A Noah's Ark for Canada: Emergency Military Headquarters for Nuclear War, 1952-63

Beginning in the 1950s, the Chiefs of Staff Committee (CSC) started contingency planning for an unprecedented scenario: a nuclear strike on Ottawa, and the possible annihilation of the nation’s chain of command.

The following documents detail decisions made by the CSC and other elements of government as they planned emergency procedures for military command in the event of a nuclear war. These plans included building a “Noah’s Ark” [1], a satellite center located outside the capital city with the necessary equipment and personnel to assume control in the event of a nuclear strike.

The documents in this briefing book shed light on how military leaders thought about nuclear war – how they believed such a war could start, how it might unfold, and what Canada would require to maintain command of its military during and after such a war.

Gardes Marchant, Camp Petawawa (1961), Bibliothèque et Archives Canada / Fonds de l'Office national du film / e011177556

[1] CDWB00223