CFS Carp
| Canadian Forces Station Carp | |
|---|---|
Carp Diefenbunker gate and entrance
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| Location | Ottawa, Ontario, Canada |
| Coordinates | 45°21′06″N 76°02′50″W / 45.35167°N 76.04722°WCoordinates: 45°21′06″N 76°02′50″W / 45.35167°N 76.04722°W |
| Founded | 1962 |
| Founder | Diefenbunker Development Group |
| Built | 1959–1961 |
| Original use | Emergency Government Headquarters |
| Current use | Museum |
| Architect | Foundation Corporation of Canada, L. Col. Ed Churchill |
| Governing body | Diefenbunker, Canada's Cold War Museum |
| Website | Diefenbunker: Canada's Cold War Museum |
| Designated | 1994 |
Canadian Forces Station Carp (also CFS Carp and commonly known as The Diefenbunker) is a former Canadian military facility located in the rural farming community of Carp, Ontario, approximately 30 km (19 mi) west of downtown Ottawa.
CFS Carp was decommissioned in 1994. It was not until 1998 that it was reopened as a museum and designated a National Historic Site of Canada. Currently, the facility operates as a museum and is open year-round for tours.
In 1958, at the height of the Cold War and the infancy of the Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) threat, John Diefenbaker, Canada's Prime Minister at the time, authorized the creation of close to 50 Emergency Government Headquarters (called Diefenbunkers by opposition parties) across Canada. These shelters were part of what came to be known as the Continuity of Government plan, which was meant to protect various members of government in the event of a nuclear attack.
The original site, some 9.7 km (6.0 mi) east of Almonte (45°15′06.66″N 076°19′31.05″W / 45.2518500°N 76.3252917°W) was abandoned when ground water proved impossible to remove. An abandoned gravel pit outside Carp was selected instead, construction began in 1959 and was completed by 1962.
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