is canada next?
Canada, are you building weapons of mass destruction? Are you harboring terrorists, perhaps? Are you sure?
U.S. Treasury Secretary John Snow visited Alberta's oilsands on Friday, highlighting the growing importance of the region as a supplier of energy to America.Story here, thanks to ALPF.
Snow toured an oilsands plant and the booming city of Fort McMurray with Finance Minister Ralph Goodale before leaving for Calgary, where he met with Goodale and oil executives.
Canada is the leading foreign energy supplier to the U.S., with oil, gas and electricity sales worth more than $50 billion a year, Goodale said recently.
We better be careful. After all, the guy the US deported on terror suspicion (Arar) is back home. And those potato guns our kids play with can be quite dangerous. Not to mention that wallop one can pack with a hockey stick.
ReplyDeleteYep, trouble a-brewin' ...
;-)
What's a potato gun???
ReplyDeleteIt shoots little pellets of raw potato. And [dropping voice to a whisper] I've even heard some people still have those old lawn darts with the pointy tips lurking at the backs of their sheds. DANGER!!
ReplyDeleteApparently we're poised to start selling a lot of it to China; does that count? :)
ReplyDeleteActually, we have gotten into trouble with the American government before with nuclear stuff. Materials that were being used for research by the AECL (the Canadian agency that manages all things nuclear) were often questioned by the U.S. government. They didn't think we were going to build a bomb, but they were afraid that it could fall into the wrong hands.
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure if you know much about Canada's nuclear history, but Canada was involved in the Manhatten project in WWII. In the early 50's Canada became one of the first countries in the world that had nuclear capability but chose not to pursue a weapons program. Instead, they went on an attempt to find peacful uses for nuclear energy, and started the CANDU reactor program. CANDU reactors use raw uranium as fuel, so there's no weapons grade material produced by enriching uranium. Still, the CANDU program is blamed in part for India's and Pakistans development of the bomb.
Canada, are you building weapons of mass destruction?
ReplyDeleteFunny you should ask. The Canadian military has a research facility for developing defensive systems to deal with chemical and biological weapons. They almost certainly maintain small amounts of such weapons for testing purposes. The facility is at CFB Suffield in, you guessed it, Alberta.
I think the US gets more annoyed with the fact that we don't allow their warships and other military units in our country or territorial waters if they have nuclear weapons capability.
ReplyDeleteOh, maybe I shouldn't have given that intelligence away, the CIA might be reading this blog.
ReplyDeletethe CIA might be reading this blog.
ReplyDeleteOh Rob, you flatter me.
In the early 50's Canada became one of the first countries in the world that had nuclear capability but chose not to pursue a weapons program.
ReplyDeleteVery cool.
The Canadian military has a research facility for developing defensive systems to deal with chemical and biological weapons. They almost certainly maintain small amounts of such weapons for testing purposes.
ReplyDeleteI'd bet it's less than all the shit the US must have hidden away.
I'd bet it's less than all the shit the US must have hidden away.
ReplyDeleteOh hell yeah, the US has misplaced more WMDs than Canada has ever had.
I wouldn't be surprised if the US has more nuclear arms up here than we do. During the cold war the US stationed many of its warheads here in Canada to "intercept" anything the USSR might have thrown over the north pole.
ReplyDeleteTheres an old silo not more than a half hour away from my house. whether the missle was Canadian or American i have no clue but i have yet to hear about any secret Canadian missle project.
I think we will be safe for now. Such an action would warrant World War Three.
If there is one thing that Canada has going for itself, it's the raw materials that cover this great country. Metals, woods, gases and oils. In a world that is starting to run out of these materials Canada will become even more important on the political scale.
And become more likely to be the next victim of American "liberation".
Its just a matter of time before they tap those frozen oil fields up in the northern territories. Something Bush wants to do (or has done?) in Alaska if im not mistaken.
Its just a matter of time before they tap those frozen oil fields up in the northern territories. Something Bush wants to do (or has done?) in Alaska if im not mistaken.
ReplyDeleteANWR - Arctic National Wildlife Refuge - the biggest environmental battle of the US. The fight isn't over, but it's hard to see how it can be won at this point. (Which doesn't mean it can't be.)
I wouldn't be surprised if the US has more nuclear arms up here than we do.
ReplyDeleteMe neither. It would follow.
Just to clear up some statements of Nuclear weaponry in Canada. Between 1963 to 1984 the US did in fact have some weapons systems in Canada and Germany. This consisted of the BOMARC (Surface to air guided missle), Honest John (Short range rocket), AIR-2 Genie (nuclear air-to-air missiles) and the Voodoo-Genie air defense system. For peoples references the bases where these weapons systems were stored were:
ReplyDeleteCFB Bagotville (Quebec)
CFB La Macaza (Quebec)
CFB North Bay (Quebec)
CFB Chatham (New Brunswick)
CFB Shearwater (Nova Scotia)
The Royal Canadian Navy also attempted to aquire nuclear anti-submarine weapons (depth charges) but was unsuccessfull.
This was all brought about due to an understanding with our then Prime Minister Lester B. Pearson (so much for the Nobel Peace Prize eh?).
When Trudeau came to power in 1971 he removed most of these except for the AIR-2 Genie (nuclear air-to-air missiles) and these were finally removed in 1984 when the CF-101 fighters they were used on were replaced by the CF-18.
It is important to point out that only the BOMARC missle was similar to what most people would consider a "nuke" and these were only in Canada for a very short time... in fact it appears (through rumour) that the warheads were never actually installed and remained in the US.
It should also be noted that the US systems in Canada where on a dual key system that required a representative of the Canadian Gov't to fire them (Canadian military observers).
That last post was me btw... ;)
ReplyDeletePeter
Thank you, Peter! This is an important clarification.
ReplyDeleteThis group always provides such a wealth of information. It's more fun to be paranoid, but occasionally the facts get in the way.
That's the Pearson of airport fame?
That's the Pearson of airport fame?
ReplyDeleteCorrect. He was also responsible for the concept of UN peacekeeping for which he was awarded the Nobel Peace Rrize.
Ah-ha. This clarifies further. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteThanks, LonePrimate! Excellent history mini-lesson.
ReplyDeleteI like Ferguson best when he's being semi-serious; when he's just going for laughs he's not nearly as good as when he's passionate about something and going for the throat. Hence, I think Bastards is his best book and I would bet anything you'd get into it without problems. Of course, he has also written Canadian History for Dummies, so if you're really worried, there's always that option... :)
ReplyDeleteI like Ferguson best when he's being semi-serious; when he's just going for laughs he's not nearly as good as when he's passionate about something and going for the throat.
ReplyDeleteThat almost always improves humor. Case in point, Jon Stewart. Since he's gotten angry, he's never been funnier.