{"id":203,"date":"2017-12-06T14:47:56","date_gmt":"2017-12-06T21:47:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/deadmonton.com\/blog\/?p=203"},"modified":"2017-12-06T14:47:56","modified_gmt":"2017-12-06T21:47:56","slug":"edmonton-civil-defence-bunker","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/deadmonton.com\/blog\/edmonton-civil-defence-bunker\/","title":{"rendered":"Edmonton Civil Defence Bunker"},"content":{"rendered":"

Use For a Good Bunker<\/em><\/span><\/h2>\n

The first Deadmonton story–Sometimes You Die<\/em>–begins at Edmonton’s Civil Defence bunker. The bunker was meant to make an appearance in what will be the\u00a0ongoing storyline of Deadmonton.com. However, as is often the case in writing, the characters turned out to be too damn stubborn to go where I wanted them to, so I reluctantly chopped the location out. But the facility never left my thoughts.<\/p>\n

\"Edmonton
Edmonton Civil Defence Bunker<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Later, a couple of characters also fell to editing; they just held the story back too much. And, well, I liked those two. Could they be used elsewhere? Could they survive with their limitations and without the aid of others? That’s when the bunker popped back in. Voila! A new short-story that stands on its own (hopefully, you’ll agree), and I got to bring back the characters and the bunker.<\/p>\n

And there was much rejoicing.<\/p>\n

Edmonton Civil Defence Bunker History<\/span><\/em><\/h2>\n

Below, is a little history of Civil Defence bunker where my couple has made their home. A big thank you to Fred Armbruster, Executive Director of the Canadian Civil Defence Museum Association, for answering my questions and allowing the use of his images. Visit the museum’s website<\/a> for facts on the Cold War era and how it affected Edmonton.<\/p>\n

In 1954, at the height of the Cold War era, Edmonton found itself in a precarious position due to its military operations and oil production. It was believed it would be a target of the Soviet Union, with its Atomic bombs, should conflict boil over.<\/p>\n

While the city prepared by making emergency recordings, placing air raid sirens and creating plans to evacuate the city within three hours, there was still a need for a base of operations to work from should the city become irradiated after an attack.<\/p>\n

This is where the Civil Defence Bunker came in. Built between 1952 – 1953, and nestled in the River Valley neighborhood of Crestwood, the bunker could pass as a utility shed, except for the ominous lettering beside the door: Civil Defence Edmonton.<\/p>\n

\"Civil
Google maps look at the Edmonton Civil Defence bunker. Image copyright Google.com<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Three feet under this entrance is the start of the facility itself. 2600 square feet with eleven-foot ceilings, and designed to house 36 people. It never did see use except for the control center staff that practiced emergency protocols.<\/p>\n

Bunker Features<\/span><\/em><\/h2>\n