The Reminder is making its archives back to 2003 available on our website. Please note that, due to technical limitations, archive articles are presented without the usual formatting.
On behalf of the Honourable David Anderson, Minister of the Environment, the Honourable Mac Harb, Senator, this week unveiled a Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada plaque in Ottawa to commemorate the national historic significance of the Gouzenko Affair. "This event had an extraordinary impact on Canada and profoundly changed the way in which Canada viewed international relations," said Mr. Harb. On September 5, 1945, Igor Gouzenko, a young officer posted to the Embassy of the USSR in Ottawa, fled taking with him over 100 secret documents which revealed the existence of a Soviet spy ring in Canada. When the incident came to public attention in February of the following year, then Prime Minister Mackenzie King quickly established a Royal Commission of Inquiry to investigate the matter. The investigation led to multiple arrests, including public officials named in the documents. This sparked bitter debate about civil liberties and State security. The Gouzenko Affair marked the beginning of the Cold War and it exposed Canada's vulnerability, prompting the federal government to take action, and ultimately resulted in the restructuring of the national security system. "This commemoration serves to remind Canadians of the important role the Gouzenko Affair played in Canada's entry into the Cold War," concluded Mr. Harb. "It certainly marks a defining moment in Canadian history." Created in 1919, the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada advises the Minister of the Environment about the national historic significance of places, persons and events that have marked Canada's history. The placement of a commemorative plaque represents an official recognition of their historic value. It is one means of educating the public about the richness of our cultural heritage, which must be preserved for present and future generations.
