Canadian History

The Great Puzzle of Afghanistan

Afghan-Canadian author and Filmmaker Nelofer Pazira lectures at The Regent

Toronto actress, author, film director, and journalist Nelofer Pazira appeared on stage at The Regent Theatre on Monday, February 4^th 2013 as another of the History Nights At The Regent lectures. History Lives Here Inc. sponsors this series of monthly winter history lectures in partnership with the Black Prince Winery, The Merrill Inn, and The Regent Theatre.

Pazira fled Afghanistan with her family in the 1980s as the brutal reign of the Taliban grew. After a harrowing 10-day journey on foot to Pakistan, a story told in her book, A Bed of Red Flowers: In Search of my Afghanistan, Nelofer and her family settled in New Brunswick. She learned English and later completed degrees in journalism from Carleton University and in anthropology, sociology and religion from Concordia University. And she began a career documenting the painful process of her country’s struggles.

Afghanistan is one of the world’s poorest countries and it’s history has been shaped by tribal warlords and invading armies dating back to Alexander The Great. It is within this context that western armies entered the country in 2001 to begin a war to uproot terrorists, track down the world’s most wanted man, Osama Bin Laden, and to bring security so the nation’s fragile government could bring democracy, a civil society and services to its citizens. Canada was part of this effort sending 2,800 troops and contributing millions in aid dollars.

It was, says Pazira, a mission full of good intentions. But however well-armed and trained the almost 150,000 soldiers from contributing nations were, they did not come with much understanding of the country, its history, the culture, and contemporary circumstances that remain the reality of Afghanistan. Widespread government corruption, the shifting alliances of competing warlords and their armies, weak Afghan police and army forces, and a tenacious campaign of intimidation, suicide-bombers, and attacks by a determined and elusive enemy on western army convoys using cheaply-made improvised explosive devices (IEDs), all conspired against the world’s intervention.

The Afghan people, wary of the uncertain commitment of the West, could never align themselves totally with foreigners and a certain death upon their withdrawal. The enormous expense of the war in lives and dollars (The U.S. military alone spent eight billion/month), and its growing unpopularity among voters lead NATO nations to scale down their involvement and to leave the country. Canadian troops left in 2011 although some 900 soldiers remain training Afghan defence forces. U.S.forces will leave the country in 2014.

It is difficult to find measureable successes within the Canadian effort, says Pazira. The 50 schools Canada built have never actually been used. Without constant security, it is simply too dangerous for teachers and students – especially women and girls – to utilize the facilities. Canadian aid projects to improve roads, develop irrigation projects, and to strengthen the Afghan government’s capacity to provide much-needed services to its citizens have not had a enduring legacy. And many Afghan civilians were the victims of friendly fire incidents, aerial attacks, and incidents where they were simply innocent people in the wrong place at the wrong time.

As we undertake other military missions in other parts of the world, Canada, says Pazira, needs to carefully consider the many complexities of other societies and their long history of conflict. As well, she suggests, we need to develop alternative approaches to military interventions which cannot be sustained, contribute to further loss of life on all sides, and are often driven by national agendas which do not always align with the best interests of the citizens of countries like Afghanistan.

Afghanistan remains a great puzzle. Should we have intervened? What is the legacy of this great effort? What do we do when we must decide again to intervene in another of the world’s hot spots? History, says Pazira, has not yet revealed the answer.

The next History Night at The Regent will be on March 4^th 2013 at 7 pm at The Regent. It will feature Professor Patrice Dutil of Ryerson University and Past Chair of the Champlain Society of Canada discussing the epic journeys of French explorer Samuel de Champlain through the Quinte area.

For tickets, contact The Regent Theatre
613 – 476 – 8416 www.TheRegentTheatre.org

DOCUMENTARY ON LEGENDARY BOAT MISS SUPERTEST PREMIERES IN PICTON

(PICTON, ONTARIO) MAKING WAVES: The Story of the Miss Supertest Team, will premiere at The Regent Theatre in Picton at 4 pm. on Monday, August 8th 2011 as part of a three-day event to celebrate the Canadian racing hydroplane Miss Supertest III.

In August 1960 and 1961, the waters off Picton churned as unlimited class hydroplanes thundered across Long Reach leaving sprays of wake – or ”rooster tails” – as they sped by thousands of spectators watching from the shore. These were the Harmsworth International Races. In 1959, 1960, and 1961 a Canadian boat named Miss Supertest III swept to victory against her American competitors in races in Detroit and Picton to establish a record of successive championships that has never been matched by another Canadian boat.

To celebrate this Canadian sports history, a weekend of exhibits and events will be held at the Loch Sloy Business Park in Picton – once a military base known as Camp Picton. On Monday, August 8th, Canada Post will launch a commemorative stamp in honour of the boat. Later that afternoon, the documentary on the Supertest story will premiere at The Regent Theatre in Picton. See http://www.misssupertest.ca for a full list of events.

“The launch of the Canada Post commemorative stamp and this weekend celebration is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” says Peter Lockyer of History Lives Here Inc., the Picton-based communications firm, which produced the documentary. “ I attended the Harmsworth races 50 years ago and they have endured as an exciting moment in the maritime heritage of the area. It’s a privilege to re-live this rich history and to contribute our documentary on the Supertest team as part of this community celebration.”

MAKING WAVES: The Story of the Miss Supertest Team traces the early days of the Thompson family of London, Ontario, owners of the Supertest chain of gas stations across Canada, as they entered the world of international hydroplane racing in the 1950s. Although they faced a number of engineering challenges and heartbreaking setbacks before achieving success with their boats Miss Supertest II and Miss Supertest III, the Thompsons and their team won a series of three consecutive world titles.

“They made sports history,” says Lockyer. “The design of their Supertest boats, the Rolls Royce engines which powered them, drivers like Bob Hayward, and the other members of the team achieved greatness. They deserve to be celebrated for what they did especially at a time when Canadians were so uncertain of their place in the world.”

DVD copies of the documentary MAKING WAVES: The Story of the Supertest Team can be purchased at The Regent Theatre or online at Books & Company in Picton http://www.PictonBookstore.com

Formed in 2004 by former CBC broadcaster Peter Lockyer, History Lives Here Inc. provides a wide range of communication services for businesses, industry associations and communities celebrating significant anniversaries. 

For more information, contact:

Peter Lockyer History Lives Here Inc.

74 West Mary St., Picton, ON KOK 2TO

Tel: 613 – 476 – 3356

Email: historyliveshere@bell.net

Website: http://www.historyliveshere.ca

MAKING WAVES: The Story of the SupertestTeam

by capturing the International Harmsworth Trophy three years in a row.

Miss Supertest III

Fifty years ago, on August 7, 1961, tens of thousands of excited spectators stood on the banks of Lake Ontario at Long Reach, near Picton, Ontario, and held their collective breath as Canadian hydroplane Miss Supertest III made history by capturing the International Harmsworth Trophy for a third time in a row. Her story is almost mythic in that it combines both triumph and tragedy, and is still told again and again by those who were there to witness her historic win. The first non-U.S. winner in 39 years, the innovative Miss Supertest III, designed by James (Jim) Thompson and piloted by southwestern Ontario chicken farmer Bob Hayward, combined grace and beauty with indomitable speed and horsepower.  

At the age of seven, Thompson told his father that he wanted to win the Harmsworth for Canada someday. He inspired pride throughout the nation and caught the attention of the world when he made good on his childhood ambitions, capturing the prestigious international Harmsworth Trophy in 1959, 1960 and 1961. Miss Supertest III became a powerful example of Canadian ingenuity that still lives on in the hearts of hydroplane enthusiasts.  

Supertest Petroleum, founded by his father, J. Gordon Thompson, lent its name to three of the Thompson hydroplanes. Despite his Vice-presidential responsibilities at the then family-owned business, the younger Thompson dedicated much of his energies to speedboat racing. He achieved lesser triumphs with Miss Supertest I (formerly Miss Canada IV) and Miss Supertest II, which broke the world’s straightaway record with a speed of 297 km/h (184.495 mph).  

Miss Supertest III was specifically designed for the Harmsworth Trophy competition. Like her predecessor, she featured a 2000 hp Rolls-Royce Griffon motor, originally used to power the Royal Air Force’s Supermarine Spitfire single engine fighter. With other incremental innovations, Miss Supertest III quickly proved herself well suited to the Harmsworth Challenge.  

Her first and only non-Harmsworth race, with Hayward driving, was the 1959 Detroit Memorial Cup. Later that year, in August, Hayward piloted Miss Supertest III to a successful Harmsworth Trophy challenge on the Detroit River, with an average speed exceeding 185 km/h (115 mph). She and her racing team successfully defended the Harmsworth Trophy the following two years at Picton. In the 1960 competition, Hayward set a world lap speed record of 203 km/h (126.226 mph) on the 8 km (5 mile) course.  

Hayward drove Miss Supertest III in only four races, but was undefeated in all. In a tragic accident on September 10, 1961, during the U.S. Silver Cup race on the Detroit River, and only weeks after winning his third Harmsworth race, Hayward was moving at an estimated 249 km/h (155 mph) in the older Miss Supertest II when she flipped, killing him. The Thompson team retired from racing, and Miss Supertest III was permanently dry-docked. In tribute, a bay in Lake Ontario near Picton was named Hayward Long Reach. Both Hayward and Thompson have been inducted into the Canadian Sports Hall of Fame and the Canadian Motorsport Hall of Fame.  

For designer and speed enthusiast Ivan Novotny, Vice-president at Taylor|Sprules Corporation, designing the two Miss Supertest III stamps was a dream job. He had the great fortune of being able to spend time with Thompson, now in his mid 80s. In addition to allowing Novotny and the partners of the firm the opportunity to comb through his personal archives for imagery, he generously shared his own insider information about the design of the speedboat and his experiences as a part of the race team. For Novotny, it was an experience that crystallized the creative direction for the stamp.  

“I was thrilled that he was willing to show us Miss Supertest III. The boat feels very raw, powerful. It’s very impressive. But for me, the most inspiring aspect of seeing the speedboat is watching Jim (Thompson). There’s something in the way he touches the boat, the way he smiles. He was t alking to us, but I was watching his hand stroke the aged cracked varnish—it was as if the memories were flooding up through his fingertips. ”Novotny adds that viewing this relationship between man and machine helped to clarify his creative approach.  

“There’s something incredibly graceful about Jim—the genuine affection for the era in which Miss Supertest III won and the people who made that possible. I marvelled how he was able to jump back in time and remember so many precise details. It was definitely an exciting chapter in his life—but just one chapter of many. His respect for this machine is almost tangible. I wanted to capture that, to represent the era with a particular palette; to create a design that would pay homage to the speed and power and incredible grace that was Miss Supertest III and her team.”