For more than 30 years, the Canadian military ran the Bunker as Canadian Forces Station Carp. Many hundreds of people, both military and civilians, were stationed here. For most of the 1960s, they lived here 24/7. By the 1970s, most personnel lived outside the Bunker and commuted to CFS Carp.

Emergency preparedness drills necessitated the occasional lockdown, just to keep in practice should there be an escalation of Cold War tensions into a full-blown nuclear war. For those stationed here, recreation and food were important ways to reduce the stress of living and working in the Bunker.

If you were one of the few admitted into the Bunker during lockdown, each minute of your Bunker existence would have been scheduled and enforced. Where and when you slept. When and with whom you ate, worked, and relaxed. What chores you were responsible for, even what route you walked along within the building.

One part of the dining hall was devoted to recreation, where both men and women would play cards, darts, and shuffleboard. Even historic events would play out in this room. Michael DeNoble, a Facilities operator, remembers watching the 1972 Canada-Soviet Hockey Summit Series:

“...the biggest event that happened, I would have to say when I was in Carp was when Paul Henderson scored the goal that beat the Russians. They had it piped out through the bunker and I was working when he scored, and everybody just went nuts.”

Look around the corner to find the CANEX, which was like a neighbourhood corner store, where personnel could purchase small items like snacks and cigarettes.

Military psychologists visited the Bunker to advise on ways to reduce stress. One very important recommendation was to get outside whenever possible. People stationed at CFS Carp fondly recall baseball games and social events such as the Winter Carnival.