Nuclear North: Histories of Canada in the Atomic Age [Kietas viršelis]

"By virtue of resources and technologies Canada is a nuclear nation. But the country does not have the ultimate symbol of nuclear power--a weapons program of its own. Since the first atomic weapon was detonated in 1945, Canadians have debated not only the role of nuclear power in their uranium-rich land but also their country's role in a nuclear world. The Nuclear North investigates critical questions in these ongoing debates. Should Canada belong to international alliances that depend on the threat of using nuclear weapons for their own security? Should Canadian-produced nuclear technologies be sold on the export market to potential proliferators? Does the country's championing of arms control and disarmament on the global stage matter? What about the domestic costs of nuclear technologies and atomic research, including their impact on local communities and the environment? The contributors to this important collection explore Canada's relationship with nuclear weapons and other nuclear technologies over the course of the Cold War and beyond. They consider how the atomic age has shaped Canadian policies at home and abroad, and in doing so engage in much larger debates about national identity, contradictions at the heart of the country's Cold War foreignpolicy, and Canada's place in the international order. "--

Writing in an accessible narrative style for students, scholars, and general readers, Canadian contributors in international security studies, Canadian studies, political science, and history of science explore Canada’s nuclear history. They shed light on the role of Canada, a uranium-rich country, in the growth of nuclear science and in the development of nuclear policy. Chronological chapters from 1945 through the present examine political, military, intellectual, economic, and foreign policy aspects. While some chapters consider controversies, such as nuclear submarines in Arctic Canada and Canadian nuclear policy toward South Korea, other chapters offer profiles of key figures in policy, including Howard Green and Lester Pearson. Annotation ©2020 Ringgold, Inc., Portland, OR (protoview.com)

Canada is a nuclear nation, but the country does not have the ultimate symbol of nuclear power: a weapons program of its own. Since the first atomic weapon was detonated in 1945, Canadians have debated not only the role of nuclear power in their uranium-rich land but also their country’s role in a nuclear world.

The Nuclear North investigates critical questions in these ongoing debates. Should Canada belong to international alliances that depend on the threat of using nuclear weapons for their own security? Should Canadian-produced nuclear technologies be sold on the export market to potential arms dealers? Does the country’s championing of global disarmament matter? What about the domestic costs of nuclear technologies and atomic research, including their impact on local communities and the environment?

The contributors to this important collection explore Canada’s relationship with nuclear weapons and other nuclear technologies over the course of the Cold War and beyond. They consider how the atomic age has shaped Canadian policies at home and abroad, and in doing so engage in much larger debates about national identity, contradictions at the heart of the country’s Cold War foreign policy, and Canada’s place in the international order.