Skip to content

The secret Canadian Central Emergency Government…

“The secret Canadian Central Emergency Government Headquarters, known colloquially as the “Diefenbunker,” after Prime Minister John Diefenbaker, had been built beginning in 1959, buried seventy-five feet underground about thirty-five minutes west of Ottawa. Known as CFS (Canadian Forces Station)…” quote by Garrett M. Graff
Download Open image
““The secret Canadian Central Emergency Government Headquarters, known colloquially as the “Diefenbunker,” after Prime Minister John Diefenbaker, had been built beginning in 1959, buried seventy-five feet underground about thirty-five minutes west of Ottawa. Known as CFS (Canadian Forces Station) Carp, the $22 million facility operated under the cover of an innocuous communications base. Next to a small parking lot in Carp, behind barbed wire fences, a small tin shed and a series of antennas were all that appeared aboveground. One of the only hints of its special function was the unit’s crest, dominated by the three-headed dog Cerberus, who according to legend guarded the entrance to the underworld.””

Garrett M. Graff

About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

The Diefenbunker was a massive underground command center built during the Cold War, hidden beneath a rural area and marked only by subtle signs like a crest featuring Cerberus.

In simple terms: Canada built a secret underground bunker during the Cold War, disguised as a normal base.

Key Takeaway

Recognize hidden threats in ordinary places.

Themes

cold war secrecy military engineering civil defense symbolism

Mood

historical intriguing serious

Type

expository historical documentary

When to use this quote

  • government planning
  • emergency preparedness
  • historical tours

Key Concepts

deterrence national security underground architecture

Questions to Reflect On

  • What does the bunker’s secrecy reveal about Cold War fears?
  • How do symbols like Cerberus shape perception of security?
A Different Perspective

Public may underestimate the scale of hidden facilities.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet

More by Garrett M. Graff

Explore all 92 Garrett M. Graff quotes

More Barbed wire quotes

Browse all 144 Barbed wire quotes