1960s

1962

Breakthrough in Breakwaters... Looking like a huge piece of Swiss cheese, a Canadian-designed breakwater is built in Baie Comeau, Quebec. A prototype of its kind, it absorbs up to 85% of wave energy by dispersing water through holes in its walls.

1962

Alouette... The launch of the Alouette-I for ionospheric research makes Canada the third country in space after the U.S. and the USSR. Developed by a team led by John H. Chapman, the "father of the Canadian space program", the Alouette-I is designed to last for one year but functions perfectly for ten.

1962

On The Map, Again... Canada cinches a top spot on the topographical mapping landscape with the development of the world's first Geographic Information System (GIS). In step with evolving technology, the program combines database management, spatial analysis and digital mapping and is later applied to marine-based industries and nautical charts.

1965

Tightly Knit... The world's first engineered yarn is produced by researchers who combine the high strength of nylon with the absorbency of cotton in a woven fibre that wears 10 times as well as conventional string.

1966

Bombs Away... A bomb sniffer small enough to fit into an attaché case is developed to detect explosives in parts per trillion of trace constituents. Improved and modified versions are still used by police, customs, airports, airlines and embassies to locate hidden bombs; illegal drugs; and even to determine the freshness of seafood.

1968

A Rose is Born... Canadian gardens blossom with the introduction of winter-hardy Explorer and Parkland roses, grown to withstand the rigours of a northern climate.

1969

Hormone History... After discovering a link between a human hormone prolactin and infertility, a research team led by Dr. Henry Friesen of the University of Manitoba develops a simple blood test that identifies women who excrete abnormally high levels of the hormone. Correction of the problem allows thousands of infertile couples to become pregnant.

1969

Beneath the Surface... Aircraft instruments to record gamma radiation emitted by radioactive elements in the Earth's crust allow mineral deposits to be detected from the air. By 1999, nearly all international mining companies use Canadian airborne gamma-ray spectrometry, which is also used for hydrocarbon exploration and geological mapping.

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