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How Did The Suez Crisis Shape Canadian Identity

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Identity is a concept that defines what something is and identity can be altered and shaped by experiences and events. Canada’s identity is something that has been shaped by a number of events, but some stand out more than others, these are moments where Canada showed the world who Canadians are and what it means to be Canadian. The Suez Crisis helped shape Canadian identity when Canada found their role as peacekeepers. Another event that helped create Canada’s identity was designing a new Canadian flag to represent Canada. Even events as recent as the 2010 Vancouver Olympics shaped Canadian identity because many Canadians united to support their brethren and show the world that Canadians are competitors. In the last 100 years, Canada showed …show more content…

Peacekeeping is a part of Canadian identity because Canadians are credited with inventing UN Peacekeepers, with this reputation Canadians are also viewed as prime candidates for peacekeeping missions due to being a skilled, neutral group. Canadians are “credited with having "invented" interpositionary peacekeeping” to resolve the Suez Crisis, because of this “the UN looked at Canada as a candidate for every peacekeeping mission” because “who better to try to keep the peace?” After this the UN viewed Canada as peacekeeping leaders because they invented peacekeeping and knew how to peacefully resolve a conflict in a time where many others would try to solve it through combat. When looking into peacekeeping and the Suez Crisis there is one man who stands out, Lester B Pearson, the Canadian external affairs minister who ended a crisis as well as a true Canadian who came up with the idea for UN Peacekeeping. “Pearson won the Nobel Peace Prize, the only Canadian ever to do so” and is credited to have “saved the world with his proposal to defuse the Suez crisis.” The fact that Pearson won a Nobel peace prize shows the world that this man is truly the father of Canadian peacekeeping. The world giving Pearson Nobel Peace prize was a symbol of the UN giving Canadians their respect and thinking of Canadians as synonymous with peacekeeping. In the aftermath of the Suez Crisis the world viewed Canada as peacekeepers and many Canadians embraced this new role with open arms. Canadians were incredibly proud to be known as peacekeepers and many Canadians praised Pearson for his “idea of using soldiers to end hostilities rather than begin them” and the glory it brought Canada. Canadians take pride in the fact that it was their idea “to end hostilities rather than begin them” and that world looked to them in times of trouble. After the Suez Crisis Canadians have come

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When Canada was created the Halifax explosion, Vimy ridge and the battle of the Somme were all significant events in Canadian history that played important roles in Canada's development and growth. It also carried on the legacy of Sir Wilfrid Laurier, one of Canada's most influential prime ministers. These crucial events played a vital role in shaping both Laurier’s leadership and Canada’s national identity as a whole. They all had their fair share of importance towards Canada showcasing their bravery, sacrifice and resilience during world war 1.

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Today, Canada is seen as a multicultural and peaceful nation that has evolved over the course of history. This great nation would never have been possible without the impact that former Prime Minister, Lester B. Pearson left on this country. His achievements and insights profoundly affected and shaped Canada’s nation. First, peacekeeping is an important part of Canada’s heritage and a reflection of its fundamental beliefs that Pearson implemented after dealing with world changing situations and winning a Nobel Prize. Also, his contributions as a liberal leader as well as the flaws and controversy with Diefenbaker did in fact define this country.

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The Suez Crisis was a conflict between Egypt and Israel, England and France over the Suez canal, and it is the best example of how Canadians are peacekeepers. This is because The Suez Crisis was the first ever United Nation peacekeeping mission and it was headed by Lester B. Pearson who is known for his diplomacy skills. (Tattrie, 2006) At first, Lester B. Pearson stopped Canada from taking a side in this crisis, but when he saw how far this crisis had escalated and how it

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Canadian government started the whole idea because they wanted to to create peace with other nations because they thought that if other nations would get weapons and other utilities the fighting for the territory would happen again.

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Canada wanted to be recognized for their war efforts, and they opposed to further fight without representing their own country, indicating that they could be independent, a step towards developing their constitution. Next, the notable war records and successes in battles such as Vimy Ridge won them recognition on the Treaty of Versailles. Prime Minister Robert Borden, in the Liberal-Conservative Handbook , ‘Equal status or Equality of Nationhood', stated, "The highest future for this Dominion lies within this Empire upon conditions of equal status." This statement by Borden foreshadowed Canada’s important role in the Paris Peace Conference and the eventual signing of the Treaty of Versailles. This was a significant milestone in Canada’s history and the signing showed the world that Canada is a new independent nation that can support and represent

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Canada continued to have many peacekeeping/making missions, such as in the Korean War and the Suez crisis. Later the Canada view of peacekeeping was most notably damaged by the Somalian scandal where, according to the Canadian Encyclopedia “two Canadian paratroopers serving in Somalia beat and tortured a local teenager to death. A dozen more Canadian soldiers had been aware of the beating but did nothing to intervene” This scandal embarrassed Canada and hurt its reputation for peacekeeping. Canada’s history of peacekeeping has shaped it by helping build its reputation as a strong middle power, a player in the UN. Along with that it helped bolster national pride World War One, Two and peace have been defining themes in Canada’s history.

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