuclear war of that era. US President Eisenhower had a study done in 1956 and at that time the estimate was about 65% of the 168 million US citizens would perish.

When you tour the Diefenbunker prior to the movie you may be pleased, or disappointed, based upon your gender, to learn that Canadian Civil Defence and Continuity of Government Programmes did not consider Canada to have a “mine shaft gap” and therefore had no plans for a ratio of 10 women for every man in the bunker!

I must admit, I’ve not read Herman Kahn’s “On Thermonuclear War”. I understand that his book popularized the term ‘megadeath’ (1953) in discussing calmly the strategic doctrines of nuclear war, the lack of credibility of a purely thermonuclear deterrent and what “winning” such a war could entail. The term Mutually Assured Destruction (MAD)” would shortly follow.

If the movie was to be written against today’s threat backdrop its title could well read something like “My Fellow Citizen – Please Don’t or: How I Learned To Stop Worrying And Live With The Terrorist Amongst Us”

Come out to the Diefenbunker and share your ideas on this movie with other viewers. You can also go on-line and DiefenBlog your comments on this movie, or on the above comments. How many times have you seen this movie? Why? How many times have you seen this movie at the Diefenbunker? Why?

PPS

If you subscribe to the accident theory of how a nuclear war could start, I would suggest another great Cold War movie, "Fail Safe". It was last shown at the Diefenbunker about a year ago. The same studio that released Dr Strangelove (Columbia Pictures) released the original version of Fail Safe in 1964, shortly after Dr Strangelove. Peter George sued on the charge of plagiarism and made an out-of-court settlement. Fail-Safe was, for its day, an ultra-realistic melodrama that became a commercial hit only long after release. It was re-made and released again in 2000. Want to see this movie (either version) at the Diefenbunker? Let us know. To get a real world feeling for how a nuclear war might start by accident look up NATO ABLE WARRIOR 83 on the Internet.

Perhaps you want to go even further back in time and see / see again, Nevil Shute’s “On The Beach” (1959). This may well have been the start of the apocalyptic post-nuclear war movie. Again, let us know if you want to see / see again this movie at the Diefenbunker.

Elevator Out of Order

2011-07-28T16:22:00.002-04:00

Dear Diefenbunker enthusiasts and future visitors, please note that our elevator is unfortunately out of order for the time being. You may access the lower levels of the bunker by stair only. We apologize for the inconvenience that this may bring.

THE SPY WHO LOVED ME, a Review by Les

2011-05-18T14:59:00.004-04:00

The Spy Who Loved Me-Cold War Cinema -June 21nd, 2011. Guided tour a 6:00 pm and movie showing at 7:00 pm. Call for reservations 613-839-0007.

THE SPY WHO LOVED ME - The Bond Saga Continues With Gadgets, Guns & Girls

Ian Fleming aficionados were probably upset in 1977. Not only had they to wait two and one half years for the next new movie to come out, but for the first time a Bond movie did not follow the same story-line as the book of the same title. The book told a story from a heroine's point of view and only introduced Bond well into the tale.

Agent 007 devotees were pleased however in 1977. When this movie was released, on the seventh day of the seventh month of the seventy-seventh year of the last century (7,7,77), it clearly followed the Bond film formula - beautiful women, gadget laden cars, megalomaniac villains, exotic locales, extreme explosions, dangerous henchmen, violent fights on trains, witty double-entendres to titillate and amuse, and more beautiful women. With a budget twice the size of any of the previous nine Bond movies this one really delivered. In this, the third Roger Moore Bond, there was a return to the more gentlemanly and witty secret agent.

Fleming allowed his 1962 book title to be used for the movie, but not his story. Based upon a script developed by fifteen writers who started work in 1976, the Director and Production Designer crafted a film to thrill Bond movie watchers, even those of today.

The movie reflects the 1970's era of "detente". The Cold War's strained relations between the super-powers had relaxed a little. After all, there was parity in nuclear weapons and Mutual Assured Destruction (MAD) was the anticipated result of using the weapons. When I first heard use of the word "detente" during the Cold War I was reminded of the 1494 Treaty of Tordesillas (yes, I had to look up the date and name). This treaty divided the globe into two hemispheres, one for the Spanish and one for the Portuguese. This treaty allowed each nation to pursue their aspirations for empire in the New World without fighting each other.

I interpreted the 1970's detente to be a thaw in the Cold War between the East (Soviet Union and allies) and the West (US and allies) so that leaders could focus on domestic requirements, leaving the "empires" of the other alone. The U.S. was financially and emotionally drained by the Vietnam War. The Soviet Union could no longer bear the financial burden of the arms race and feared improved relations between the U.S. and China. By 1975 Space Race tensions were eased with the joint U.S. Soviet Apollo-Soyuz space project. The project consisted of the first ever docking of the space craft from different nations. Indeed, it was the last manned U.S. space flight until the launch of the Space Shuttle in 1981.

Detente is reflected in this movie through cooperation between the best British spy, who we know is James Bond 007, and the best Soviet spy, who we learn is agent Triple X, as their nations fight a common threat - someone is stealing their nuclear weapons laden submarines.

The symbol XXX has many meanings. Don't get excited, this movie intends the symbol to be a warning sign of danger. In radio communications XXX is an indication of urgency, just under an SOS. In computer programming XXX warns programmers of a problematic or misleading code. From the very beginning there are strong indications that Bond should be very careful as his former adversary becomes his partner. Reflecting the 1970's women's liberation movement, James Bond must now share the stage with a female spy, a spy who is his equal. She is just as intelligent, just as lethal and just as resourceful as Bond. She is - "Triple X".

Come to the Diefenbunker to enjoy a movie and slip back to a time when the bunker was still in use. Perhaps not as impressive as the villain's lair in the movie, the bunker remains an engineering marvel nevertheless. Not just Bond fans and engineers, but Cold War buffs and troglodytes will enjoy the Diefenbunker movie night experience.

Watch the movie closely, which of the six host country's construction capabilities are insulted? Which host country provided a great mountain from which to Base Jump? Which country allows smoking in its submarines? Which spy used to advertise for a popular alcoholic beverage manufacturer and now has their character use the same product in this movie? What is a "Wetbike"? Did they really play "Lawrence of Arabia" theme music at some time during this movie? Does James Bond's gun ever miss fire? Did I mention the beautiful girls?

The Falcon & The Snowman: A review By Les

2011-04-14T13:38:00.003-04:00

THE FALCON AND THE SNOWMAN: - ACautionary Tail for Would Be Whistle Blowers
Cold War Cinema: May 17, 2011

plausible deniability - (first use 1973) reasonable denial of blame in achain of command, to keep blame at as low a level aspossible should facts become public.

Have youever had good reason to divulge a confidence, or been tempted to do so? Canwhistle blowing ever be justified? What level of immunity from public scrutinyshould democratically elected governments enjoy?

Private Bradley Manning(U.S.)is facing numerous charges for leaking sensitive government information thatwas later made public by the website WikiLeaks. If Manning did provide theleaks, was he simply a whistle blower attempting to inform fellow citizens ofthe deeds of their government? Does it matter to whom he provided information?To whom could he have gone if he was concerned about his government’sactivities?

Julian Assange, the Australiancomputer expert behind WikiLeaks, has legal problems also. It is believed he gotinformation from Manning. Was Assange simply a journalist or publisher doinghis job in keeping the public informed?

"The Falcon And TheSnowman" depicts events in the life of

U.S.

citizen Christopher John Boycein the1970s. During the 1970s there was much youth angst with the Vietnam War,with struggles for equality of gender and race, with the developing drugculture, with cynicism about government honesty, and with authority in general.For many people this period was also an era of unlimited possibilities inscience and technology, man had just landed on the moon! It was also a time ofsignificant fear concerning the potential for a nuclear war that could developout of a miscalculation by either of the super powers.

The movie depicts Boyce asa naive, sometimes frustrated, young man with misplaced idealism when he startsto provide some low level classified information to the Soviets. At first theinformation concerns dirty tricks, such as the removal of elected foreign governmentsby U.S.officials. What the Soviets really want, however, is U.S. military secrets. Eventsspiral out of control for Boyce as he becomes trapped in circumstances beyondsimple whistle blowing. If only he had followed the unofficial motto of theDiefenbunker “Tell No One, Deny Everything”!

The movie may be weak inplot for some viewers and many may not empathize with the main character.Indeed, many viewers may wonder that such inept espionage activities as thosedepicted could really have happened in the first place, let alone for so long.

Nevertheless, I found the movieengaging. It is a movie about character(s). I started to think about whatmotivates a whistle blower, what options they believe they have, and how eventscan unfold in unexpected ways. I also found the movie to be a satire on a societythat could produce citizens such as Boyce, homegrown spies.

I next began to think about societiesin which some members develop into terrorists bent on destroying their fellowcitizens, often directly and through violent means. A spy's impact is usuallyless immediate or direct. Are therecharacteristics in common between whistle blowers, spies and terrorists.

The Diefenbunker, a once topsecret government facility, is an excellent venue in which to see the movie andto consider the above ideas. See you there,

Les.

P.S. Yes Virginia, there were spies. Yes, it isbelieved that the Diefenbunker's secrets were kept.

P.P.S. Withoutdoing research, please think about how the following persons may have increasedyour awareness of issues that others were trying to hide from you, issuesimpacting your safety and / or access to information on government activities:

a. Linda Keen;

b. Allan Cutler;

c. Paul Diaz; and

d. P.J. Crowley?

Hints - Canadian isotope crisis at Chalk River; Gomery RoyalCommision (sponsorship scandal); nuclear plant safety concerns; and treatmentof jailed former intelligence analyst Bradley Manning that "is ridiculousand counterproductive and stupid".

The Cold War in an Hour: iPhone App

2011-03-18T13:26:00.002-04:00

From iTunes preview:

"HISTORY FOR BUSY PEOPLE"
"History In An Hour" is a series of e-books to help the reader learn the basic facts of a given subject area with as little effort as possible. During the Second World War, for example, exactly what was Dunkirk about, or the Normandy Landings? During the Cold War, what happened during the Cuban Missile Crisis, why was there a wall in Berlin? It's all here in a straight narrative. No embedded links to divert your attention, nor a daunting book of 600 pages with a 35 page introduction. Just straight in, to the point, sixty minutes, done. Then, having absorbed the basics, you may feel inspired to explore further. Quick, easy-to-read and engaging history... ebooks to read in an hour.
*The Cold War In An Hour* is the first title in the History In An Hour series to be turned into an iPhone app.

Download the app here:
The Cold War in an Hour

Good Night, and Good Luck. A Review by Les

2011-03-03T11:44:00.006-05:00

GOOD NIGHT AND GOOD LUCK - a movieabout yesterday, with relevance for today.

"Will that be anX-ray or a full body pat-down?"

After the expletives aredeleted your thoughts may dwell on ideas such as: "The balance of nationalsecurity with personal liberties is not right!" and "Am I the onlyone to think that the government is going too far?"

This month's movie (March 15) "Good Night and Good Luck" will take you back to the 1950s whenconditions were not much different than today for many citizens of North America,a time when perceptions of external and internal threats lead to governmentintrusions into the private lives of its citizens and threats to civilliberties.

Shown in black andwhite, to reflect the technology of television news documentaries of the era,this movie reflects the "Red Scare" that seized North America. Indeed, the scare may well have started in Ottawa with the defectionof Igor Gouzenko from the Soviet Embassy in September 1945.

As a volunteerinterpreter at the Diefenbunker it is inappropriate of me to discuss religionor politics with visitors. However, as a Baby Boomer I feel obligated to remindvisitors of the perceived threat of world domination by communism. The enemywas the former Soviet Union which haddeveloped a network of spies and "fellow travelers" even before theCold War started.

Although having nocredentials as a movie critic I have no problem recommending this movie. Ifound myself feeling the fears and tensions of the era, even though I knew theoutcome. Certainly with no credentialsas a historian, but with limited research as to the facts behind this movie, Ibelieve that it correctly reflects the facts surrounding the events depicted.

The movie is not anattack on Senator McCarthy, the archival footage of his speeches that were usedin the movie do a good job of that. The movie is not a biography of the life ofthe protagonist, television news pioneer Edward R. Murrow. It is a minor homageto him as a TV personality who spoke out against stifled debate. Yes, the moviereflects the norms of the era - smoking is taken as something that everyonedoes, discrimination based upon gender preferences is accepted, and a woman'srole is usually subordinate to that of men.

Watching this movie inan underground bunker that still reflects the fears of the 1945 - 1989 era addsa unique dimension to reflecting upon the issues and dangers of the Cold War.Come out and judge for yourself.

At the end of the movieyou may well ask yourself: "Howgood a job do the media of today do in voicing public dissent against thegovernment?" and "What is thethreat profile of today's public enemy?"

Les

Guest Curator, Cold War Cinema

Cold War Cinema, Guest Curator: Les

2011-03-03T11:37:00.011-05:00

The new Spring 2011 Cold War Cinema schedule is unique and interesting in that it has been curated by Les, one of the many volunteer experts at the Diefenbunker. Les, retired from the Canadian Armed Forces after 35 years of service, has been a volunteer guide / interpreter at the Diefenbunker for several years and has often expressed an interest in the movies that we show. Having spoken up, he must now "put up", therefore he will shortly prepare a review on a few movies to entice you to visit the museum on a movie night, to have a tour of the bunker with him before the movie and then to see the movie(s) that he has proposed. At the end of the movie you will be invited to share your ideas on the movie with him and with the rest of the viewers. I have been kicking around 2 names for this program: "Les is More: Cold War Films and The Diefenbunker" versus "Les Talk and More Action: The Cold War and Hollywood". The reviews will be presented monthly and appear here on the DiefenBlog and in eFusion, the Diefenbunker monthly newsletter, so be sure to "stay tuned".

Les says that as a Baby Boomer born and growing up in central Canada he was exposed to, and influenced by, the many TV, movie and print publications that often had as a focus the evils of communism and the fears that communism would be spread around the world by force and or through subterfuge. As a young child he was therefore familiar with the Korean War events, the Suez Crisis that could have expanded into a global conflict, the many failed revolutions in Eastern Europe as nations tried to overthrow their imposed communist governments, the white trails in the Canadian sky that reflected high flying military aircraft on training missions, the stories of spies betraying the West to the East, and the thrills and the fears of Sputnik as the Soviets appeared to be winning the space race and possibly the arms race. The newspapers seemed to be constantly full of some military conflict that could lead to a global war, a war upon which the West would depend upon nuclear weapons. Secrets about these weapons had to be kept, military forces had to be ready, and spies could not be tolerated.

Les has chosen 3 very well made and deservedly discussed cold war films which also have very high entertainment value and production quality. Also, as a Cold War Cinema first, an online poll which will remain open right up until until 1 hour before the showing of the film on Volunteer Appreciation night, April 12, 2011 (see above). Now we can finally determine which film is more popular among Bunker fans: Hunt for Red October, Crimson Tide, Gorky park, or The Sum of all Fears.

So Thank you Les, for facilitating these cold war discussions and sharing your insights about how these films were both mirrors and products of the incredibly tense times in which they were created. "Les...Camera....Action!"

Cold War Cinema; Spring 2011

2011-03-02T10:44:00.000-05:00

Spy Camp Themes!

2011-01-20T15:26:00.000-05:00

Due to the increased popularity (thank you!) this year's Spy Camp will be run EVERY week in July and August as well as during March Break. Every other week offers a unit with different theme and each unit can be done individually or progressively toward the goal of becoming a "Master Spy"!

Registration is now open for the 2011 March Break and Summer sessions, book early to avoid disappointment.

Educators Night 2011

2011-01-13T13:42:00.000-05:00

Rex Zero Workshop

2010-12-01T10:42:00.001-05:00

On November 11, 2010 author Tim Wynne-Jones spent the day with us, attending one of the interactive workshops held in the Rex Zero Headquarters and then reading from the first finished draft of the 4th installment of the series. Tim then answered questions about Rex and the writing process and signed copies of his books. Thank you , Tim for the wonderful afternoon! We look forward to finding out what Rex will be up to in your next book! The West Carleton Review came out to report on the event, the full article may be found here

November 11: Tim Wynne-Jones at The Bunker!

2010-11-02T15:46:00.002-04:00

Cold War Cinema: Winter 2010/11

2010-10-25T11:34:00.000-04:00

Cold War Memorial Day: November 9th, 2010

2010-10-20T14:51:00.001-04:00

New Executive Director - Derek Cooke

2010-09-21T11:38:00.000-04:00

The Board of Directors of the Diefenbunker,

Canada

’s Cold War Museum is pleasedto announce the appointment of Mr. Derek Cooke as its new Executive Director.Effective September 27, Mr. Cooke will oversee all museum operations.

“Mr. Cooke brings to the museum a lifetime of heritage presentationand preservation in museums and historic sites,” said Doug Beaton, President ofthe Board of Directors. “We’re extremely pleased to have him join the team,bringing needed historical insights that will drive the museum’s goals forwardfor the next few years.”

In addition to past achievements, which included work with theNational Capital Commission, Black Creek Pioneer Village, Upper CanadaVillage, Louisbourg National Historic Site and the Parks Canada Agency, Mr.Cooke has also had roles with the Ontario Historical Society and InterpretationCanada.

Review of Edwin Janzen's Exhibit From Guerilla Online

2010-09-10T12:23:00.002-04:00

Guerilla online magazine, retrieved Sept. 10, 2010

Monday, August 30, 2010

As splintering news and entertainment media grow increasingly desperate to catch our attention, irrational fear of foes—real or imagined, threatening from within or without—is now a prevailing characteristic of the collective psyche in the west.

University of Ottawa MFA student Edwin Janzen takes a nostalgic look at that fear with Guys in Caves, his thesis exhibition aptly located at The Diefenbunker, the Cold War bunker-turned-museum and historic edifice of nuclear war paranoia.

The exhibition opened August 13 but the vernissage is slated for Tuesday, August 31, from 5 to 8 p.m.

Janzen’s multi-media and multi-sensory exhibition includes four installations on various levels of the museum, consisting of plastic and neon signage, video, audio, and an olfactory component.

“The show is called Guys In Caves in reference to the imagined mountain lair of Osama bin Laden,” explains Janzen.

“But we also live in a cave of sorts,” he continued, “a psychological and
ethical cave of our obsession with security in which we conjure up enemies for ourselves and hide away from the world.”

In the “Inferno” installation, a small, darkened office space features a suspended neon sign displaying the word “Inferno” amidst strong smells of stale cigarette butts and whiskey—aromas that Janzen associates with “the macho office culture of the Cold War era.”

Other installations consist of ordinary-looking office signage that incorporates words and phrases from the war on terror of the past decade. In “Adversary,” the artist shows six looped video pieces on the old, ceiling-mounted TV monitors that are themselves artifacts of the museum.

The show is not all doom and gloom, however. In one humorous installation, "Gauntlet," a musical track plays in a narrow corridor on the bunker's bottom level—the theme song to the 1960s spy spoof TV show, Get Smart.

Janzen’s previous work has focused on political, military and Cold War themes, and he deliberately pursued The Diefenbunker as the venue before creating the exhibition.

“The Diefenbunker represents an unmatchable opportunity to work site-specifically,” Janzen said. “In visiting the space, I sought to pay attention to what one might call the ‘vocabulary’ of the space: the furnishings, the signage, objects, fixtures, smells and sounds. So, in a sense, the bunker itself was my guide.”

Since becoming a museum, The Diefenbunker has welcomed many artists to either exhibiting their work in the facility, or use it as their inspiration.

“In the past, we have welcomed a diverse array of visual artists, including Lynne Cohen, Adrian Göllner, Jana Sterbak, Marcia Lea, and many more,” says Eric Espig, the museum’s programs and public relations manager.

“These kinds of artistic interactions with The Diefenbunker’s unique environment help to enrich the way in which the public experiences the Cold War and its huge impact upon our history and society.”

To that end, Janzen aims to “draw links between modern fears and Cold War fears,” he said. “The objects of these fears are different, but fear is fear—it's always the same … I've constructed the exhibition as a descent into the underworld, which is also a metaphorical descent into the human mind in a defensive posture.”

Guys in Caves is on exhibit until Thursday, September 30.

Full article and photographs may be found here: http://www.getguerilla.ca/g-gallery
photo by Irina Lyubchenko

Vernissage: Guys in Caves by artists Edwin Janzen

2010-08-30T09:38:00.000-04:00

Link to interview with Edwin Janzen on Ottawa blog Apt 613

Cold War Cinema - Summer/Fall Program

2010-07-06T13:40:00.001-04:00

New for Summer 2010

2010-06-23T13:08:00.005-04:00

"I am excited to announcethat on June 28th, 2010, the Diefenbunker, Canada's Cold War Museum opens its doors for self-guidedtours and an "interesting" dining experience! Having completed our $1.65million fire retrofit, we can now bring almost 500 people into our uniquehistoric site. Please join us on the 28th for the launch of ourmulti-language audio/video tour, our visitor guide, our newinteractive website, Project Rustic:Journey to the Diefenbunker, and the opening of the Federal Warning Centreand CanX, a canteen that serves the "best" in meal replacement kits! We willhave 2 for 1 admission on that day as well as prizes and discounts for ourmuseum store. This day represents the fulfillment of a dream for theDiefenbunker not to mention a lot of hard work and support by many people andorganizations."

Alexandra Badzak

Executive Director

Project Rustic: Journey tothe Diefenbunker

Investigate the global events thathelped shape our past with the Cold War Timeline, become a undercover KGB spyworking in the bunker trying to communicate with the Kremlin, or spend sometime on the outside helping retrieve the much needed radiation sniffer.Whatever task you choose, remember, your country and fellow Canadians are countingon you to help make the right decision...

Project Rustic: Journey tothe Diefenbunker is an interactive website that encourages Canadians to learnabout the Continuity of Government Program and the role of the CentralEmergency Government Headquarters in Canada during the height of theCold War. This project has a youth focus and uses humour and popular culturereferences to draw participants into a dark period in Canada'shistory.

The Diefenbunker Museum wishes to thank the Government ofCanada's Heritage Department through the Canadian Studies Program for theirsupport of this project.

Audio/Video Tour

We are excited to launch the new Audio/Video tour of the Diefenbunker! The 31 track self-guided tour leads visitors through the museum with the use of MP4 players and corresponding directional signage and visitor guide. The audio/video tour includes footage of the Bunker construction and operations shortly after its completion in 1961.
Approximately 1 hour in length, the audio/video tour is included in the price of admission and will also be available for download for use on visitors' personal media players and smart phones. 25 MP4 players are also available at the museum admissions in the former guard house to loan to self-guiding visitors.

Visitor Management System

Due to an anticipated increase in our attendance, theDiefenbunker has adopted a visitor management software and hardware packagefrom Vantix into our operations. We are now able to integrate our box office,group reservations, room rentals, public programs, membership and store salesinto one system both on site and on-line. The Diefenbunker staff can nowsimultaneously process fees, track tour bookings, market programs and productsand receive important statistical reports that provides us with valuableinformation on our visitors' needs and wants. Not only will this visitormanagement package increase our operational efficiency, it will also connectsus to a local and global audience by providing store products and tickets forsale online.

The Diefenbunker Museumwishes to thank the Government of Ontario's Ministry of Culture though theMuseum and Technology fund for their support of this project.

The new ticket, pictured above, is also a nice souvenir featuring various 36 bunker images.

CanX

Get ready to experience the Bunker as never before. Military style meal replacements are available for purchase and consumption in the Diefenbunker cafeteria. Now visitors can experience how Bunker residents would have eaten during the later stages of a 30 day lockdown. Spaghetti, chili, vegetarian lasagna, various deserts, "Soldier Fuel" and beverage service will begin in the cafeteria. Full "Meal Replacement Kits" will also be available for purchase to bring home and eat in your own fall out shelter within the next 4 years.

June 28 Grand Opening: CanX and the new Audio Video tour

2010-06-23T12:48:00.001-04:00

June 5: Doors Open 2010!

2010-05-25T10:02:00.001-04:00

The Diefenbunker will be participating in Doors Open again this year. Our doors are always open, but on Saturday June 5th visitors will be able to come into the bunker and, for the first time, experience our new capacity increase and get lost on a self-guided tour throughout the building.

Get your Doors Open Ottawa program guide in the Saturday, May 29 issue of the Ottawa Citizen. Copies are also available at all Bridgehead Coffee locations.

or simply download this PDF

June 15: Cold War Cinema - Dr. Strangelove!

2010-05-20T12:32:00.001-04:00

Consistently ranked as one of the greatest films and the greatest comedy made, featured in June is the Stanley Kubrick classic about the string of all-to-possible errors leading to the third world war and global nuclear annihilation. Viewing this masterpiece inside of the Diefenbunker is an amazing and truly unique and surreal experience.
"Kubrick next chose to tackle the subject of nuclear annihilation. He began by researching the science and philosophy of nuclear war and optioning Red Alert, a serious dramatic novel by Peter George. Although Kubrick had long been personally terrified by the potential of an all-out nuclear war, he eventually turned his devilish sense of black humor on the project. Novelist Terry Southern turned the original story on its head and the film was renamed Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb. Shooting in black and white on a soundstage in England, Kubrick was in supreme command of the content and the visual style of the film. Production designer Ken Adam who had created the look for the James Bond film series, invented the circular-structured War Room and recreated the interior of the U.S. bomber cockpits without receiving official permission to examine the real thing. Based on intensive research in military magazines Adam brought realism to the outrageous comedy and imagination to the notion of a War Room used to plan global conflicts. Adam and Kubrick were so successful they even fooled President Ronald Reagan, who at the dawn of his first term, anxiously asked to tour the White House War Room which only existed in movieland."

~ Retrieved May 20, 2010 from moviemaker.com, "The Legacy of Stanley Kubrick"

Reserve early to ensure your spot at this popular event!
movie@diefenbunker.ca

IMDB rating 8.6/10

Tour at 6pm (optional)
Film at 7pm

May 18, 2010: International Museum Day

2010-05-17T10:11:00.000-04:00

The Diefenbunker is offering 2 for 1 admission tomorrow during our public tours at 11am and 2pm. This is a great chance to see the museum before our grand unveiling of the new tours and exhibits on June 28!

Audio/Video Tour Update - We need your help!

2010-05-04T10:42:00.002-04:00

Do you know someone who may be interested in narrating our audio guide in their native language? This is a great opportunity to be a part of Canadian history as well helping to make our heritage accessible to recent immigrants and international tourist. The recording session will take approximately 5 hours. Successful applicants will receive $100 in compensation. contact e.espig@diefenbunker.ca for details.

ENGLISH

FRENCH

SPANISH

GERMAN

CANTONESE

MANDARIN

JAPANESE
PUNJABI

The launch of the new audio/video self-guided tour of the Diefenbunker is June 28, 2010. This will mark the first time in the history of the formerly top-secret bunker that the public will be granted unaccompanied access to the museum. The audio/video tour will be available free of charge via download from our website, download from our WiFi network on site, or you can borrow one of our MP4 players if you don't have a smart phone or iPod type device.

The Mad Happening

2010-04-12T12:55:00.003-04:00

Our Capacity Project Completion "Happening" happened over the weekend, and we all had a great time rocking out to 60s jams provided by dj Aurele Gaudet and band The Star Tools. Dr. Barry Bruce, lead singer of the Star Tools also happens to be one of the Diefenbunker Museum founders. Everyone enjoyed martinis, a chocolate fountain, skewered pineapple fruit things, cocktail wieners, and much much more at this 60s themed night. Thank you again to everyone who helped us reach this milestone for the Museum.

New Fire Pump!

2010-03-19T14:08:00.006-04:00

As we are approaching the completion of the building capacity project we are seeing a lot of things changing very quickly.
February saw the removal of the old equipment in the Fire Pump Room, and the installation of the new.
The new Fire pump controller incorporates a transfer switch allowing the generator to power the fire pump during a power failure and is a fraction the size of the old controller.
Some of the old piping in the pump room was tested and reused other sections were added to the museum collection.
The new Pump is 60 Horse Power and capable of pumping 500 US Gallons/ min at 130 PSI.

Commissioning of the new equipment is scheduled for early April.

Brad Heath

Building Systems Manager

Get Lost! June 28th, 2010!

2010-03-19T10:27:00.003-04:00

Bunker Photography Series - Michael Steinhauer

2010-03-05T11:34:00.002-05:00

A second sample of the Bunker Photography Series of photos. Michael Steinhauer is well known in the Ottawa Museum community, as the Director of the Bytown Museum, Michael has been integral to widening the scope of the Bytown Museum mandate to include recent history of downtown, centretown and lowertown Ottawa. This change has facilitated the creation of new connections between persons presently living in those communities to their own pasts and the past of the neighbourhoods they reside in. Expanding the mandate of the museum has also led to more modern and innovative interpretation of the storied past of Bytown (Ottawa) using current technological innovations and trends to reach out to visitors. This is exemplifed in the interactive "Capital Neighbourhoods" virtual exhibit currently on display on the VMC (Virtual Museum of Canada.)

Michael's photos involve less often photographed aspects of the Diefenbunker and when those aspects are taken out of the context of the building, they provide interesting and unique stories of their own.

This series features the creative output of local professional photographers who have been invited to the bunker to attempt to visually capture the building, its contents and its atmosphere. Photographers are giving special permission to freely roam the Bunker and to choose how to interpret what they see. The end result of this program will yield the first exhibition and publication of artistic Bunker photography.

Cold War Olympics: Helsinki, Finland 1952

2010-02-25T09:44:00.006-05:00

The years between 1948 and 1952 were significantly formative years of the Cold War. The North Atlantic Treaty Organization had been established, Mao Zedong had declared the establishment of the communist People’s Republic of China, the USSR had acquired nuclear capability, and the states of West Germany (Federal Republic of Germany) and East Germany (German Democratic Republic) were formally established and the winter of 1952 would bring with it the paranoia of McCarthyism.War had broken out over the political future of the Korean peninsula; pitting communists against capitalist states as the conflict escalated to involve the China and the West.

The Summer Games, held in Helsinki, Finland, were the first in which the tensions of the Cold War were strongly evident. The Soviet Union sent athletes to the competitions yet refused to house them in the Olympic Village. Instead, Soviet athletes were housed in an isolated and guarded facility near the Soviet naval base at Porkkala. Soviet Olympians traveled to and from events under escort and were kept wholly segregated from their peers. On both the east and west side of the Cold War divide, governements equated athletic successes and medal tallies with the superiority of their particular political system. American decathlete Bob Mathias is quoted as saying, “there were many more pressures on American athletes because of the Russians. . . . They were in a sense the real enemy. You just loved to beat 'em. You just had to beat 'em. . . . This feeling was strong down through the entire team.” This sentiment was echoed by Soviet officials and both sides sought to exploit the propaganda opportunities of the Olympic Games.

In 1949 Mao Zedong had declared the establishment of the People’s Republic of China; a communist state occupying mainland China. The nationalist Chinese, under the leadership of Chiang Kai Shek had gone into exile to the island of Formosa/Taiwan naming themselves the Republic of China. On July 20, the nationalist Chinese withdrew from the competitions on the grounds that the People’s Republic of China had been allowed to participate. The 1952 Summer Games in Helsinki may have been the first where Cold War conflicts truly shared the stage with international fellowship, but they certainly wouldn’t be the last.

American propaganda "news"reel from 1952 revolving around Korea and American athletes

Cold War Cinema - Spring Program

2010-02-18T18:57:00.000-05:00

Bunker Photography Series - Daniel Picard

2010-02-04T16:54:00.006-05:00

We are pleased to present the first sampling of our Bunker Photography Series of photos. This series features the creative output of local professional photographers who have been invited to the bunker to attempt to visually capture the building, its contents and its atmosphere. Photographers are giving special permission to freely roam the Bunker and to choose how to interpret what they see. The end result of this program will yield the first exhibition and publication of artistic Bunker photography.

Daniel's work extends from Toronto - Ottawa - Montreal. His interest and ability to capture large architectural spaces, such as the Senate of Canada and bulky industrial machinery was welcomed to the Diefenbunker. His photos have given a new life to often photographed areas of the building. His professional work may be seen on his website found here:

Daniel Picard

Daniel is also an avid Fallout 3 fan and took advantage of the very video game feel of the Bunker:

Heritage Day 2010: Summit on Ice

2010-01-19T09:33:00.000-05:00

Cold War Olympics: London 1948

2010-01-15T11:33:00.012-05:00

By Matt Aubin (Diefenbunker Interpreter)

The Vancouver 2010 Olympics games are rapidly approaching, and for every month of this Olympic year, the DiefenBlog will feature a short piece about how the global conflict of the Cold War played out at various Olympic venues.

Chapter 5 of the Olympic Charter states that “no kind of demonstration of political, religious, or racial propaganda is permitted in the Olympic areas.” The Olympics are intended to be a celebration of sport and international cooperation that trumps politics and nationalist agendas. Unfortunately, throughout the Cold War era the Olympic Games were occasionally used as a political and ideological "battleground".

The first Olympic Games to follow the Second World War were held in the winter of 1948, in St. Moritz, Switzerland. The host country had been neutral throughout WWII, and Germany and Japan were not invited to participate by the international community for WWII aggressions. The games were a simple affair, the world was still recovering from the depletion of physical and economic resources incurred during the war. By 1948 the USSR had yet to participate in any modern Olympic Games and although invited to St. Moritz, USSR opted not to send any athletes. They did however, send observers to assess how well Soviet participants might have fared.

The Summer Games in London, England of the same year would be the first Olympics to highlight the post-WWII East-West divide. The Games were a frugal event. There was no new construction for the games, and athletes were housed in former barracks and college dormitories. Germany and Japan were excluded from these games as well, and the Soviet Union again opted not to participate despite being invited to do so. The London Games would be the first to feature a political defection over Cold War lines. Czechoslovakia, after only months of communist takeover, did send a team to London. Czechoslovakian gymnast Marie Provaznikova refused to return to her homeland after winning a gold medal citing: "A lack of freedom." Both the Winter and Summer Olympic Games of 1948 were undertaken with a spirit of renewal but given the potential uses of the Games as a stage for international propaganda, political undertones became obvious. The East-West divide of the Cold War would remain a defining characteristic of the Olympics 1948 until the collapse of the Soviet Union and the end of the Cold War.

Next month, as the Winter Games get underway in Vancouver, the DiefenBlog will feature a look at the 1952 winter Olympics, held in Oslo, Norway and the summer Games of Helsinki, Finland. The Helsinki Olympics were the first in which the Soviet Union fielded athletes.

The Capital Campaign: Over The Top!

2010-01-15T11:11:00.001-05:00

The Capital Campaign has reached its goal of $1.65 million (CAD)!

Jim Watson, on the day of his announcement to step down as an Ontario MPP. to officially enter the City of Ottawa mayoral race, stopped by the Diefenbunker, along with MP Gordon O'Connor to make the announcement of their respective levels of government's further commitment to the Diefenbunker museum.
The additional contributions of $386,000 by the province of Ontario and $106,000 by the Federal Government mean that the museum has raised the necessary amount to cover the costs of the capacity expansion. The work to the museum, already underway, will be complete by the end of April 2010 and the new programs (including audio and self guided tours, new interactive experiences and multilingual accessibility) will launch on June 28, 2010.

Thank you to everyone who helped to raise money or donated to this cause!

Jim Watson at the Diefenbunker podium

Gordon O'Connor MP, Jim Watson, Alexandra Badzak ( Exeecutive Director) and George Fawcett center Diefenbunker staff & volunteers, contractors, project managers.

2009 Diefenbunker Holiday Party

2009-12-15T13:35:00.006-05:00

This years party was fantastic, probably because we had a lot to celebrate! The near completion of our Capital Campaign project, the beginning of the expansion, a new team in the Bunker, the great turnout by Board members and weekend staff, and a lot of hidden Karaoke Talent!

We partied in the former cafeteria...

We were entertained by unlikely duets and even less likely song choices!
here we can see Rob and Brian belting out some Madonna.

Mike and Christine performed an interesting variation of a Fine Young Cannibals song.

Matt's inner Elvis surfaced as he rebelled against his brown patent leather shoes to declare his obsession with blue suede.

The Turner Sisters turning heads.

The Incomporable Dr. Barry Bruce, Professional Crooner.

Thank you all very much for being such caluable and essential parts of the Diefenbunker team and joining us in our celebration!

Carp Christmas Parade!

2009-12-15T13:00:00.001-05:00

We were thrilled to be a part of the First Carp Christmas Parade this year. This was a fantastic way to bring the bunker from the underground to the city streets to help celebrate with the Carp, Ontario community. Our theme this year was Peace on Earth and under the supervision of Amy Turner, Diefenbunker staff and management decorated our replica MKIV atomic bomb into an unlikely Christmas tree. The weather and the turnout for the parade were great and our parade representatives handed out "Peace Symbol" buttons as well as explanatory cards describing the iconic symbols semaphorical beginnings in the British Nuclear Disarmament Movement in 1958.

Photography Tours in The Bunker

2009-12-09T11:37:00.003-05:00

Photo: Paul Galipeau 11/2009

Over the past month and some of the upcoming ones, photographers are documenting the popular areas of the Bunker as well as some of the hidden ones. The photographers are donating their valuable skills and artistic visions to help us build an anthology of striking and visually stunning photographs. The goal is to curate from these photos an exhibition of Bunker Photography and publish them in a coffee table book of bunker history juxtaposed with artistic imagery.

So far the Bunker has hosted: Rémi Theriault, Paul Galipeau, David Forcier, and Pierre Richardson

You may view some of the sample/recon photos on their Flickr pages, and here is a link to the slideshow that David put together, Amazing!

David Forcier Slideshow

Donate to recieve an Exclusive Diefenbunker Gift Membership!

2009-12-01T12:02:00.002-05:00

Of course we feel that this is the perfect gift, especially for that James Bond fan you know or that certain someone you just cannot buy for. We have attractively packaged our membership cards with some other items from our Cold War Store to create a truly unique and exclusive holiday package.

For a donation of $100 CAD you will receive along with this year long membership & classy package, the priceless feeling that comes with knowing you have helped to preserve one of Canada's National Historic Sites.

Happy Holiday Shopping!

Canadian Armed Forces personnel and Veterans: FREE ADMISSION!

2009-11-24T10:26:00.003-05:00

The Diefenbunker is very pleased to be able to offer FREE admission to a guided tour of the museum to Canadian Armed Forces personnel and Veterans. This program will run until February 1, 2010. Please follow this LINK to the downloadable coupon.

Rex Zero Headquarters! Now Open!

2009-11-13T13:36:00.001-05:00

On Novemeber 9 we officially opened the cool new Exhibit/Interactive space in the Bunker devoted to Elementary-aged students. The space's design is taken from the pages of award wining author Tim Wynne-Jones' Rex Zero series of books. Rex Zero stories are set in Ottawa, Canada during the early 1960s and Tim's attention to detail in describing Rex's world made it easy for us to re-imagine his bedroom, his classroom, and key Ottawa landmarks from that time period.

We were happy to have Tim with us at the opening which (not so coincidentally) coincided with the launch of his brand new Rex Zero novel, Rex Zero, The Great Pretender. he read from both his first and new book to the inaugural class to workshop with us in the space - The grade 5ers from St Michael Corkery Catholic School.

Listen to Tim and host Alan Neal talk about the space and Tim read from his new book on CBC`s All In A Day: Best of All In A Day, Nov 9, 2009

CBC Podcast about the Diefenbunker Expansion

2009-11-05T10:18:00.003-05:00

Listen to CBC's Kate Porter as she tours the Bunker with Executive Director Alexandra Badzak and learns about the museum's capacity project.

Listen

Canada: from coast to coast to coast

2009-11-02T13:43:00.001-05:00

A videographer named Craig Urquhart has been traveling across Canada and gathering footage for 2 separate projects - one for CBC and the other for Korean TV. Craig and his crew are came to Ottawa last week and they’re hoping to feature the Diefenbunker on their program. The purpose of the new online/television show is to rediscover Canada from a foreign and insider perspective, from the Atlantic to the Arctic to the Pacific. Canada is seen as a continent-sized country. The focus will be on very unusual destinations, remote areas, urban life and the people and culture. There will be lots of interviews and events. Outdoor and urban life will both be emphasized. The program will air online on the CBC website as well as on Korean television.

We were very happy to accommodate the road weary yet enthusiastic crewand Les gave them an exclusive late night tour of the Bunker.

Cold War Songs from the 1950s playlist

2009-10-22T18:17:00.001-04:00

The Diefenbunker Channel

2009-10-20T14:41:00.003-04:00

The new Diefenbunker YouTube channel made its debut today with its "Cold War Music & Music Videos" playlist. Over time we will be compilling playlists of videos uploaded to YouTube relating to: pop music, protest, propaganda, news footage, film trailers, original educational films and more.

Stumbling into The Postal Service's "We Will Become Slhouettes" video was the inspiration for the creation of the:"Cold War Music & Music Videos" compilation which at the moment features a lopsided amount of electronic music produced in the 1980s. This is possibly due to the seemingly good fit of the era between new technologies in music and the technological advances in warfare which were threatening society. Those advances were too sophisticated to be fully understood by the general public (or at times, the musicians). However, there are also plenty of 1960s era protest songs yet to be mined from the youtube servers. When I get to that point I will divide the music into era specific groupings. Until then enjoy the danci-ness of the 80s outlook on Cold War!

"Cold War Music & Music Videos" Playlist
http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=1181460E64EC2D13

Diefenbunker Channel:

http://www.youtube.com/TheDiefenbunker

2009 NHSAO Conference: "Shifting the Foundations"

2009-10-13T12:05:00.036-04:00

From October 5 - 7 the Diefenbunker hosted the 2009 National Historic Site Alliance of Ontario Conference. There were some very interesting, stimulating and memorable moments brought forward from the 16 guest speakers and panelists. We recorded the audio of almost all of the presentations and hope to have some available for download in the near future. In the meantime, enjoy some snapshots from the event! piuctured: Alan Latourelle, CEO Parks Canada

"Telling Old Stories with New Voices": A thought provoking and interesting combination of new approaches to historical interpretation and statistical data. Chair: Mike Sawchuck - Ontario Heritage Trust, Panelist: Charles Smith - Researcher and Consultant; Del Muise - Professor Emeritus Carleton University

CBC Radio's Darrell Dennis, the host of ReVision Quest. The First Nations celebrity comic, actor and writer entertained and enlightened the crowd as the Keynote Speaker of the conference.

Conference attendees and one of many round table discussions which took place in the Diefenbunker cafeteria.

"Conserving the Modern in a Disposable Age"
Panel: Andrew Waldon - Canadian Registrar of Historic Places; Scott Williams - Senior Conservation Scientist, Canadian Conservation Institute; Julian Smith - Executive Director, Willowbank School of Restoration Arts

Cultural Resource Management 101 presented by "Heritage Warrior" Dr. Paul Couture of Parks Canada.

The Diefenbunker Vice-President and star Volunteer Interpreter: Brian Jeffrey.

The New Store and The New New Store

2009-10-01T13:57:00.002-04:00

Part of what we had to get done to accomodate the beginning phase of the renovation was to relocate the Cold War Store into a new part of the building - The Allard Gallery. Fortunatley the new store looks great and the response has been very positive. From this we can determine that the New New store, which will be housed in a rejuvenated and redesigned original location, will be even better! As always we look forward to your suggestions as to what unique and interesting Cold War or Diefenbunker toys, books, posters, clothing, etc. that you may like to see us supply. The New New Store is scheduled to open by mid-December.

The expansion of the museum will also mean the expansion of our inventory to include more books and collectables. Our store inventory will also be heading online so people may shop for some of the Diefenbunker exclusive items from home and abroad.

What Increased Capacity Means

2009-10-01T11:38:00.003-04:00

The building capacity project will allow us to truly fulfill our mandate by producing more opportunities for the general public and stakeholders to connect to our museum. Once we can allow 500 people in the building at any given time, our ability to mount exhibitions, special events, performances, research activity and educational
programs will dramatically increase. Our collection and preservation activities will also be increased. Specifically and most importanly, once the Diefenbunker is up to full occupancy we will be able to open the museum for self-guided tours. Currently, the public can only access the museum through a guided tour once per day during the week and four times daily on the weekend. Guided tours are necessary, as it is the only way that the museum can restrict visitorship to 60 people at any given time. We are not able to add more guided tours because of limitation on volunteer hours and costs associated with hiring more student guides.

The occupancy issue severely restricts the growth and development of curatorial programming, in that it makes no sense to develop exhibitions and re-creations for an audience that can only access it through a time-burdened tour. Once this issue is resolved, we can change its public hours of operation, allowing visitors to spend as little or as much time on independent viewing as they choose, as well as having the option of taking one of our specialized tours. We would expect to see a dramatic increase in its general attendance figure as a consequence of this project,which will result in an increase of revenue. Public and event-based programming will also be enhanced by this project. The Diefenbunker will develop lectures, symposiums, theatrical andmusical performances, as well as corporate and community functions and fundraising dinners and dances for the general public.We will endeavour to increase financial independence by offering corporate and private rentals of space for a fee. Potentially, we could increase our visitor numbers by 800% as a result of this ability to house more people in the building. Realisitically, we are projecting more modest numbers—50% in the five years following project completion. Increased attendance will result in increased revenue, which will in turn increase budgets for marketing, exhibitions and public programming events which we will host and organize. Facility rentals are also expected to increase by at least 25%. All revenue from non-museumrelated activity will be directed back to exhibitions, conservation and programs. This retrofit project will allow the Diefenbunker to become a fully functioning museum.This relatively modest renovation project is necessary for any future growth in the organization.

Here We Go!

2009-09-30T12:48:00.001-04:00

After weeks of closing our doors to begin our capacity expansion project, we are back!

During those 2 weeks some exciting changes have begun around the bunker including:

The opening of the new yet temporary location of our Cold War Store which will serve us will be build and install our "real" new one to be open by Christmas.
The start of renovation and retrofit of our exit and fire safety system which will see our visitor capacity rise from the current 60 to a whopping 500 visitors by summer 2010!
A much needed overhaul to the administration offices for the 2 new permanent staff members: Christine Mcguire (Education & Volunteer manager) and Eric Espig (Programs and Public Relations Manager)
Wonderfully creative and exciting projects born from our brainstorming sessions on how we may accommodate all of the future new visitors to the Bunker!

Renovations under way, and Christine painting and contemplating the task at hand.

Welcome to the new blog!

2009-09-14T18:06:00.000-04:00