Diefenbunker archives voices from the bunker’s active duty history

CARP – While visitors go to the Diefenbunker: Canada’s Cold War Museum to see history, now the museum staff has made it possible so you can listen to history, from the mouths of those who lived it.

Diefenbunker staff have collected, and are now sharing, archival recordings of what life was like at the Diefenbunker when it was in active duty from those who worked and stayed there.

“We’re proud to announce the launch of new Cold War resources on our website,” Deifenbunker staff released in a statement Monday (Feb. 27). “These resources offer insights into our collections, provide primary research on the Cold War, and give an inside look at life underground through oral histories from former Diefenbunker personnel.”

The new website has archived a number of audio recordings featuring a variety of different staff members at various timed throughout the Diefenbunker’s active duty.

“Between 1962 and 1994, thousands of Canadian military personnel, public servants, and contractors came through the Diefenbunker for postings, exercises, and routine duties, making sure the site was not only functioning efficiently as a military communications facility, but was also ready — should the need arise — to serve as a survival shelter for the nation’s government,” the Diefenbunker said. “Immerse yourself in the stories, artifacts, and people from the past that are helping us to keep Cold War history alive.”

Archived voices include construction workers building the bunker in 1957, control and machine room operators, teletype technicians, the commanding officer’s secretary, cooks and more, you can hear a variety of perspectives on the Cold War bunker.

You can listen to the oral histories and find other resources here: https://diefenbunker.ca/oral-histories/.