Section 2: Investigation
On February 20th, 1959, the event that caused this day to be known in Canada as “Black Friday” took place: the cancellation of the Avro Arrow project. This incident stung the pride of Canadians and was a major turning point in Canadian history. But the question that remains today is: Why did Prime Minister Diefenbaker scrap the Arrow project? John Diefenbaker: An Appointment with Destiny by Arthur Slade, CF105 Avro C- 105 Arrow: Cabinet Decisions, and The Avro Canada CF-105 Arrow programme : decisions and determinants by Russell Steven Paul Isinger, are three different sources that show how Prime Minister Diefenbaker and his government approached the decision to cancel the Avro Arrow. The book, Fall of An Arrow by
…show more content…
Murray Peden, shows us the process and effect of the cancellation of the project. Also, several reasons for scrapping the project lie in the United States, so the academic journal, Advancing the Canada-US Alliance: The Use of History in Decision-Support by Brad W. Gladman and Peter M. Archambault, explain its influence on our government’s decision. Prime Minister Diefenbaker scrapped the Arrow Project because the costs to continue running the project were too high, the Avro could not offer Canada with the necessary air defence and even threatened the peace among other countries, and the project was unable to attract enough foreign interest. The cost to continue running the Arrow project was too high for Canada.
PM Diefenbaker had come into a time where the national budget was unsteady and messed up by the previous government. This project was predicted to add a few hundred million dollars per year, just for the defence budget alone. Canada did not have the money to continue running the projects. Major- General George Pearkes, MND of Prime Minister John George Diefenbaker stated that one of the reasons for the cancellation was majorly influenced by “the heavy financial burden of the project.” From a national perspective, the government also came to believe that the price was too much for adequate national defence. The Avro Arrows were classified under the class of defence, but some believed that, despite the mass amount of money used for the project, its functions as a defence aircraft may not be used to its full potential. At the time, American interceptors could be purchased at half the price of the Canadian Arrows. These planes would become replacements of cancelled Avro Arrows, which would cause a whole other problem for Canada. Therefore, the massive and rising cost to support the growing Avro Arrows could not be provided by the Canadian …show more content…
budget. Having the Arrows as part of the national defence may not be substantial for Canada. From the start, the Diefenbaker government had been handed down the Canadian national defence problem from the previous Liberal government. Diefenbaker was not fond of the previous government, as it left many unfinished projects, including defence, and an unbalanced national budget, where the problem of cost stems from. These interceptors were unlikely to prove themselves useful in The risks were just too high to continue the project, with such uncertainty on its supposed main function. PM Diefenbaker himself said the day of the cancellation, that: “The government...examined...the probable need for the Arrow aircraft...in the light of all the information…concerning the probable nature of the threat to North America in the future years.” As well, the Commander-in-Chief of the North American Aerospace Defense Command (CINCNORAD) wondered whether the Avro Arrow would help in maintain peace or destroy it instead. Both imply in their statements that the Avro Arrow in the future will likely make Canada a threat to surrounding countries. The Avro Arrows were determined to be unfitting as a defence aircraft due to its risks of, instead of maintaining peace, threatening other countries into attacking Canada. Foreign countries did not express much interest in purchasing or using the Arrows.
The U.S. and the U.K., were the only countries that showed a slight interest in the CF-105 at all, but neither wished to take part in its development or buythe interceptors. So, that meant that no other countries, other than the United States and Britain, wanted to purchase the Avro Arrow or just support the continuation of the project. This was mainly due to the arrival of the space era, which Prime Minister Diefenbaker realized because the Soviets had already launched the first intercontinental missile. In this era, the interceptor Arrows, created to oppose Russian bombers, just could not compete. In a handwritten note by Diefenbaker himself, he says,“technological change has come too fast...who in 1952 or 3 could have predicted ICBMs – Sputniks – Moon Satellites?” The major shift in resources that followed the move into the space era caused a decrease in value of the Arrows, making them more expensive than ever. One reason the Arrow project was scrapped was because foreign countries lost interest in the project because of a shift in resources caused by the arrival of the space
race. The Avro Arrow project was abandoned by Prime Minister Diefenbaker in 1959 because of the economic perspective of the ridiculously high cost to run the project that would send Canada into debt. Therefore, Canada was unable to pay during this time of the Cold War. From the political views of the government, the Avro Arrow would very likely have been unable to properly defend the Canadian air space from the unexpected Soviet attacks. The lack of interest from foreign countries due to estimated shifts in technology was the final reason Prime Minister decided to tell Crawford Gordon, the Chief Executive Officer of A.V. Roe Canada, “It’s off.”
The years since the Battle of Vimy Ridge may have passed quickly, but the legacy of the Canadians whose accomplishments were great in that pivotal First World War battle lives on. Many people claim to this day that Canada came of age as a country on those hard April days in 1917. At first, through the meticulous planning of the battle, the world saw a nation capable of working together and making decisions as a team. Afterwards, with the range of technical and tactical innovations involved in the attack, the world saw a strong nation unafraid to protect and defend. In the end, through great sacrifice the world bore witness to the birth of the Canadian legacy. To conclude that the nation was born on April 9th 1917, on the Artois plains is to deny over three centuries of history during which the ancestors of millions of Canadians devoted their lives to building the country. This is why the Battle of Vimy Ridge wasn’t the birth of Canada itself, but the birth of our legacy- the ‘true’ origin of our nation.
The Avro Canada CF-105 Arrow was by far the most advanced craft of its time and would have definitely set the standard for aircraft for decades to come. The Arrow would have boosted the Canadian Aerospace industry in every way, and would have set the standard for aircraft this century. Its systems utilized groundbreaking design that could have been used earlier in Canadian aircraft. The Avro Arrow project should not have been shut down, but maintained for the benefit of the Canadian aeronautics industry of tomorrow. The Arrow also had the most advanced weaponry of its time, using technology that is still active today. The Sparrow II and III were some of the missiles to be used by the Arrow. They/The A.V. Roe utilized a system known as active homing radar, the ability to set in on a target automatically. This technology, as well as the Sparrow III itself, is still actively in use today. The Arrow also had the most advan...
In the study of Canadian military history the Avro Arrow has become a buzzword found on the lips of all technological, political and even airforce enthusiast. At the risk of seeming unoriginal in topic selection, this critique reviews the fascinating biography, Fall of an Arrow, by Murray Peden. Peden's historical biography accurately covers a variety of aspects of the A. V. Row Arrow, from specifics in military capability, to competing technological and political/economic significance. This critical evaluation of the mentioned secondary source sets out to evaluate the work as a historical source, focussing on evidence of bias, the apparent coherence of arguments and finally the effectiveness of Peden's underlying points.
Canada’s Little War. James Lorimer & Company LTD. Toronto [7] Canadians and Conflicts. Edmonton Public School Board [8] Haas. Suzanne. History Television.
John Diefenbaker was instrumental in bringing in the bill of rights, which "provides Canadians with certain quasi-constitutional rights in relation to other federal statutes," (wikipedia.com). The bill of rights was created in 1960 it gave Canadians Freedom of speech and freedom of religion, The right to life, liberty and security of the person, and in another section, rights to fundamental justice; these are all things that were left out of the charter. Diefenbaker also had some questionable decisions like the decision to cancel the Avro Arrow project, which was a mach-2 interceptor jet. This jet was supposed to be the Canadian Air Forces Interceptor from 1960 and beyond. The project had been started when the liberals were in power but in June 1957 the liberals lost the election to John Diefenbaker and the Conservatives. Diefenbaker thought that the project was taking too much time and money and in February 1959 he cancelled the project. Another policy that Diefenbaker passed was the Agriculture Rehabilitation and Development Act that was targeted at enhancing the viability of rural communities through improved resource use and retraining to facilitate the exit of marginal farmers to other jobs as well as authorized the Canadian Wheat Board to make advance payments to producers on a portion of their farm-stored grain. Diefenbaker also played a big part of getting free health care; in 1961 the Royal Commission on Health Services was created, it studied and reported on the health care needs of Canadians. The following year, the Government of Saskatchewan offered free access to physician services to all of its citizens. Diefenbaker set many bills, polices and acts into action but he was also vital in redefining Canada's culture identity.
A century ago, Canada was under control by the British Empire. The battles we fought the treaties we signed and the disputes we solved all helped us gain independence from our mother country “Britain”. Canadians fought a long battle protecting others, and from these battles we gained our peaceful reputation and our independence from Britain. Canada became a nation on July, 1st 1867. Although we were an independent country, our affairs and treaties were all still signed by Britain. In the next years Canada would establish its own government, and lead its own affairs. Many important events led to Canada’s independence, one of the earliest signals that Canada wanted to establish autonomy was the Chanak affair of 1921. In addition the battle of Normandy, which occurred on June 6 1944, contributed to the autonomy of Canada. The Suez Canal Crisis, which took place in the year 1956, earned Canada a place in the media spotlight, displaying Canada as a peaceful country that deserves the right to be independent. One of the final steps that aided with Canada’s independence from Britain was the Canada Act of 1982. Independence from Britain steadily increased throughout the 20th century because of political decisions made in Canada.
Pierre Elliot Trudeau was arguably one of the most vivacious and charismatic Prime Ministers Canada has ever seen. He wore capes, dated celebrities and always wore a red rose boutonniere. He looked like a superhero, and often acted like one too. Some of the landmark occurrences in Canadian history all happened during the Trudeau era, such as patriating the constitution, creating the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms and the 1980 Quebec Referendum. However, it is Trudeau’s 1969 “white paper” and the Calder legal challenge which many consider to be one of his most influential contributions to Canadian history.
During the worst depression years in Canada, there were many people who tried tirelessly to get Canada out of the crisis she was in more quickly and efficiently. William Aberhart and his group of supporters had a plan that they were sure could help and even end the depression and its horrible effects. His theory was if a twenty-five dollar cheque was given monthly to each family, it would alleviate their financial fears and jumpstart the economy. Having confidence in his idea, he went to share it with both political parties. Unfortunately, both parties rejected the idea; saying money would only become more worthless. Even after running and being elected as Premier of Alberta, the resolution was not accepted because of the overwhelming responsibility towards the federal government.
On the day of October 29, 1929 the Great Depression had begun. This was due to the worth of the New York stock market falling intensely. The Great Depression was a time when Canadians suffered extraordinary levels of poverty due to unemployment. It shaped Canadian’s political views, and also their views about their country and role of the government. Canadians joined together in various new political parties, labor groups and other organizations that represented detailed regional, economic or political interest. Canadians scrambled through the crisis with a makeshift blend of private and public charity. Private Citizens in wealthier provinces recognized the dilemma of Saskatchewan and sent hundreds of carloads of fruit, vegetables and clothing westward. This showed that Canada is a crew of kind and supportive individuals.
Any person, place or event that has held the honour of being commemorated in Canada has been recognized of an extreme importance to the country. It is impossible to research commemoration in Canada without reading about world war one and two; The great wars are arguably the most commemorated events in History let alone Canada. Understanding this they are not the only events that receive attention from Canada, the government recognizes many other occurrences as, well, anything from Sir John A. Macdonald day on the 11th of January to the anniversary of the statute of Westminster on the 11th of December. I do not believe that any one event can be placed above or below another, and that they all hold a value in whatever way that may be. This Essay
The economic progress Canada made after the war lead to the growth of the country. New industries emerged from innovations of products like automobiles, radios, television, digital computers and electric typewriters (Aitken et al., 315). Canadians quickly adapted back to the “buy now, pay later” strategy rather than careful budgeting during the Great Depression (Liverant). Almost everything that Canadians did was influenced from new inventions; television was the most influential. Canadians conversations, humour, and lifestyle were influenced from television (Aitken et al., 315). Trade relations between the United States and Canada had become more efficient due to the St. Lawrence Seaway. The mass development of the St. Lawrence Seaway, in 1954, was to provide a large wate...
Thompson, John Herd, and Mark Paul Richard. "Canadian History in North American Context." In Canadian studies in the new millennium. Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 2008. 37-64.
The Great Depression was not just a little event in history, hence the word “great”, but a major economical setback that would change Canada, and the world, forever. The word “great” may not mean the same thing it does now; an example of this is the ‘Great’ War. These events were not ‘good’ or ‘accomplishing’ in any way, quite the opposite, but in those times it most likely meant ‘big’. What made it big are many factors, both in the 20’s and 30’s, which can be categorized into three main points: economics, politics and society. With all these events, compressed into ten years, this period of economic hardship of the 1930’s truly deserves the title the “Great Depression”.
May, E. (2009). Losing Confidence: Power, politics, and the crisis in Canadian democracy. Toronto, ON: McClelland & Stewart.
In recent years Canada has become idolized in the United States, as a symbol of a better country, better people, and most importantly a better government. It can be seen during every presidential election, in which the words, “I’m moving to Canada”, are uttered perhaps more than, “I’m voting”. However, life is not always greener on the other side, as Canada also has deep scars in its history. Yet, because of its idealization the government of Canada never properly addressed one of its worst transgressions, The Purge, until now.