Canada on the World Stage

By Adrian409

  • The United Nations is created in San Francisco. Canada is one of the original members to sign the Charter

    *Not exact day

  • Two superpowers – the Soviet Union in the East and the United States in the West.

    build up powerful nuclear weapons in a hostile and tense competition for world power. Countries ally with one side or the other in military alliances. Fears of Communism, spies, and nuclear war grow in the West. 1945 - 1989

  • Soviet spy Igor Gouzenko defects to Canada and exposes a Russian spy ring in Canada.

  • U.N. countries sign the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which Canadian John Humphrey had an important role in writing.

  • The British Commonwealth is created: Canada is one of the original members.

  • NATO – the North Atlantic Treaty Organization

    NATO is created as a military defence alliance because of fears created by the Cold War with Russia and its allies. NATO includes Canada, the U.S., Britain, and countries of northwestern Europe.

  • Canada sends troops to the Korean War in a United Nations-supported military action

    1950 - 1953

  • Lester Pearson becomes Canada’s ambassador to the United Nations.

  • The first U.N. peacekeeping troops, in a decision negotiated by Lester Pearson, are sent to prevent war in the Suez Crisis.

  • Lester Pearson wins the Nobel Peace Prize.

  • Canada creates the Canadian International Development Agency to support international cooperation with countries of the world.

  • Cuban Missile Crisis: The U.S. and Soviet Union come close to nuclear war.

  • Canada participates in a U.N. peacekeeping mission to Cyprus.

  • Canada signs the Automobile Pact with the U.S. This is the beginning of free trade between the two countries.

  • The Organization of American States is created.

  • The international organization of the Francophonie is created.

  • Pierre Elliott Trudeau visits China on a peace mission.

  • Olympic Games are held in Montreal.

  • Canada establishes protected fishing zones up to 200 miles from its coasts.

  • Canada participates in the first Inuit Circumpolar Conference with other northern nations.

  • The Inuit Circumpolar Conference is held in Iqaluit (NWT).

  • Olympic Games are held in Calgary.

  • Canada sends troops to support the U.S. in the Gulf War against Iraq.

  • U.S., Canada, and Mexico sign the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).

  • Canada seizes a Spanish ship that is fishing illegally in Canadian waters

  • Canada sends troops to U.N. Peacekeeping mission in Bosnia.

  • Canada is one of the first countries to sign the Land Mine Ban Treaty,

  • Canada signs the Kyoto Accord, an international agreement to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in order to control climate change.

  • The Pan Am Games take place in Winnipeg.

  • Canada begins collaboration in military defence, development, and reconstruction missions in Afghanistan.

  • UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan names Stephen Lewis special envoy for AIDS in Africa.

  • Nelson Mandela visits Canada and is named an honorary citizen.

  • PM Jean Chrétien announces that Canada will not participate in military action against Iraq without UN validation.

  • Judge Louise Arbour is named High Commissioner for Refugees of the UN.

  • Canada devotes considerable resources – human and financial – to Southeast Asia following a devastating tsunami.

  • Canada creates a special advisory team to coordinate Canada’s efforts to resolve the humanitarian crisis in Darfur, Sudan.

  • A reconstruction team is sent to Kandahar, Afghanistan to assist the newly elected Afghanistan government.