Walter Gordon 1906-1987

The death of the Hon. Walter Gordon has evoked deserved tributes to him as a gentle patriot, an influential reformer in Canadian politics and an example of unswerving integrity in Canadian public life.

Science for Peace knew him as a benefactor and one of the most persistent and pragmatic peace advocates in Canada.

In the last conversation I had with Walter Gordon, I mentioned that I had been invited to moderate a debate on the restoration of the death penalty. Walter recalled that when he had been a cabinet minister he had been asked by a colleague whether he would be taking part in the debate on the death penalty. His reply was typical of the man: “You are debating the question of death on a retail scale: what I’m more concerned about is the threat of wholesale death in the nuclear age.”

Science for Peace mourns, a true friend and a wise advocate of sanity on arms – control and disarmament issues.

Copies of a recent paper, “Has Containment Worked?”, are available from the Bulletin.

— George Ignatieff