The "Canopy" Agreement

Between January and May 1951, the Canadian government considered a "canopy" agreement with the United States regarding strategic air operations from military bases in Canada. The following documents shed light on the internal deliberations. Ottawa recognized the difficulty of concretely constraining US action, acknowledging that a strategic attack on the United States could result in the launch of a US-nuclear strike from Goose Bay with minimal to no consultation. Nevertheless, those at External Affairs advocated for maximum consultation on other nuclear-related matters, emphasized Canadian sovereignty, and attempted to ensure guarantees from the United States about the course of military action in a wide array of potential circumstances.