It was the end of the world as they knew it and these women felt anything but fine.
The protesters had come from all over the Maritimes, wielding signs and body bags, wearing clown wigs and lab coats. On Feb. 29, 1984, a leap year, they stood chanting outside the gates of Camp Debert, home to Atlantic Canada’s only government fallout shelter designed to withstand a nuclear attack.
On that day, an estimated 329 people were expected to go inside the Debert bunker to participate in a dress rehearsal for nuclear war. The spots inside were reserved solely for high-ranking government and military officials and even some members of the media — nearly all of whom would be men.
And the women outside were incensed about who the government had been deemed worthy of protecting.
The women protesting that day, many of whom were linked to legendary Nova Scotia activist Muriel Duckworth and Canadian Voice of Women for Peace, first learned of the exercise from a small article published in The Chronicle Herald in July 1983.
A newspaper article in The Chronicle Herald published in the summer of 1983 galvanized a group of women to protest the government’s plan for contingency of government in the event of a nuclear attack. (The Chronicle Herald/Halifax Public Libraries)
They began planning a series of direct actions that would culminate on the day. The purpose was simple: to remind the people allowed inside the bunker that day of the cost of nuclear war.
“What happens to the families of those men who are going into the bunker?” asked Sue McManus, who was part of a group who had travelled from P.E.I. for the protest.
“How are they going to feel walking out of their homes, leaving their wives and their children behind, who are going to be detonated and incinerated, vaporized and radiated? It makes me angry. That’s why I’m here today.”
Protesters hold a sign criticizing those participating in Operation Boldstep, a military exercise designed to test out the government’s nuclear fallout bunkers. (CBC)
Many of the women dressed up as victims of radiation poisoning, their faces splotchy with burn marks, to illustrate the horrific aftermath of a nuclear attack. They carried the dead alongside with them in white body bags, making clear the toll an attack would take and the likelihood that few, if any, of the people outside would survive.
Five separate groups were participating, all with different but complementary ideas.
One group, composed solely of men, did all the cooking and handled the child care that day, while another, the group holding clipboards and wearing clown wigs and lab coats, posed as researchers proposing a different nuclear survival plan.
Pat Kipping, centre, holds hands with other protesters as they form a circle outside the Debert nuclear fallout shelter on Feb. 29, 1984. (Liz MacDougall)
That morning, activist Pat Kipping appeared on CBC Radio’s Morningside as her alter ego from that group, Dr. M. Mutandis of the Debunk Debert Research Associates.
On national radio, she proposed an alternative plan to the government’s official nuclear war fallout strategy, which had been titled the Continuity of Government program. Debunk Debert’s strategy was less concerned with the survival of male-dominated government, than with the survival of the human race.
“We suggest that the 329 places that are now reserved for aging male, military and government and media people, be replaced by 329 women of childbearing age and that the bunker also include a sperm repository,” Kipping told host Peter Gzowski.
Her group wasn’t being picky about what men would be eligible to donate, either. They just had a few minor prerequisites.
“No man who has had any authority or power in the society today would be eligible,” she said. “We’re afraid that we just can’t have that material continuing.”
Liz Archibald-Calder, left, and Wilma Needham pose as scientists assessing an eligible sperm donor for their proposed Continuity of People program. (Bonnie Bonbryk)
This counter-proposal was pure satire, of course. But to many listening, it sounded much better than the government’s official plan.
“It’s something that only men could come up with, right?” said Kipping, speaking nearly 40 years after the protest.
“Because the whole idea that you can continue government without another generation … they really weren’t thinking … and that really drove us crazy. But it just triggered so many different approaches and so many different groups of women to come.”
‘Announcer of doom’
One person who was originally set to be in the bunker that day was Don Connolly, the former longtime host of CBC Radio’s Information Morning Nova Scotia.
Inside the shelter was a replica CBC Radio studio, designed to make sure those in government would be able to get their message out to the unlucky masses not invited into the bunker that day.
Buttons advertising the protest were made by some of the participants. (Pat Kipping)
Connolly was all set to become what he’d termed as the “announcer of doom.” Then a colleague, former CBC reporter Bette Cahill, called him one day and he had a change of heart.
“She said … ‘When the flag goes up, you’re going to leave Maureen and Molly and Kathleen at your place? You’re going to go to Debert, leave them, and say good luck with the nuclear attack?” Connolly recalled.
“I said, ‘no, of course I’m not going to do that.'”
The entrance to the Debert nuclear fallout shelter, which was decommissioned in 1994. (CBC)
Lessons to be learned from protest
The protest continues to live on through a documentary made by filmmaker Liz MacDougall, called Debert Bunker: By Invitation Only.
Looking at the state of the world today, Kipping is well aware that the fight for peace, equality, and a future for our planet is still ongoing.
She thinks that future activists would do well to look at the example set by Debunk Debert as they confront our present-day fears for the end of the world.
“I think it’s really important to challenge authority,” said Kipping. “I think creative activism is important. I think a sense of humour is really important, if only for the people who are doing the actions to keep their spirits up so they can keep being active.”
And though it took another decade, in the end, the activists involved with Debunk Debert got their wish.
In 1994, with the end of the Cold War, the federal government officially decommissioned Camp Debert. It was later sold and today hosts escape rooms and laser tag.
Information Morning – NS9:25Why a nuclear fallout drill at the Debert Diefenbunker sparked protests in 1984
Almost 40 years ago, military officials were set to carry out a large-scale nuclear disaster drill at fallout shelters across the country, including at Camp Debert in Nova Scotia. But a group of women had major concerns about the drill and who the government was prioritizing for protection. The CBC’s Andrew Sampson brings us this story.
TORONTO – Will Taylor Swift bring chaos or do we all need to calm down?
It’s a question many Torontonians are asking this week as the city braces for the massive fan base of one of the world’s biggest pop stars.
Hundreds of thousands of Swifties are expected to descend on downtown core for the singer’s six concerts which kick off Thursday at the Rogers Centre and run until Nov. 23.
And while their arrival will be a boon to tourism dollars, it could further clog the city’s already gridlocked streets.
Swift’s shows collide with other scheduled events at the nearby Scotiabank Arena, including a Toronto Raptors game on Friday and a Toronto Maple Leafs game on Saturday.
Some locals have already adjusted their plans to avoid the area.
Aahil Dayani says he and some friends intended to throw a birthday bash for one of their pals, until they realized it would overlap with the concerts.
“Ultimately, everybody agreed they just didn’t want to deal with that,” he said.
“Something as simple as getting together and having dinner is now thrown out the window.”
Dayani says the group rescheduled the birthday party for after Swift leaves town. In the meantime, he plans to hunker down at his Toronto residence.
“Her coming into town has kind of changed up my social life,” he added.
“We’re pretty much just not doing anything.”
Max Sinclair, chief executive and founder of A.I. technology firm Ecomtent, has suggested his employees stay away from the company’s downtown offices on concert days, since he doesn’t see the point in forcing people to endure potential traffic jams.
“It’s going to be less productive for us, and it’s going to be just a pain for everyone, so it’s easier to avoid it,” he said.
“We’re a hybrid company, so we can be flexible. It just makes sense.”
Toronto Transit Commission spokesperson Stuart Green says the public agency has been preparing for over a year to ease the pressure of so many Swifties in one confined area.
Dozens of buses and streetcars have been added to the transit routes around the stadium, while the TTC has consulted with the city on how to handle potential emergency scenarios.
“There may be some who will say we’re over-preparing, and that’s fair,” Green said.
“But we know based on what’s happened in other places, better to be over-prepared than under-prepared.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 13, 2024.
REDWOOD CITY, Calif. – Electronic Arts has incorporated the Professional Women’s Hockey League into its NHL 25 video game.
The six teams starting their second seasons Nov. 30 will be represented in “play now,” “online versus,” “shootout” and “season” modes, plus a championship Walter Cup, in the updated game scheduled for release Dec. 5, the PWHL and EA Sports announced Wednesday.
Gamers can create a virtual PWHL player.
The league and video game company have agreed to a multi-year partnership, the PWHL stated.
“Our partnership with EA SPORTS opens new doors to elevate women’s hockey across all levels,” said PWHL operations senior vice-president Amy Scheer in a statement.
“Through this alliance, we’ll develop in-game and out-of-game experiences that strengthen the bond between our teams, players, and fans, bringing the PWHL closer to the global hockey community.”
NHL 22 featured playable women’s teams for the first time through an agreement with the International Ice Hockey Federation.
Toronto Sceptres forward Sarah Nurse became the first woman to appear on the video game’s cover in 2023 alongside Anaheim Ducks centre Trevor Zegras.
The Ottawa Charge, Montreal Victoire, Boston Fleet, Minnesota Frost and New York Sirens round out the PWHL. The league announced team names and logos in September, and unveiled jerseys earlier this month.
“It is so meaningful that young girls will be able to see themselves in the game,” said Frost forward Taylor Heise, who grew up playing EA’s NHL games.
“It is a big milestone for inclusivity within the hockey community and shows that women’s prominence in hockey only continues to grow.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 13, 2024.
Maple Leaf Foods Inc. continued to navigate weaker consumer demand in the third quarter as it looked ahead to the spinoff of its pork business in 2025.
“This environment has a particularly significant impact on a premium portfolio like ours and I want you to know that we are not sitting still waiting for the macro environment to recover on its own,” said CEO Curtis Frank on a call with analysts.
Frank said the company is working to adapt its strategies to consumer demand. As inflation has stabilized and interest rates decline, he said pressure on consumers is expected to ease.
Maple Leaf reported a third-quarter profit of $17.7 million compared with a loss of $4.3 million in the same quarter last year.
The company says the profit amounted to 14 cents per share for the quarter ended Sept. 30 compared with a loss of four cents per share a year earlier. Sales for the quarter totalled $1.26 billion, up from $1.24 billion a year ago.
“At a strategic level … we’re certainly seeing the transitory impacts of an inflation-stressed consumer environment play through our business,” Frank said.
“We are seeing more trade-down than we would like. And we are making more investments to grow our volume and protect our market share than we would like in the moment. But again, we believe that those impacts will prove to be transitory as they have been over the course of history.”
Financial results are improving in the segment as feed costs have stabilized, said Dennis Organ, president, pork complex.
Maple Leaf, which is working to spin off its pork business into a new, publicly traded company to be called Canada Packers Inc. and led by Organ, also said it has identified a way to implement the plan through a tax-free “butterfly reorganization.”
Frank said Wednesday that the new structure will see Maple Leaf retain slightly lower ownership than previously intended.
The company said it continues to expect to complete the transaction next year. However, the spinoff under the new structure is subject to an advance tax ruling from the Canada Revenue Agency and will take longer than first anticipated.
Maple Leaf announced the spinoff in July with a plan to become a more focused consumer packaged goods company, including its Maple Leaf and Schneiders brands.
“The prospect of executing the transaction as a tax-free spin-off is a positive development as we continue to advance our strategy to unlock value and unleash the potential of these two unique and distinct businesses,” Frank said in the news release.
He also said that Maple Leaf is set on delivering profitability for its plant protein business in mid-2025.
“This includes the recent completion of a procurement project aimed at leveraging our purchasing scale,” he said.
On an adjusted basis, Maple Leaf says it earned 18 cents per share in its latest quarter compared with an adjusted profit of 13 cents per share in the same quarter last year.
The results were largely in line with expectations, said RBC analyst Irene Nattel in a note.
Maple Leaf shares were down 4.5 per cent in midday trading on the Toronto Stock Exchange at $21.49.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 13, 2024.
