Originally BLOG #8 – 15 Mar 2020 from davescoldwarcanada.com.
This photo, originally from the Canadian Forces Archives, was taken during a March 1976 brief helicopter visit to the CEGHQ at CFS Carp by Prime Minister Pierre Elliot Trudeau, Chief of Defence Staff LGen Jacques Dextraze and Minister of National Defence Barney Danson. At that time the bunker and its real primary function as the emergency nuclear war location of essential federal government personages was ‘hush hush’. Not long after this visit PM Trudeau announced the existence of the facility and its’ purpose to the House of Commons. Thus the existence of the Central Emergency Government HQ became no longer a “SECRET”. It was rumoured at the time that the only comment that the PM made about the facility is that he didn’t like the paint colours in his suite.
Trudeau was the only PM to visit the facility….that we know of! There have been rumors that at one time during its construction Prime Minister Diefenbaker paid a surprise, incognito visit, but to date no substantive evidence has been found to back this up. Given the character of the man, it is a dubious story.
