Wilfrid Laurier University Scholars Commons @ Laurier Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive) 2017 The Science of Defence: Security, Research, and the North in Cold War Canada Matthew Shane Wiseman Wilfrid Laurier University, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://scholars.wlu.ca/etd Part of the Canadian History Commons, History of Science, Technology, and Medicine Commons, and the Military History Commons Recommended Citation Wiseman, Matthew Shane, "The Science of Defence: Security, Research, and the North in Cold War Canada" (2017). Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive). 1924. https://scholars.wlu.ca/etd/1924 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by Scholars Commons @ Laurier. It has been accepted for inclusion in Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive) by an authorized administrator of Scholars Commons @ Laurier. For more information, please contact [email protected]. The Science of Defence: Security, Research, and the North in Cold War Canada by Matthew Shane Wiseman B.A. (Hons) and B.Ed., Lakehead University, 2009 and 2010 M.A., Lakehead University, 2011 DISSERTATION Submitted to the Department of History in partial fulfillment of the requirements for Degree in Doctor of Philosophy in History Wilfrid Laurier University Waterloo, Ontario, Canada © Matthew Shane Wiseman 2017 Abstract This dissertation examines the development and implementation of federally funded scientific defence research in Canada during the earliest decades of the Cold War. With a particular focus on the creation and subsequent activities of the Defence Research Board (DRB), Canada’s first peacetime military science organization, the history covered here crosses political, social, and environmental themes pertinent to a detailed analysis of defence-related government activity in the Canadian North. Three contextual chapters on the history of federal defence research in Canada provide the foundation for a close study of defence research projects pursued and supported by the Canadian government. The dissertation focuses on northern Canada to explore and explain key developments in the history of tripartite defence relations between Canada, the United States, and the United Kingdom while also providing new perspectives on the impact of the Cold War in Canada. To meet the impending challenges of the early postwar period, senior officials in the Canadian defence establishment decided to create the Defence Research Board and involve select scientists in discussions about policy for science and defence in North. The decision to include scientists in the policymaking process was a deliberate and functional approach that helped the Canadian government secure and strengthen its security partnership with the United Kingdom and the United States during the early Cold War. When senior officials championed science as a means to bolster Canada’s commitment to Western security, the Defence Research Board became the primary vehicle to achieve this policy aim. Select scientists obtained the political power to design, implement, and administer policies for the distribution and use of federal funds made available for scientific defence research. This was a calculated move by senior Canadian officials who wanted to further bilateral defence relations with the United States ii while maintaining close ties to the United Kingdom. Including scientists in government allowed the Canadian defence establishment to focus its limited resources on specific fields of research in which Canada could leverage geography and “expertise” to fulfill its political agenda for postwar security and defence in the North. iii Acknowledgments When I began research for this study, I had envisioned maintaining a full list of people to thank in my acknowledgments. I soon realized that the list of archivists, research associates, supervisors, colleagues, and friends required to complete a dissertation is simply far too great to acknowledge properly in full. A number of people made significant contributions to the study, and I would be remiss not to mention their names. My supervisor Kevin Spooner has been a sounding board for ideas since the project began. I shifted the focus of my study to the North early in the writing process and Dr. Spooner supported my decision without hesitation. His knowledge of the topic and the secondary literature is outdone only by his kindness and enthusiasm. He has guided me throughout my degree, and I am extremely thankful for his generosity and expert advice. The finished dissertation also bears the mark of my excellent committee. I was fortunate to have Roger Sarty as a field instructor during my first year at Wilfrid Laurier University. He has edited my work on numerous occasions, given me free books from his personal library, and has been an extremely useful reference on the inner workings of the Canadian defence establishment. Ryan Touhey has also been associated with this research project since it began. His knowledge of Canadian international history and the Cold War has challenged me to refine my ideas, and I am thankful for his careful and insightful engagement with my work. Indeed, all members of my advisory committee kindly read through my dissertation and provided detailed feedback that improved the quality of the final study. I also wish to extend my thanks to Lianne Leddy, Alistair Edgar, and Andrew Burtch. Lianne read through portions of the dissertation dealing with human research on Inuit in northern Canada, and her knowledge of Indigenous studies and the history of colonialism during the Cold iv War proved most beneficial to my work. Alistair and Andrew were the examiners for my dissertation, and I greatly appreciate their attention to detail and willingness to critique my ideas. Prior to arriving at Laurier, I was fortunate to complete a Master’s degree at Lakehead University under the supervision of Jane Nicholas. Jane continues to read my work on a regular basis and I wish to acknowledge her unwavering support, which has certainly helped me grow as a scholar. While completing my doctoral degree, I received a wealth of support through the Laurier Centre for Military, Strategic and Disarmament Studies (LCMSDS). Terry Copp offered me a research position at the Centre when I was a first-year PhD student, and the experience significantly enriched my entire degree. Terry and Marc Kilgour entrusted me with a collection of working documents that had belonged to the late George Lindsey, who was a key strategic analyst with the Department of National Defence during the Cold War. Lindsey’s papers gave me a fresh perspective on the role of science and technology in defence policy and international affairs, and the opportunity to delve deep into the working life of an influential Canadian defence analyst altered the trajectory of my studies. My dissertation topic is largely the result of my time reading the Lindsey papers, and I thank Terry and Marc for their confidence and trust. I also wish to thank the Lindsey family for inviting me into their Ottawa home and sharing with me stories and memories of their late husband and father. Mark Humphries has been an excellent mentor and resource for me since he assumed the directorship of the LCMSDS from Terry in 2014. He is always available to discuss research, writing, or any aspect of the historical discipline, and I greatly appreciate his willingness to answer questions and provide advice. I was also able to meet and work with a number of colleagues and friends at the Centre, including Geoff Keelan and Kirk Goodlet, who both invited me to participate in an online experiment, Clio’s Current. I thoroughly enjoyed my experience v discussing history and co-writing with Geoff and Kirk, and I greatly appreciate their ongoing mentorship and support. I also wish to acknowledge Kellen Kurschinksi, Caitlin McWilliams, Trevor Ford, Lyndsay Rosenthal, Matt Baker, Kyle Falcon, Kandace Bogaert, Alex Souchen, Brittany Dunn, Eliza Richardson, Eric Story, Katrina Pasierbek, Alec Maavara, and all my other colleagues at the LCMSDS. Graduate life can be a long and arduous process, and I thank you all for your friendship and support. Likewise, my peers in the Tri-University graduate program have been a tremendous support network. I enjoyed three wonderful years as Laurier’s representative for the Tri- University Graduate Students’ Association (TUGSA). My time as TUGSA co-president was enriched by working with Geoff Keelan, Marjorie Hopkins, Joe Buscemi, and Erin Schuurs. I also grew as a scholar by experiencing the ups and downs of graduate life alongside Ian Muller, Joshua Tavenor, Christopher Bowles, Russ Freure, Alice Glaze, and Anne Vermeyden. To my entire cohort, thank you kindly for sharing this experience. Thank you as well to Cindi Wieg, who provided administrative assistance and friendly conversation throughout my entire degree. I owe a major debt of graduate to my family for supporting my graduate work and providing constant encouragement throughout the research and writing process. My parents Shane and Fay, siblings Jennifer and Mark, and brother-in-law Chris all gave me the time and space required to research and write the dissertation. My family took a deep interest in my work and provided reassurance when the project seemed overly daunting. The same can be said of Dorian Lane, who I was fortunate to meet at the mid-point of my degree. I am thankful for Dorian’s patience, generosity, and unwavering support. Without you all, this dissertation would not be complete. vi Financial assistance covered most of the travel costs associated with the research conducted for this study. I wish to acknowledge the financial support of the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada, the Department of History at Wilfrid Laurier University, the LCMSDS, and the Northern Research Fund program of the Churchill Northern Studies Centre. Portions of Chapters 4 and 5 are published respectively in Canadian Military History1 and the Journal of the Canadian Historical Association,2 and I want to thank the editors of each journal for allowing me to reuse my work here.