Peacekeeping in Canada Tristienne Chansing May 28, 2012

Canada is said to be a multicultural, diverse and friendly country, but have we ever played a role in the world of peacekeeping? After Canada joined the United Nations, it has been involved in many peacekeeping missions, along with the other countries in the alliance. Of the many missions Canada has been a part of, three that will be discussed are the Suez Crisis in 1956, peacekeeping in Cyprus in 19631993 and Haiti's destructive earthquake in 2010. These are three excellent events that show how Canada was significant in peacekeeping. Canada's contributions in Suez, Cyprus and assistance in Haiti's post-earthquake situation show that its reputation world-wide as a peaceful, just and democratic society is a valid one. To begin, the Suez Crisis was a good example in which Canada showed its significance in its first peacekeeping mission. On July 26, 1956, Egyptian President Abdul Nasser nationalized the Suez Canal in order to raise funds for a dam project, which France and Great Britain then attacked Egypt over.1 Even though Canada was not involved in this crisis economically, politically or military-wise, a specific Canadian person played a large role in the resolution of the conflict. Lester B. Pearson, who was a Canadian Prime Minister, convinced the United Nations General Assembly to organize the world's first ever peacekeeping mission, which ended up being a success. The mission ended in June of 1967 and in December of 1957, Pearson was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, which is another reason why this event is significant.2

Hillmer, Norman. "Suez Crisis." The Canadian Encyclopedia. "Pre-1956 UN Observer Missions." Peace Keeping.

Second, Canada's involvement in Cyprus proved to be quite helpful. In 1959, Cyprus won their freedom from Great Britain, which in turn caused fighting between Turkey and Greece in 1963. During this time, Canada was already part of the United Nations, who worked together to form the United Nations Force in Cyprus (or simply the UNFICYP).3 Pearson took action again and sent 1,150 Canadian troops to the UNFICYP to help maintain the peace. During the mission, almost every Canadian troop was sent out to Cyprus. Originally, Canada was the only country that decided to help, but eventually Finland, Ireland, and Denmark sent out troops as well. The final Canadian troops departed from Cyprus on June 15, 1993 and in total more than 25,000 personnel served over the time span of the twenty-nine year mission. Lastly, Canada's committed assistance in Haiti was another, more recent mission where we played a role in peacekeeping. When the massive, destructive earthquake ripped through Haiti in 2010, Canadian militia set out the Disaster Assistance Response Team (or DART) to help provide up-to-date reports and help to the many lives endangered in Haiti's capital city, Port-au-Prince.4 Many vehicles were sent to Haiti, such as transport planes and helicopters, as well as two thousand Armed Forces members, 800 troops and many rescue workers. These workers helped rescue trapped Haitians and provide medical supplies, food and water to those in desperate need.5 Canada's aid to Haiti helped out in an extreme way and allowed many people who lost everything to be reassured that there is help for them. In conclusion, being a part of the United Nations allowed Canada to be very involved in significant events, seeing as being in the UN was a part of the Suez Crisis and Cyprus. Canada has

"The Loyal Edmonton Regiment Museum." Canadian Peacekeepers in Cyprus "Canadian Peacekeepers Missions." Canadian Peacekeepers. "Canadian Peacekeepers prepare for deployment to Haiti."

provided a great amount of troops and military to countries in need of help, had significant people speak to represent the country by proposing crisis-ending ideas and lent a helping hand to the people in Haiti who were struggling to recover from a horrifying experience. From the Suez Canal Crisis to the Peacekeeping in Cyprus Mission and its aid in Haiti, Canada has proved to be a huge part of the world in terms of peacekeeping missions and aid to other countries, which validates their world-wide reputation as a democratic society. Bibliography Hillmer, Norman. "Suez Crisis." The Canadian Encyclopedia. Web. 29 May 2012. <http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com/articles/suez-crisis>. "SUEZ CRISIS." LESTER PEARSON & THE SUEZ CRISIS. Web. 29 May 2012. <http://www.suezcrisis.ca/>. "Pre-1956 UN Observer Missions." Peace Keeping. Web. 28 May 2012. <http://www.canadahistory.com/sections/War/peacekeeping/peacekeeping.htm>. "The Loyal Edmonton Regiment Museum." Cyprus. Web. 28 May 2012. <http://www.lermuseum.org/en/canadas-military-history/1945-to-present/peacekeeping/cyprus/>. "The Loyal Edmonton Regiment Museum." Canadian Peacekeepers in Cyprus: 15 Mar 1964-15 June 1993. Web. 28 May 2012. <http://www.lermuseum.org/en/chronology/1946-to-present/19571964/canadian-peacekeepers-in-cyprus-15-mar-196415-june-1993/>. "Canadian Peacekeepers Missions." Canadian Peacekeepers. Web. 29 May 2012. <http://members.shaw.ca/kcic1/peacekeepers2.html>. "Canadian Peacekeepers prepare for deployment to Haiti." National Post.com. 28 May 2012 <http://www.nationalpost.com/news/story.html?id=2447253>

Crewson, Wendy. Something You Might Not Know About Canada: Wendy Crewson on the Suez Crisis. 15 February 2012. 20 May 2012 <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LDXJ3xy0mqM> UNAC. Post-1956 UN Peacekeeping Missions. 2007. <www.unac.org/peacekeeping> Enslev Jonston, Shiela. Canada's Peacekeepers: Protecging Human Rights Around the World, Alta.; Altitude Pub. Canada, 2006.