The Diefenbunker will undergo important renovations – The Government of Canada is investing $596,860 toward funding for the renovation and revitalization of the Diefenbunker, Canada’s Cold War Museum and National Historic Site.
Also, the Government of Ontario is investing $492,410 and the Diefenbunker Museum is contributing $402,881 to this project.
“To protect existing visitors and welcome new ones, as well as to preserve an incredible artifact, we need to bring the Cold War bunker into the 21st century,” said Christine McGuire, Executive Director, Diefenbunker, Canada’s Cold War Museum in Ottawa. “That is what this funding will do – it safeguards a unique piece of Canadian history. We are incredibly grateful to the federal and provincial governments for this important support, especially during these difficult times.”
The announcement to renovate The Diefenbunker Museum was made by, the Honourable Catherine McKenna, Minister of Infrastructure and Communities; Karen McCrimmon, Member of Parliament for Kanata−Carleton; the Honourable Dr. Merrilee Fullerton, Ontario’s Minister of Long-Term Care and Member of Provincial Parliament for Kanata−Carleton; and Christine McGuire, Executive Director of the Diefenbunker Museum, announced funding for the renovation and revitalization of the Diefenbunker, Canada’s Cold War Museum and National Historic Site.
The renovations will improve ventilation, plumbing, electrical and mechanical systems while modernizing the 60-year-old washrooms and elevator to meet accessibility standards.
These important upgrades will create good jobs during construction and also ensure that the facility continues to accommodate a diverse audience attendance.
The Government of Canada is investing $596,860 toward this project through the Community, Culture and Recreation Infrastructure Stream of the Investing in Canada plan. The Government of Ontario is investing $492,410 and the Diefenbunker Museum is contributing $402,881 to this project.
All orders of government continue to work together for the people of Ontario to make strategic infrastructure investments in communities across the province when they need it the most.
“The $596,860 that we’re investing in the renovation and revitalization of the Diefenbunker, Canada’s Cold War Museum and National Historic Site, will keep this important part of our history alive to serve the local community as well as visitors from across Canada and beyond,” said The Honourable Catherine McKenna, Minister of Infrastructure and Communities. “It will be a wonderful, accessible and inclusive learning resource for many generations to come. Canada’s infrastructure plan invests in thousands of projects, creates jobs across the country, and builds cleaner, more inclusive communities,” said McKenna.
The Diefenbunker, located in Carp, Ontario just 30 km west of Ottawa, was commissioned by Prime Minister John Diefenbaker in 1959, as part of the Canadian government’s reaction to escalating tensions in the Cold War. The purpose of the bunker was to house key members of the government and military in the event of a nuclear attack on Canada. It was decommissioned in 1994, and in 1998 it was reopened as the Diefenbunker, Canada’s Cold War Museum and designated a National Historic Site.
Quick facts
- Through the Investing in Canada plan, the federal government is investing more than $180 billion over 12 years in public transit projects, green infrastructure, social infrastructure, trade and transportation routes, and Canada’s rural and northern communities.
- Across Ontario, the Government of Canada has invested more than $8 billion in over 2,700 infrastructure projects.
- Across the province and over the next ten years, Ontario is investing approximately $320 million and Canada is investing approximately $407 million under the Community, Culture and Recreation Infrastructure Stream of the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program. This stream supports the construction of new facilities and upgrades to existing facilities that improve community infrastructure (e.g., community centres, and libraries), and support upgrades to recreational venues (e.g., arenas, and both indoor and outdoor recreational spaces) and cultural spaces (e.g., theatres, museums).
- Ontario is investing $10.2 billion under the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program to improve public transit; community, culture and recreation; green, and rural and northern community and other priority infrastructure.
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