Diefenbaker Canada Centre facts for kids
Diefenbaker Canada Centre
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| Established | 1980 |
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| Location | Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada |
| Type | Prime ministerial museum and archives |
The Diefenbaker Canada Centre is a special museum and archives. It is located in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada. This centre celebrates the life and work of John G. Diefenbaker. He was Canada's 13th Prime Minister.
How the Centre Began
John G. Diefenbaker became the leader of the University of Saskatchewan in 1969. He offered to give his personal items and papers to the university. His idea was to create a museum and archives to keep them safe.
Diefenbaker was inspired by a similar place in the United States. He had visited the Harry S. Truman Presidential Library and Museum. This visit gave him the idea for his own centre in Canada. The university agreed to his plan. Construction on the centre began soon after. It officially opened its doors on June 12, 1980.
Exploring the Museum
The museum at the Diefenbaker Canada Centre has a main display. It shows important parts of Diefenbaker's life and career. You can see recreated rooms from his time as Prime Minister. These include his office and the Privy Council Chambers. These rooms look just like they did on Parliament Hill from 1957 to 1963.
A part of the museum also features special exhibits. These exhibits change over time. They often show things related to Diefenbaker's interests.
Discovering the Archives
The Diefenbaker Canada Centre also has a large archives section. This is where many important documents are kept. It holds Diefenbaker's personal and work papers. You can also find many photographs and audio-visual materials here. This includes all his papers from when he was Prime Minister.
It is interesting to know that Diefenbaker's papers are unique. Along with those of R.B. Bennett, they are the only prime ministerial papers not kept at Library and Archives Canada. This makes the Diefenbaker Canada Centre a very special place for Canadian history.
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John G. Diefenbaker Centre for the Study of Canada
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John G. Diefenbaker Centre for the Study of Canada
