Secret Underground Bunker & Gold Vault - Touring The Diefenbunker: Canada's Cold War Museum

Recently I visited a former secret bunker in Ontario Canada, which is now a Cold War museum. We were picking up a geodesic radome from the nearby satellite station ( • I Bought A Geodesic Sp... ) and the bunker looked to cool to pass up!
This is just a quick run through the public parts of the bunker, unfortunately we didn't have time for more than a brief visit. If you're in the area, it's well worth a visit of several hours!
You can find info on the Diefenbunker, as well as some virtual tours of areas we missed by visiting diefenbunker.ca/
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[@jfolan2503]

I just recently found my entrance stub from being there in 2006. My spouse and I visited my sister who was in the Military in Ottawa. What a great tour as I can remember. So worth it ! I was born on August 6, 1945…..the actual day of the Bombing of Hiroshima and find history like this so fascinating !! So glad we went while we were there visiting from Boston 👍🏼

[@DaleClark]

I toured it in the late 90s and they had guided tours back then. Defintely some interesting stories including the radio room leaking where they discovered that the fence surrounding the facilities were acting like an antenna.

[@JCLoony]

You are part of the reason I'm getting into ham radio, and learning from the OARC right now. Some of my instructors are ones who operate that radio room.

[@saveitforparts]

Awesome!

[@gwesco]

The shot of the Control Data tape drive brought back memories. My first real job was working for CDC in one of their terminal products factories where they made CRT terminals that connected to mainframes through RS-232. I was a tech there and worked on several lines including troubleshooting and repairing printed circuit cards used in the terminals.

[@scottmackinnon5975]

The Diefenbunker was also where Denis Lortie stole firearms from and ended up using them in the National Assembly of Quebec. Killing multiple people. The military police helped him load the weapons in his car. If you end up coming back, let me know!

[@patchvonbraun]

Wow. That was a piece of history I didn't know about--the connection to CFS Carp.

[@gavin9038]

Was he military personnel??

[@saveitforparts]

I didn't know that! Interesting.

[@scottmackinnon5975]

@@gavin9038 Yes, he was a corporal.

[@wet_back]

Interesting. I can't find much info about why the government helped Lortie conduct this mass shooting, even helping to load the weapons for him. I wonder what was going on in the government during those times.

[@timskinnercanada]

Great overview. Well done. I conduct photoshoots there frequently and I agree, the staff are really super. It’s such a cool space. If you’re ever back try to make arrangements in advance to see inside the machine room. You would love it in there.

[@smrp1984]

given the short time you had there i think you did a great job capturing it for us, thank you!

[@paulsengupta971]

I have to go and visit this one day!

[@Dteyn]

Just wanted to say thank you for the great content. I found your channel a few months ago and it's become one of my favourite channels. It's always a treat when one of your videos pops up in my feed. It's usually in the top left prime position since YT knows I'll watch it haha. I enjoy it all, from the boat stuff, Sandland, satellite stuff or anything in between, it's just a joy to watch you doing the stuff you do. Thanks for all the positive vibes Gabe! You rock ❤

[@saveitforparts]

Thanks! Glad you like it, I know my content tends to be all over the place :-)

[@Dteyn]

It's all good! I think that's what makes it so enjoyable for me also. Never know what's coming up next! Also congrats on 150k subs by the way! 🎉🎉🎉

[@davidmontgomery8403]

I'm one of the Diefenbunker's volunteer tour guides-great video!

[@FroggyTWrite]

hope you do get to go back, it would be great to see a more in-depth tour with a person who worked there

[@memejeff]

Extremely interesting museum. Great tour.

[@Peter_S_]

Really cool. Thanks for the tour.👍

[@johnmf6096]

Thats wild that you can hear the cw being tapped out next to the antenna like that

[@saveitforparts]

I think there's a circuit inside that box doing the keying for a beacon. Either that or a relay, not sure!

[@eliotmansfield]

looks a good place to visit. We have a few in the UK such as Kelveden Hatch,Hack Green, York, raf holmpton, Porthcurno, Drakelow tunnels

[@k7iq]

Excellent presentation !

[@bungaloboynes]

There lost of these in UK can only imagine what bunkers the Built to replace the cold war bunker they give tours on now they must be mega the secret vault you tube channel showes alot of these UK bunkers well worth a look

[@MrFatalZero]

Very cool! Really appreciate the content mate!

[@AndyCallaway]

Cool video. There's a very similar facility at Kelvedon Hatch, in the UK. I went there a few years ago.

[@myrandom603]

Just catching this today - excellent tour video and narration describing everything. Never knew about this but look forward to touring it someday if I ever get out that way. Thanks for taking us along!

[@rubenskiii]

Love that you take the time to do this, always a surprise what you do or make, and always great to see.

[@ProjectGeek1]

My favorite museum. I've done the public tour and a private. I can't believe you've been here too!

[@Patterntrick]

Thanks for taking us on the tour. I enjoyed this as much as your project videos.

[@Justin-pt2dq]

Very cool video! Btw, Canada now has zero gold reserves.

[@michaellichter4091]

Thank you very much for the great tour of the atomic bunker, and thank you for the many interesting pieces of information about the various points in the bunker. It is my great pleasure that I was able to accompany you on the tour of the bunker. 🥰🤗

[@jamied2108]

Thank you for sharing the time you spent at the bunker.. That is so cool !!!

[@BearMeat4Dinner]

Dude this joint is literally ten miles away from me! I want to check it out sometime ❤!

[@cactuscrunch5631]

Very interesting

[@poopakabra541]

Crazy how that exists

[@truthreigns7]

Thank you for sharing this with us. I do not see me ever going there but i do find it quite interesting.

[@Scaarus]

This is so rad. Thanks for sharing the footage!

[@beefchicken]

“All the citizens are dead but we saved the gold!”

[@mike97525]

Thanks😎😎

[@dmacpher]

Woooo hooo! Thanks man. Hello from Canada!

[@jakethesnake4438]

loved the vid ... just imagine what the modern day bunkers look like

[@everettw]

Great video. Thank you for sharing with us.

[@belisarius565]

Nice!

[@Rebar77_real]

Neat stuff. Nice to have there for the radio operators and staff in an apocalyptic situation. It was good the guy didn't need it though. :p Thanks for the extra footage!

[@DJHLX3]

Never knew u could check this place out got to see this nice video thanks !

[@Ant0n557]

Wow

[@gilmour73]

I think I mentioned in a previous video that I used to give tours of the Atlantic regional headquarters. It was pretty cool to see, even though everything was decommissioned and empty.

[@saveitforparts]

Cool! I always like old bunkers and military bases :-)

[@itwasrightthere]

My wife was there about a month or so ago, took the tour and recorded an interview (I think) I wish I could have went, but I can’t follow her everywhere.

[@gannas42]

I had no idea... what a cool tour. Really dig this old cold war-era stuff. Maybe it is because when I was a kid there was still a ton of concern about global thermonuclear war. Too bad you didn't find a WOPR in there. 😅 As always, thanks for another awesome video!

[@dustinswatsons9150]

Yeah don't ever forget mirrors could be doors

[@TommyCrosby]

Weird to see on YT a place I visited IRL and be practically the same as I saw - thirteen years ago... (Obviously, staying the same is the purpose of this museum)

[@AcidOllie]

I find it incredible that there's an atomic bomb just lost out there somewhere. It's nuts!

[@daveys]

Excellent museum site, and well presented as always! If you ever come back to the UK, there are a few “Secret Nuclear Bunker” sites that you could visit, depending on where you are staying. I think it’d be interesting to visit each country’s bunkers just to see the similarities and differences. I’ll pop that on my bucket list.

[@paulsengupta971]

I visited one in Germany about a year, near Bonn, which would have been the seat of the West German government. Seen a couple in the UK which have been left to rot or cleaned out, but I want to go to the one in Kelvedon Hatch.

[@daveys]

@@paulsengupta971 - It’s a shame that these are not seen as being part of our heritage, but I’ve been to a few in the UK that are worth a look. The Cheshire one and the Edinburgh one are both pretty good.

[@NellyPawes]

holy shit ive actually been here Yeah the bunker is pretty fucking sick, even saw a few kids holding a birthday party.

[@ethan_]

This is so cool. What was the area that was "Off limits to all male personnel?" Pretty official sounding for something that could just be a women's bathroom

[@saveitforparts]

Women's dorm I think

[@ncot_tech]

I like the idea of needing to protect gold from nuclear war. Can't have that inert metal getting all ... dusty from fallout. And in a postapocalyptic world gold is going to be really important 😆

[@patchvonbraun]

I always find the inert nuke weapons near the entrance to be kind of unsettling....

[@michaelbendzick2440]

The topside vents share a certain aesthetic with a certain shallow portion of a certain tunnel system. Did you check for a connection?

[@saveitforparts]

Not sure which one you mean exactly! There's a rumor of tunnel connections to other facilities. Over in London and other cities, they did have tunnels between a lot of their bunkers. I think here it was more cost-effective to do buried conduits and duct banks.

[@alaskansummertime]

Free samples!

[@dustinswatsons9150]

Savage

[@mbmann3892]

Wait, the dude who otherized this project refused to use it. ?

[@ThaRealChuckD]

Because the first thing you're going to need when you walk out into the nuclear desert is gold. 🤦🏻 And..somewhere at the bottom of the ocean is a live nuclear bomb. 🤦🏻 Very cool though, thanks!

[@Peter_S_]

If you're talking about the broken arrow mentioned here.... the bomb did not contain a core so it was not a live nuclear bomb, and when they jettisoned the bomb, the weapons officer armed it for an airburst to ensure it was destroyed. According to declassified documents, the crew watched the bomb detonate at 1100 meters above the water.

[@Jesus_Christ_is_Lord_]

There is something off about this bunker. It feels very creepy not sure if thats just how canadians decorated it or if its because this bunker seems like the backrooms. Just seems like it has a strange vibe about it.

[@DadofScience]

Hey mate, can I suggest you mirror your content on other platforms for two reasons: one, to ensure you content is preserved online (in the case of KZbin deciding you're no longer worthy); and two, for those of us who want to follow creators content but dislike KZbin's treatment of said content creators and stance on content moderation. Keep up the good work!

[@saveitforparts]

Can you suggest any? I was contacted by some weird blockchain sites but they seem to be mostly porn and scams.

[@DadofScience]

I think Odysee is a good choice, with Rumble also seeing some love too. There are tools that will automatically clone your content from one platform to another, saving you the pain of another manual upload. I think Odysee has a native system for porting content.

[@N8DE420]

👋

[@senorjp21]

I'm Canadian and I'm impressed we built something like this. We are generally somewhat incompetent.

[@gavin9038]

Not any more or less than us Brits. I think your cold war bunkers look a bit nicer than ours too.