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Quebec's Padlock Law
The Padlock Law - officially called "Act to protect the Province Against Communistic Propaganda" - was an Act of the province of Quebec, passed on March 24, 1937 that was intended to prevent the dissemination of communist propaganda. The Act prohibited anyone print, publish or distribute any newspaper, pamphlet, document or writing, propagating Communism or Bolshevism. Anybody who violated this could be incarcerated for three to thirteen months. -
Spies in Canada: Gouzenko Affair
Gouzenko Testimony Finally ReleasedIn 1945, Igor Goiuzenko was assigned to the Soviet Embassy in Ottawa. Over the course of his work he learned that there were several spy networks in Canada and other western countries operated by Soviet intellegence. Later that year, he learned that he and his family were about to be sent bacl to Russiz, so he offered the Canadian Government information about the spies in return for protection. 18 out of the 39 people named were convicted. After, he and his family went into hiding. -
Berlin Blockade
The Berlin BlockadeIn 1948, the Soviet Union broke an agreement with it's former Allies and built a blockade within Berlin in an attempt to physically block all supplies to West Berlin, in the hopes that the Allies would be forced to give up their established rights to occupy the western part of Berlin. This blockade failed because the Allies orginized an airlift to provide the supplies needed by West Berlin. However, it did raise tension between the Soviet Union and it's former allies. -
International Alliances: NATO
The History of NATOIn 1949, Belgium, Britain, Canada, Denmark, France, Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, and the US formed the North Atlantic Treaty Orginization (NATO). It was created to build up allies in case of war. -
Vietnam War & Draft Dodgers in Canada
Draft DodgersVietman War: Although Canadians did not fight in the war, some troops were sent over.
Draft Dogers: To avoid being drafted or conscripted in the war, tens of thousands of American men crossed the border into Canada. -
The Suez Crisis
Suez Crisis DocumentaryIn 1956, Egyptian leader General Nasser decided to take full control over the Suez Canal Zone. This resulted in a loss of power and wealth for the French and British owners of the canal, as well as a loss of strategic control in the regian for their governments. With NORAD in a tight situation - being allies of Britain and France, supporters of Isreall, but agreeing with the Soviets that the attack on Egypt was wrong - they needed a solution and Lester Pearson found one. -
Diefenbaker, Bomarc Missiles and Nuclear Warheads in Canada
In 1957, John Diefenbaker was Prime Minister who was also part of a Minority Government. His Cancellation of the Avro Arrow cost 14, 000 Canadians their jobs. Warheads were not allowed into Canada which limited American control over when Canadian missiles would be used. -
Sputnik and Canada's Space Program
The Launch of SputnikIn 1957, the Soviet Union lauched the 1st Sputnik satellite into orbit. The rocket that sent Sputnik into orbit could also be used to deliver a nuclear warhead to any spot in North America. -
Lester Pearson
Lester B. Pearson won the nobel prize in 1957 for his solution of the Suez Crisis. The solution called fo ran immidiate end to all shooting and the creation of a special UN peacekeeping force to monitor the withdrawl of invading forces as well as to patrol the border areas. -
Avro Arrow and it's Cancellation
First Flight of the Avro ArrowIn 1959, Diefenbaker scrapped the expensive Avro Arrow - a supersonic interceptor jet - that was being developed and built by the Canadians. In its place, Diefenbaker ordered ready-made American Bomarc missiles for Canadian Defence. -
Continental Alliances: NORAD and DEW Line
NORAD Video PlaylistThe North American Air Defence (NORAD) agreement was signed between the US and Canada in 1960, as they agreed to defend each other. Distant Early Warning (DEW) system was installed in the Northwest Territories. Canadians believed this was a step to independence. Some thought it set a stage for nuclear war while some felt safer. -
The Cuban Missile Crisis
Kennedy Adresses the Nation on the Cuban Missile Crisisin 1962, American spy planes had photographed the construction of Soviet missile sites on the island of Communist Cuba. Missiles from the base could be accuately launched to hit any major American city, so President Kennedy imposed a navel blackade to stop Soviet ships from delivering missiles. In the end, the Soviet ships turned back before reaching the blockade and the threat of war was over. -
Canada - Soviet Hockey Series
Paul Henderson's Famous GoalIn 1972, a hockey series was orginized between the top Russian team and a Canadian team composed of NHL players.Both teams had won 3 games each, then, in the last minutes of the final game, Paul Henderson scored a goal that broke the tie and won the game. It won Canada the seires and boosted national pride. -
The Fall of the Berlin Wall
Celebration at the Berlin Wall
Ronald Reagon gave his famous 'Tear Down This Wall' speech and invited others to destroy the wall, and many people celebrated as they helped. Although November 9th 1989 is recognised as the date of the fall of the Berlin Wall, official demolition of it did not start until June 13th 1990. -
The Fall of the Soviet Union Pt. 2
Because the three Baltic republics -Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia -had already declared their independence from the USSR, only one of its 15 republics, Georgia, remained. The Soviet Union had fallen, largely due to the great number of radical reforms that Soviet president Mikhail Gorbachev had implemented during his six years as the leader of the USSR. However, Gorbachev resigned from his job on December 25. -
The Fall of the Soviet Union Pt. 1
Collapse of the Soviet Union 1991In 1991, the Soviet Union collapsed. Representatives from 11 Soviet republics - Ukraine, the Russian Federation, Belarus, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan - met in the Kazakh city of Alma-Ata and announced that they would no longer be part of the Soviet Union. They declared they would establish a Commonwealth of Independent States. Because the three Baltic
