Canada Entry into World Stage CHC2P Alicia Cuzner Healy

Nuclear Arms Race Goes Ballistic Soviet Union detonated nuclear bombs in 1949 and 1953 Started the race for nuclear supremacy By the mid 1950s, the USSR and USA had both stockpiled hydrogen bombs

Public Fear The arms race of missiles caused people to fear a nuclear fallout Bomb shelters built Cuzner Cottage

Distant Early Warning (DEW) Line Through out the 1950s Canada and USA co-operated to build a system of radar stations Fighter Jets based in Canadian North to detect and intercept flights of Soviet bombers (if they came) NORAD (North American Air Defense) system was established in 1957 to co-ordinate these defense programs

High Arctic Relocation High Arctic relocation program 87 Inuit were relocated about 1,200 kilometres to Canada's most northerly settlements The Inuit from Inukjuak, a community in northern Quebec, were moved to Grise Fiord and Resolute, in what is now Nunavut, in 1953 and 1956 the transplanted families — commonly dubbed the "High Arctic Exiles" — did not get what the government of the day had promised them.

Unfamiliar Conditions These Inuit went from their life in a tree filled area to high arctic tundra desert – WITH NO PROPER SUPPLIES The relocated Inuit also had to cope with unfamiliar conditions and little government support. They were taken from the relatively lush tundra of northern Quebec to the High Arctic, where they found a much colder climate, unfamiliar terrain, constant winter darkness and limited varieties of wildlife that they could hunt. They were not provided with adequate shelter and supplies. They were not properly informed of how far away and how different from Inukjuak their new homes would be, and they were not aware that they would be separated into two communities once they arrived in the High Arctic

Sputnik Soviet Union used a ballistic rocket to launch the first human made earth satellite Sputnik proved that the Soviets could use the missiles to send nuclear warheads deep into the American heartland Caused the Americans to rush to make more ballistics

The Cuban Missile Crisis 1959 Cuban communist forces, led by Fidel Castro, successfully overthrew the pro- American government Killed or kicked out all American families who were rich and had control over Cuba Castro welcomed the military air of the USSR 1959-1962 relationships between the United States and Cuba worsened

Cuba and USA In Oct 1962 the United States discovered that Soviet missiles with atomic warheads were being installed in Cuba U.S. President John F. Kennedy and the Soviet Union leader Nikita Khrushchev exchanged threats of a nuclear war Threat ended once the Cuban missiles were removed

Development of an Independent Canadian Foreign Policy 1940s-1950s Canada and US continued to cooperate in their foreign policy objectives (anti-communist drive) Canada supported this through NATO and NORAD UN Peace Keeping Egypt 1956 (Gamal Abdal Nasser VS Britain and France for Suez Canal Canada stayed active in Cuba, keeping up diplomatic relationships even though the US was displeased….

Battle over Bomarc Missiles By mid 1950s, Canada thought they could only properly protect themselves against USSR missiles by joining with the American Air Force PM John Diefenbaker agreed to join NORAD system in the north He accepted the U.S. Bomarc-B missiles for Canada – used by the Canadian Army Used CF-140 jetfighters for the Canadian NATO squadrons This committed Canada to a strong role in NORAD and NATO defense and to the use of nuclear weapons

Protest against “Nukes” Diefenbaker rejected the use of American missiles on Canadian air bases There was lots of protests against nuclear weapons in Canada The Co-operative Commonwealth Federation (CCF), Liberal Party, Women’s Group, and many intellectuals raised a storm of protest against nukes

Terms to Know DEW line Nikita Khrushchev High Arctic Relocation NATO Sputnik NORAD Cuban Missile Crisis Fidel Castro John F. Kennedy