• As part of Canada's commitment to the North American Aerospace Defence Command (Norad), Prime Minister Diefenbaker agreed in 1958 to host two squadrons of Bomarc antiaircraft missiles. In 1960, the government revealed that the missiles - the Bomarc-B - would carry nuclear warheads. After much public outcry, Diefenbaker retreated from his position to take the nuclear missiles, but the issue turned against him in the 1963 election. Although Liberal leader Lester Pearson had formerly opposed the nuclear missiles, in the 1963 campaign, he ran on a platform promising to take the weapons. The Liberals won a strong minority government and on New Year's Eve 1963, Canada took delivery of its first nuclear weapons. Maryon Pearson resigned her honourary membership in the Voice of Women.

• On March 2, 1962, just days before this clip aired, U.S. President John F. Kennedy announced America's intention to resume nuclear weapons testing. Kennedy lamented the demise of the voluntary moratorium between the U.S. and the U.S.S.R. which had been in place since 1958. Citing Soviet tests conducted in 1961, he said the U.S. could not afford to fall behind in the arms race. Despite the hopes expressed here by External affairs Minister Howard Green, U.S. testing did go forward, with over 100 atmospheric and undergrounds tests conducted in 1962-1963.

• The talks scheduled to take place in Geneva referred to in the clip were part of negotiations for a comprehensive test ban treaty. The main sticking point, as Green mentions here, was the issue of inspections aimed to monitor underground tests. In the wake of the Cuban Missile Crisis in October 1962, progress was made and in July 1963, the underground testing element was removed from the negotiations. That paved the way for the U.S.S.R and the U.S. to agree to the Partial Test Ban Treaty. It prohibited the testing of nuclear weapons in the atmosphere, underwater and in space.

• Today, the Voice of Women continues its work in pursuit of peace, social justice and human rights. It is an accredited NGO to the United Nations, affiliated to the Department of Public Information and the Economic and Social Council.