3.1: Defending North America - Choices for Canada

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3.1: Defending North America - Choices for CanadaScrapping of the Avro ArrowForIt was the most advanced aircraft in the world at the timeIt was an opportunity to establish Canada as a technological leader of the worldThe Avro Arrow would have been Canada's primary interceptor, allowing Canada to better defend itself from a Soviet invasion AgainstIt was believed that the Americans envied the quality of the Avro Arrow and thus thought that Canada shouldn't commission itThe cost of producing it was six times as expensive as that of its American counterpartThere were no foreign ordersThe company that produced the Avro Arrow was a disorganized companyIt was believed that manned interceptors were becoming obsoleteCanada's Acceptance of Nuclear Weapons in 1963ForThese Bosmarc missiles would be Canada's primary defense shieldThe United States felt Canada should accept nuclear weapons to fulfill its role in NORAD and NATOBosmarc missiles would replace manned interceptors, which were believed to be obsoleteCanada's defense minister at the time insisted that nuclear weapons were vital in protecting Canada against communist aggressionRefusing America's Bosmarc missiles would injure trade and investment from the United StatesAgainstThe minister of external affairs felt Canada should be a non-nuclear nationPeople believed that it was hypocritical to urge the United Nations to work for disarmament while accepting nuclear weapons from AmericaMany Canadians were unhappy with the idea of nuclear armament because it would amount to global suicideNuclear Armament would potentially make Canada a target for future Soviet attacksCanada's Role in the Cuban Missile CrisisForAmerican expected help from Canada, their NORAD ally, during the Cuban Missile CrisisHelping the Americans would improve relations and refusing to help them would damage relationsThe Americans were in danger of being attacked by nuclear missilesAgainstThe government of John Diefenbaker wanted to take a stand in directing foreign policy and not simply bow to US interestsDeifenbaker believed he was protecting Canadian interests and independenceEvidence that nuclear missile launch sites in Cuba may have been biased as it was the Americans themselves who conducted the investigationDeifenbaker preferred that the United Nations send a fact-finding mission to CubaIt was major conflict that seemed largely rooted in U.S. policy and interests