In the early 1960s, during the height of Cold War anxiety, Canada quietly installed over 2,000 Fallout Reporting Posts across the country to track nuclear fallout in the event of an atomic attack. Now, over 60 years later, the Miami Railway Station Museum has resurrected one of these long-forgotten bunkers—this time as a museum exhibit.
“It’s not just a concrete room or some old hole in the ground,” says Gillies Messier, a Cold War historian and the driving force behind the project. “This thing is a real Cold War artifact, made of corrugated metal—basically a giant culvert—buried underground. It’s the only one of its kind restored in this way in Manitoba, maybe even in Canada.”
From obscurity to exhibit: unearthing a secret network
The fallout post now on display in Miami is a Type B bunker, designed to be buried directly into the ground. “There were three types: Type A, a cinderblock structure inside buildings like post offices; Type B, like the one we’ve recreated here, a metal structure placed underground; and Type C, which were above-ground shelters on stilts in permafrost areas,” explains Messier.
Messier first stumbled into the world of Cold War fallout posts a few years ago while visiting Victoria Beach. “I found what I thought was just some weird air vents sticking out of someone’s yard. Turns out it was one of these fallout posts. From there, I was hooked.”
He dove deep into federal archives, retrieving thousands of pages of now-declassified documents. “Nobody had looked at this stuff in 60 years,” he said. “It felt like turning over a fossil that hadn’t been seen since the dinosaurs. I realized I was probably the first person since the Cold War to really examine these things.”
A bunker born again
While the original Miami bunker was removed in the 1970s—along with others installed near railway stations—Messier tracked down a surviving unit of the same design. Working with the Miami Railway Station Museum, he helped install the unit on museum grounds.
“Gillies has done a tremendous amount of work to get this ready,” says Joan Driedger, chair of the museum. “We’ve had volunteers, fundraisers, and a lot of local interest. It’s been an incredible community effort.”
The newly restored post is built into the ground with a steel hatch, small ladder, and a surprisingly cozy interior. Visitors can now climb inside and experience exactly what a Cold War volunteer would have seen: metal bunks, radiation detection gear, and a periscope.
Not just a display—A whole day of events
To celebrate the official grand opening of the bunker exhibit, the Miami Railway Station Museum is throwing a Cold War-themed party on Saturday, July 5 at 10 a.m.
“We’ve got a fundraising BBQ, live music from a 60s-style band called Flat Top & Company, kids’ activities, displays—it’s going to be a blast from the past in the best way,” says Driedger.
And yes, there will be bunker-themed T-shirts for sale.
A window into Canada’s forgotten defenses
The Cold War fallout post is more than a quirky attraction—it’s a tangible reminder of a tense chapter in Canada’s history. “These were part of the Nuclear Detonation and Fallout Reporting System—ND FRS,” explains Messier. “They were meant to detect and report on nuclear fallout to guide evacuation routes. But the program was shut down before it ever really launched. It was too expensive, too complicated, and in hindsight, not that effective.”
Still, the legacy of these bunkers endures. “I’ve driven all over Manitoba looking for these things,” Messier says. “Out of the 200 built here, maybe half are still around in some form. But this is the only one you can climb into and experience firsthand.”
Don’t miss it
Whether you're a history buff, Cold War nerd, or just looking for a fun day out, the bunker’s grand opening promises to be something truly unique.
“Where else are you going to crawl inside a real Cold War fallout shelter in the middle of Manitoba?” Messier laughs. “You’re not just learning history—you’re stepping into it.”
Event details:
When: Saturday, July 5 at 10:00 a.m.
Where: Miami Railway Station Museum, Miami, MB
What: Grand Opening of Cold War Fallout Post Exhibit (Live music, displays, tours, kids' activities, and fundraising BBQ)