Canada's Secret Army Bunker During the Cold War

Diefenbunker - located in Carp, about 40 minute drive west of Ottawa

I have been to Ottawa before a number of times in the past thirty years visiting my sister and friends.

 An alert system stand guard the entrance to the Cold War bunker

 It is only recently that I learned of the Diefenbunker structure located in Carp, a small town about a forty minute drive from Ottawa.

On our way to Ottawa for the Tulip Festival, we stopped to visit Diefenbunker, Ottawa's most unique historic site.

The Helicopter Patch at the Diefenbunker

Diefenbunker, Canada's response to the Cold War built during the Diefenbaker government, was designed to shelter some government and military officials in the event of a nuclear attack.

Inside the Entrance to the Tunnel of the Nuclear Bunker

The bunker was built in the late 1950's on time and on budget! A rare thing these days.

The Tunnel Leading to the 4 Story Underground Nuclear Shelter

Fortunately, this nuclear shelter for our government officials was never used for its intended purpose.

A Well Equipped Hospital

The only Canadian Prime Minister ever visited this nuclear bunker was Pierre Trudeau whose army helicopter landed right on the bunker's helicopter patch.

The nuclear bunker is a 100,000 square feet facility which could accommodate about three hundred people.

It had a decontaminated area and people entering the site would have been required to shower first then scrubbed and later on with his/her clothes buried underground to prevent the contamination by any nuclear dust carried on people's clothes.

Beds were anchored down by chain in case of earthquakes

It also had a well equipped hospital with a qualified team of medical staff consisted of doctors, nurses and dentists.

Everything was well thought out and many furnishing items were  anchored down by strong chained in case there was an earthquake during a nuclear attack

The cafeteria where soldiers and officers dined

Military personnel and officers dined in a spacious cafeteria.

The Cafeteria also doubled as a recreational space

The cafeteria also doubled as a recreational hall where military officers gathered to relax and to watch movies.

Dances, musical performances an d even weddings were held there.

The Prime Minister's Office

In the case of a nuclear attack, the Prime Minister of Canada,  Cabinet Ministers and some military officials would have worked in the offices located in this bunker.











There was a bedroom for the Prime Minister with his own en suite bathroom.







Though Prime Minister Diefenbaker never even visited this bunker. His bedroom was supplied with blankets with his own insignia.

The Computer Room

The computer room housed gigantic computer machines.

But the guide told us that all the tasks performed by the machines in this computer room could be easily done by one of today's i phone. How about that?

The Meeting Room

In case of a nuclear attack. as long as there were the Prime Minister, the Governor General and three Cabinet Ministers - this would be the legitimate government who could meet and make decisions to continue to govern Canada.

The Door to the Bank of Canada Vault

A vault was also built to shelter Canada's gold reserves during a nuclear conflict.

The Bank of Canada Vault

The door to the Bank of Canada Vault was so heavy and secure that it required four people ( each with different combination of the four locks)  to open and close it.







We were glad that we visited this unique historic site and though the Diefenbunker Government did plan to retreat to this place for protection during the Cuban missile crisis  in 1962, we were really happy to learn that this site was never used for its intended purpose!







R.T.
Diefendbunker
Carp, Ottawa Region

Renfrew, A Pretty Little Town in the Ottawa Valley

A historic building built in 1906, Renfrew, Ontario

We got back to the resort after climbing up the hill and sweating like a pig. Thanks to Rosie, lunch was ready! We could rest, eat and talk for a little while .

Off we went in the afternoon exploring another historic town in the Ottawa Valley.
This time we drove to Renfrew, a little pretty town with 8500 inhabitants, and the birthplace of NHL!

Historic Downtown Renfrew, Ontario

It took about twenty minutes by car and we reached the downtown area of Renfrew where interesting shops and eateries lined the main street on both sides with numerous Canadian flags  hoisting high and waving proudly on street posts. A rare display of Canadian flags and patriotism in a Canadian town. We loved it!!!

Downtown Renfrew is lined with interesting shops and eateries

W. was outnumbered by three women.

Therefore he spent most of his time waiting outside the stores while the three of us wandered inside and admired those neat kitchen gadgets and garden decorations.

Waiting impatiently outside the store, W. went across the road to the town's information centre.

The Swinging Bridge, Renfrew

" They are closed! They closed at 3 O clock." My brother said to me as I came out of the gardening shop.

" O! That's too bad! We won't have any brochures about the town." I said, disappointment evident in my voice.

A shelter area for picnic at the Swinging Bridge

" Hi, how can I help you? I heard that you said the information centre is closed." A nice gentleman overheard our conversation and  offered to help us. We asked him about the attractions and points of interest in Renfrew.

The Swinging Bridge, Renfrew

He patiently explained to us all our questions and directed us to the places where we would be interested in visiting.

We took numerous beautiful pictures at the Swinging Bridge

We chatted on the sidewalk for about  ten minutes. What a nice person who was very generous of his time and a great ambassador of Renfrew!

We visited a few shops, stopped at Tim Horton's for our afternoon coffee and drove to visit the Swinging Bridge - a great place for pictures and a family picnic!

Beautiful scenery around the Ottawa Valley

On our way back, we came across some breathtaking scenery. We stopped, snapped a few pictures, ran for our lives before eaten alive by the mosquitoes!

A tranquil rural scenery near Renfrew

Another wonderful day visiting the Ottawa Valley!


R.T.
Renfrew
Ottawa Valley

A Morning Walk to the Hill of Calabogie Peak

Our second morning at the resort

The resort where we are staying

We decided that we would sleep in until whenever time we would wake up naturally.













Rosie was kind enough to let me sleep and I was the last to get up.

After breakfast, W., Xiao and I went out for a walk to the top of the hill while Rosie and Mom took  a stroll around the resort.

Dickson Manor, Calabogie Resort seen from the top of the hill

My family and I are Nordic skiers and we try to ski every year. But I have never walked up to a ski hill in the off season.

This was the first time! The view from the top of the hill was worth all the efforts!

We could see the entire area and the buildings below look like little houses from a fairly tale book.







It took us a couple of hours climbing up and coming back down. It was a great exercise and we could skip our weekly exercise program for this week while we are on holidays!

R.T.
Calabogie Peaks

A Side Trip to Burnstown, Ontario

The Church in Burnstown, Ontario

After an evening of rest, and a relaxed breakfast at the resort, we headed out to explore the little towns and villages in the Ottawa Valley area.

Blackbird Cafe and a gallery housed within historic buildings

After about a twenty minute drive, we were in the village of Burnstown, Ontario.

The Bittersweet Gallery, Burnstown, Ontario

It is a quaint little town with a pretty church, a couple of galleries and two nice restaurants located in the business area of the  village.   

Glass pieces displayed in Bittersweet Gallery

We visited the Bittersweet Gallery and admired the art  and jewelry pieces made by local artists.

















                                                               
                                         There were quite a variety and
many pieces of local arts on display.

A clay art piece by Richard G.

The largest display was a collection of clay sculptures by Richard Gill.

The Neat Cafe

We went over to the Neat Cafe cross the road and had a cup of coffee to rest our feet.

Enjoying a break at the Neat Cafe

Originally, a school house, the Neat Cafe is a popular cafe in the village for tourists and locals alike.

It has a nice menu offering sandwiches, baked goods and yummy pizzas. We tried the Neat Pizza and the Woodstock Pizza - both were baked in wood stove oven and with thick crusts, made for order and
very delicious indeed!

Pretty good pizza and coffee  served at the Neat Cafe, Burnstown

                                                                   





    The Neat Cafe has WiFi with
 friendly staff and good service.


We learned that there are also monthly live music and performances held in the cafe.

We will try to attend one of these concerts in the future when we visit Ottawa again!


R.T.
Burnstown
Ottawa Valley, Ontario

Spending Family Time at the Calabogie Peaks Resort, Calabogie, Ontario

The Calabogie Peaks Resort, Calabogie, Ontario

We are heading towards to Ottawa for its annual famous Tulip Festival and we decided to take a family road trip and stop on the way to visit some small towns.

Our VIP unit is on the hill behind the reception office

 Rosie booked us into the Calabogie Peaks Resort. Traveling with Wing, Xiao, Rosie and Mom, we all packed into Rosie's SUV and loaded it up with what we would need for the next few days.

 Getting to our destination was quite a drive as we stopped at the Big Apple and the Cheese Factory. It took longer than we had expected.

Our Unit overlooking the lake and the grounds below

But the drive was worth it as we were given the VIP unit on top of the mountain with an excellent view.

View from the Boathouse of the Resort

A Beautiful View from Our Balcony

The Living Room

The unit we are staying in is like a 2 bedroom townhouse with a main floor open living room/ dining room and a spacious kitchen where we can prepare our meals.

Mom Playing Mah Jong

Mom is happy about the place as it is big enough to house three of her children and a girl friend. This means she can have enough people to play mah jong with her and keep her entertained!


We looked forward to the next few days spending time with the family!

R.T.
Calabogie Peaks Resort
 Ontario