A New Conflict

 The end of the war, with the strong bonds that formed between the Canadians and the Dutch, would have a generational effect, with many of the Dutch immigrating to Canada after the war.

The end of the war in Europe was a time of jubilation for the Allies.

But there was more yet to be done. Canada had put much of its emphasis in the European theatre, but had been involved in the Pacific theatre as well throughout the war.

The surrender of Japan came down to the use of two atomic bombs by the United States to settle the matter.

A piece of a tile from Hiroshima is a chilling but effective artifact.

And what would come after the victory in the Second World War?

The Cold War.

One of the incidents that started it was the Gouzenko Affair. Igor Gouzenko was a Soviet clerk at the embassy here in Ottawa, who stole documents proving the Soviets were spying on their western allies and brought them to the attention of the Canadian authorities. The small, nondescript apartment building where he and his family had been living at the time is one I pass nearly every day, with plaques in the park across the street explaining its significance in history. Gouzenko would live out his life under protection, writing books, and when he appeared in public, he would always be masked.