2025 Cold War Speaker Series: Canada, Africa, and the Cold War
We invite you to join us this fall for the Diefenbunker’s Cold War Speaker Series! In this series of free events, hear from experts on a variety of topics to bring you new perspectives on Cold War themes and events.
Event 3
Topic: Canada, Africa, and the Cold War
Speaker: Dr. Kevin Spooner
Date: Thursday, November 20, 2025
Time: 7:00 – 8:30 p.m. ET
Location: Virtual
Cost: Free
Event Details:
- Hosted virtually on Zoom. Advance registration is required to receive the Zoom link.
- Includes a presentation followed by a Q&A.
- Session will be recorded for educational purposes and made available after the event.
>> REGISTER NOW
Overview
Africa was a site of significant Cold War tensions, where political ideologies and the challenges associated with decolonization often collided. This talk examines Canada’s role, particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa, exploring the connections between race and the battle for allegiances between East and West. Canada’s peacekeeping legacy will be addressed.
About the speaker
Dr. Kevin Spooner
Kevin Spooner is Professor of North American Studies and History at Wilfrid Laurier University, where he is also the Director of the Laurier Centre for the Study of Canada. Kevin received his MA and PhD in Canadian History from Carleton University, after also studying at Trent and Queen’s Universities. Contributing to the development of North American Studies at Laurier, Kevin served as program coordinator from 2009 to 2014 and currently teaches core courses for North American Studies and upper-year courses in aspects of the history of Canadian foreign policy for the History department. His research expertise is in the history of Canadian foreign policy, particularly Canada’s contribution to international peacekeeping and Canadian relations with Africa. Canada’s place in the world, from the 1940s to the 1960s, remains an important focus of his writing; his current manuscript project explores the impact of decolonization on Canadian relations with Africa, during the governments of John Diefenbaker and Lester Pearson.
