How would the world react if Canada decided it wants nukes?

In the hypothetical situation that Canada decided it wanted to pursue its own nuclear program and eventually possess said weapon, how would the rest of the world react? Please note i am not in any way implicating or endorsing Canada using said weapons.
 

Ian_W

Banned
In the hypothetical situation that Canada decided it wanted to pursue its own nuclear program and eventually possess said weapon, how would the rest of the world react? Please note i am not in any way implicating or endorsing Canada using said weapons.

The key decision for them is therefore how involved they want to be with the British postwar nuclear program.

I believe they were invited under the Attlee government.

Have a look at this, and figure how the Canadians would be more heavily involved (probably a simple "We supply one third of the plutonium, and get one quarter of the bombs").

https://nuclearweaponarchive.org/Uk/UKOrigin.html
 
In the hypothetical situation that Canada decided it wanted to pursue its own nuclear program and eventually possess said weapon, how would the rest of the world react? Please note i am not in any way implicating or endorsing Canada using said weapons.

You mean in the initial Post WWII era? 1945-1960.

Or contemporary?
 

Kaze

Banned
Doesn't Canada already have nuclear weapons?

Through 1984, Canada would deploy four American designed nuclear weapons delivery systems accompanied by hundreds of warheads:

  • 5600 CIM-10 BOMARC surface-to-air missiles.
  • 430 MGR-1 Honest John rocket systems armed with a total of 16 W31 nuclear warheads the Canadian Army deployed in Germany.
  • 1080 nuclear W25 Genie rockets carried by 54 CF-101 Voodoos.
  • estimates of 90 to 210 tactical (20–60 kiloton) nuclear warheads assigned to 6 CF-104 Starfighter squadrons (about 90 aircraft) based with NATO in Europe (there is a lack of open sources detailing exactly how many warheads were deployed
  • In total, there were between 250 and 450 nuclear warheads on Canadian bases between 1963 and 1972. There were at most 108 Genie missiles armed with 1.5 kiloton W25 warheads present from 1963 to 1984
But there is still talk of denuclearize, but obligations by NATO keeps them.
 
Doesn't Canada already have nuclear weapons?

Through 1984, Canada would deploy four American designed nuclear weapons delivery systems accompanied by hundreds of warheads:

  • 5600 CIM-10 BOMARC surface-to-air missiles.
  • 430 MGR-1 Honest John rocket systems armed with a total of 16 W31 nuclear warheads the Canadian Army deployed in Germany.
  • 1080 nuclear W25 Genie rockets carried by 54 CF-101 Voodoos.
  • estimates of 90 to 210 tactical (20–60 kiloton) nuclear warheads assigned to 6 CF-104 Starfighter squadrons (about 90 aircraft) based with NATO in Europe (there is a lack of open sources detailing exactly how many warheads were deployed
  • In total, there were between 250 and 450 nuclear warheads on Canadian bases between 1963 and 1972. There were at most 108 Genie missiles armed with 1.5 kiloton W25 warheads present from 1963 to 1984
But there is still talk of denuclearize, but obligations by NATO keeps them.

The nuclear warheads deployed with Canadian forces are under immediate control of American troops. I was stationed with several Air Force weapons troops who had been assigned to Canadian bases to handle the Genie warheads. The warheads were stored under U.S. control and only issued out as needed with U.S. control being maintained until loaded on the aircraft. I believe that your numbers may be high. The plan for the BOMARC was for a total of 4800 missiles assigned to 20 squadrons total (Both U.S. and Canadian) I believe the numbers never reached that total. As far as the AIR-2 Genie 1080 seems high for 54 aircraft. The total production was about 3200 and I don't think Canada had 1/3 of those deliveries.
 

Lusitania

Donor
A scenario like this would of required a more assertive Canadian foreign and military policy after WW2 at least.

At the end of WW2 Canada had the 3rd largest navy but like at the end of WW1 it scaled back its armed forces to the bone.

Therefore Canadian government after war would of needed to continue more independent. Prime minister Mackenzie king was leery of US while his successor St Laurent while more anti-communist was friendly to US. So we need a 3rd candidate who succeeds King as Prime minister after the war and takes Canada on more independent route.

With vision of Canada being a strong independent middle power. Working together with the British to help develop both British and Canadian forces to deal with the growing communist threat. Joining the British in development of several military projects such as jet fighters, ships and eventually joint nuclear program.
 
Maze is accurate about OTL.

Rumour also has that nuclear depth charges were stored at the Bedford Basin (Halifax Harbour) bomb dump.

Yes, Ottawa did tell the Canadian public about nuclear weapons on Canadian soil, but peace-loving citizens preferred to ignore those nasty weapons.
Their control was evident with US Air Police guarding the bomb dump at CFB Comox in 1981.

ATL would have Canada supporting an expanded British Tube Alloys Project with Commonwealth-owned nuclear bombs. When we consider how WW2 bankrupted Britain, Brits would be glad of financial support from Australia, Canada, South Africa, etc. Colonies insisting on their share of nuclear weapons would be an awkward point.
 
A scenario like this would of required a more assertive Canadian foreign and military policy after WW2 at least.
.....
At the end of WW2 Canada had the 3rd largest navy but like at the end of WW1 it scaled back its armed forces to the bone.

I believe Canada had the fourth largest behind the U.S., U.K., and USSR. If you only include 'blue water' (Deep ocean capable) vessels they may have been third because the Soviet Navy had a huge number of coastal and riverine forces. But the point stands
 

Zen9

Banned
I understand prior to collaboration and merger with the US effort, the British Empire planned to base it's nuclear weapons effort in Canada.

So path 1 is through the joint UK-Canada weapons programme.
 
For this scenario i was thinking of a contemporary time frame.
So essentially Canada renounces the NPT and constructs their own nuclear weapons (and presumably some additional delivery systems ?)

I suspect how the world would react would really depend on why the Canadians decided to do this.

From a more pragmatic perspective so long as the U.S. is at least ambivalent about this matter I doubt the rest of the world will do much :)

Edit to add / clarify:
IMHO I doubt the rest of the world would do much of any real consequence to Canada unless the U.S. was actively opposed to the Canadian plans or actions.
 
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So essentially Canada renounces the NPT and constructs their own nuclear weapons (and presumably some additional delivery systems ?)

I suspect how the world would react would really depend on why the Canadians decided to do this.

From a more pragmatic perspective so long as the U.S. is at least ambivalent about this matter I doubt the rest of the world will do much :)

Edit to add / clarify:
IMHO I doubt the rest of the world would do much of any real consequence to Canada unless the U.S. was actively opposed to the Canadian plans or actions.
Could have collaborated with either us or uk depending on when it start. But don't see it being more than symbolic. (Ie not level or us/urss or even uk/france/china but a lower level like pakistan/israel/south africa for the number or warhead. )
 

Ian_W

Banned
Could have collaborated with either us or uk depending on when it start. But don't see it being more than symbolic. (Ie not level or us/urss or even uk/france/china but a lower level like pakistan/israel/south africa for the number or warhead. )

The big effect would probably be a signal to all the other "middle" countries that they should get nukes too.
 
What would be the delivery method is more what i wonder. I don't see canada building a bunch of ssbn with our badly maintened ssk. So either irbm/icbm, tactical ones for in germany nato commitment (genie analog or dumb bombs with slightly bigger yield) or a dial a yield bomb like i think the us b61 ( ie small to strategic yield...).
 
So essentially Canada renounces the NPT and constructs their own nuclear weapons (and presumably some additional delivery systems ?)

U.S. keeps getting louder and more jingo-istic after McCarthy era, to the point that Canada decides they need deterrent?

[ could they fund their own covert program? they have uranium and hydroelectricity aplenty ]
 
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