Originally BLOG #14 – 07 May 2020 – from davescoldwarcanada.com.
The City of Ottawa, Ontario was as involved in Cold War threat and response events as were Washington, London and Moscow. While the scale was smaller, some of the issues were very significant even seminal as the Gouzenko Affair illustrates.
Some years ago (2016?) I shepherded a tour bus full of my university alumni (UNB) on a “Cold War Tour” of Ottawa. After viewing four points of interest in the City area and viewing the bunker construction video, ‘The Nuclear Roof” (available for loan from the Ottawa Public Library) using the tour bus’s video system, we arrived at the Diefenbunker, Canada’s Cold War Museum. Then after a delicious locally-catered buffet lunch in the bunker’s Bank of Canada Vault deep in the lower regions of the Museum we had an extensive tour of the bunker including its restorations and reconstructions as well as its Cold War exhibits.
Believe it or not there are many Cold War interesting places to see in Ottawa, more than you would first guess.
A suggested tour itinerary and timing follow. Don’t forget to make arrangements with the Diefenbunker Museum well in advance, especially if you are a group and want to set up a catered lunch and have a tour guide accompany you.
0945 hrs: Tour group meets at the historic plaques in the park (Dundonald Park) opposite 511 Somerset St (Igor Gouzenko’s apartment). Short briefing. There is parking in the neighbourhood.
1000 hrs: Tour Bus parks on MacLaren St, tour group gets on bus and bus departs for Russian (former Soviet) Embassy on Charlotte St.
1010 hrs Slow drive by or stop in front of Russian Embassy, background briefing en route. Depart for CFS Leitrim. Brief on route.
1040 hrs Arrive CFS Leitrim bypass for slow drive by and en route briefing, Depart for Cartier Airport Alert hangers, on Alert Road.
1100 hrs Arrive at Alert Road, en route briefing and possible stop for photos at Alert Hangers, Depart for Diefenbunker. (Show “The Nuclear Roof” video en route – which you will have to borrow from the bunker ).
1200 hrs Arrive at Diefenbunker, Lunch (one hr), In-depth guided tour (1 to 1 1/2 hrs), response to questions, depart for start point in Ottawa at 1500hrs.
1600 hrs Arrive back at 511 Somerset street (end of tour).
The following are the various points of interest included on the above tour. Click on them for more details.
#2. The Soviet (Russian) Embassy
#3. Canadian Forces Station Leitrim
#4. CFB Uplands Alert Hangars (and its Ordinance Magazines)
#5. Diefenbunker, Canada’s Cold War Museum at Carp, ON (The CEGHQ at CFS Carp)
