- Canadian Minister of External Affairs, Lester B. Pearson, (who would later become Prime Minister), signed the North Atlantic Treaty (NATO) on behalf of Canada on April 4, 1949 in Washington D.C., alongside the other founding nations.
- Pearson famously said, "this Treaty is not a pact for war, but a pledge for peace and progress" and he expressed great interest for NATO being more than just a military alliance, and pushed for members to forge strong political and economic ties alongside military coordination, which is shown in Article 2 of the North Atlantic Treaty.
- Canadian Prime Minister Louis St. Laurent signed Canada's Instrument of Accession to NATO in Ottawa on April 30th, 1949, which formally confirmed Canada's entry into NATO.
- Canada, under advising of Pearson, was one of the key leaders in the creation and formation of NATO and for over 40 years following its creation, Canada stationed troops alongside the US (on behalf of NATO) in Europe until the fall of the Berlin Wall.
- Ever since, Canada has been a key member of NATO, fighting alongside other member countries in several missions over the years.
- This is the official text of the North Atlantic Treaty, containing the original 14 Articles and the mission of the Treaty.
The North Atlantic Treaty, the Kingdom of Belgium, Canada, the Kingdom of Denmark, France, Iceland, Italy, the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, the Kingdom of the Netherlands, the Kingdom of Norway, Portugal, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, the United States of America, April 4 1949. https://www.nato.int/cps/en/natohq/official_texts_17120.htm
For the official Treaty Text: https://www.nato.int/nato_static_fl2014/assets/pdf/history_pdf/20161122_E1-founding-treaty-original-treaty_NN-en.pdf
For more history of NATO:
https://history.state.gov/milestones/1945-1952/nato#:~:text=The%20North%20Atlantic%20Treaty%20Organization,security%20against%20the%20Soviet%20Union.&text=NATO%20was%20the%20first%20peacetime,outside%20of%20the%20Western%20Hemisphere.
For History of the Founding of NATO: https://www.nato.int/cps/en/natohq/topics_67656.htm
For more information on Canada's historic and modern involvement in NATO: https://www.nato.int/cps/en/natohq/declassified_161511.htm
& https://www.warmuseum.ca/learn/dispatches/canada-and-nato/#tabs
& https://www.warmuseum.ca/cwm/exhibitions/nato/nato01_e.html