Canadian Nuke Bunker To Be Converted Into Data Fortress

miller60 writes "A hosting firm has purchased a nuke-resistant bunker in Novia Scotia, and plans to convert it into a data fortress for financial firms. Bastionhost hopes to attract European financial firms wary of housing sensitive data in the US due to the USA Patriot Act. The facility is one of a series of 'Diefenbunkers' built during the tenure of Prime Minister John Diefenbaker to keep the Canadian government running in the event of a nuclear attack. While not all of these underground data bunker projects work out, a similar nuke-proof bunker in Stockholm, Sweden was recently converted into a stylish high-tech data lair for an ISP."

Comments

I remember our planning in DND

[WillAffleckUW]

Basically, when we ran the numbers for nuclear war beyond a single missile, we realized the resulting nuclear winter would result in all Canadian forces and almost all of the population dying within months, and stopped wasting time on nuclear weapons, as the cost for security was higher than the deliverables of conventional weapons which were not subject to the constraints.

Basically, being in Vancouver BC at the time, you knew you had at least 10 nukes coming down, and even if intercepted, the EMP blast would take out all commercial systems and the radiation and fire storms would destroy all urban centers beyond useful measure.

So the two bunkers were a total waste of time, only there so the politicos could say they had a plan, and served no useful part, from any of our strategic war games planning.

Re:I remember our planning in DND

[WillAffleckUW]

Department of National Defense, also goes by the French acronym.

At one point, after remuster, I was Chief Clerk for Pacific Region.

Re:I remember our planning in DND

[gstoddart]

I'm just amazed that they thought someone would bother nuking Canada. The only people I can think of who would bother are Boston Bruins fans but they would just hit Montreal.

And, even the Bruins fans will recall the Christmas trees we've been sending down for the last 90 years in gratitude for help after the Halifax Explosion.. There's actually a fairly strong bond between Atlantic Canada and the New England states -- a lot of Empire Loyalists left that area to come to Canada after the Civil war. Some of my ancestors included.

But, on a more serious note, Halifax is a sheltered, deep harbour with a Navy base and an air base. Growing up there during the last bits of the cold war, we were all aware of the fact that we were on the list. It was kind of a depressing fact when we were kids and there was more saber rattling. :(

Cheers

It's Nova Scotia

[barberousse]

Not Novia Scotia.

Re:It's Nova Scotia

[WillAffleckUW]

I thought it was Nouvelle Ecosse ...

Re:from the canada-has-nukes? dept...?

[courteaudotbiz]

You're right, Canada does not possess any weapons of mass destruction... We're just good friends with our neighbors who possess a shitload of nukes.

Always good to have a nuclear bunker if your neighbor even has a slight chance to be part of a nuclear conflict.

Reading the link posted in this comment, I just learned that a secret Canada-US agreement has been signed in my city, Quebec.

Re:Then why Canada?

[idontgno]

You're assuming that the Russkies are good shots.

Hell, I worked for the U.S. Air Force, and I wouldn't assume WE were good shots.

If you're living on an extended patch of ground between two nuclear adversaries, you'd have to be pretty cavalier about living to not have some kind of protection against "short rounds".

Re:Then why Canada?

[mewsenews]

Canadians crossing the border into the United States are almost always covered by alternate legislation than the Rest of The World. Since I was a child the only identification a Canadian needed was a birth certificate. Since 9/11 the Americans have been trying to require passports for land crossings but it keeps being pushed back, although it is required for air travel by Canadians into the USA now.

I didn't know they were the same country?

No, just good friends.