Cold War Tech and Its Discontents

The Distant Early Warning (DEW) Line was a radar defence network in Canada’s Arctic. It was a Cold War engineering marvel, but it had terrible effects on the land and Inuit communities.

Produced by Melony Ward, with assistance from Sarah Martin

 — Posted January 26, 2021
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Sound editor: Andrew Workman

Special thanks to Kylie Nicolajsen and Nancy Payne for their help.

Archival footage courtesy CBC Licensing and AT&T Archives and History Centre.

For an in-depth description of the challenges faced during the construction of the DEW line, read Michael Stephenson’s article from the Winter 1983 issue of The Beaver.

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