Early Development

Canada’s top soldiers and defence officials agreed that the development of a National Emergency Headquarters (NEHQ) was a necessity. However, the plan suffered organizational setbacks as the political landscape of Canada changed. From 1957 to 1961, the JPC pursued the development of NEHQ sporadically, and with frequent deferrals (see CDWB00090, CDWB00094, CDWB00095). This raises important questions: to what extent did the JPC believe NEHQ to be strategically important and how imminent was the nuclear threat?