Skip to content

Nelson’s Cold War bunker to open to public

Touchstones Nelson is set to show off a unique time capsule
22835946_web1_201001-KWS-Touchstones_1
Touchstones Nelson will open a real Cold War bunker to the public this month. File photo

Submitted by Touchstones Nelson

During the height of the Cold War, in the 1950s and 1960s, nearly 50 bunkers were constructed across Canada. Their purpose was to shelter up to 8,000 officials in the event of a nuclear war, and they were commonly found in secure locations in a well-constructed federal building, such as the Nelson Post Office.

Few people knew about the existence of Nelson’s own bunker, until 2013 when Touchstones Nelson Museum began offering private tours. Since then the museum board and staff have been working to preserve and prepare the space for public viewing. After many years of planning, the Cold War Bunker is opening to the public as a permanent museum exhibition and heritage site.

“The Touchstones Nelson team is thrilled that after renovations, the development of an exhibition and educational programming development, new collections storage, an updated HVAC system to meet museum-standards, updated washrooms, new lighting, and more, the Bunker will open in October!” says Astrid Heyerdahl, executive director of Touchstones.

The exhibition explains the role of the bunker in the context of the extraordinary world wide tensions at that time. Among the items preserved from the original bunker, visitors can view a ‘Mobile Feeding Unit’, a self-contained ration kit that converted to a table; a Geiger counter, and many cold-war related items from the Touchstones Nelson collection and on loan from other museums.

The bunker kitchen and Civil Defence Co-ordinators Office have been recreated, and include many items that were originally found in the bunker.

“It has been fascinating uncovering the story of this largely unknown part of Nelson’s history,” says Jean-Philippe Stienne, archivist and collections manager at Touchstones Nelson Museum.

“I am delighted that we are able to finally share the secrets of the bunker with the community, and welcome visitors into this Cold War era time capsule of the 1960s.”

The Bunker opens to the public on Saturday, Oct. 17 at 2 p.m., with a members-only showing from 11:30 to 2. Due to distancing restrictions, tours of 10 are booked for 30-minute time slots, which must be registered in advance by visiting Eventbrite or calling 250-352-9813.