They Took Away the Arrow, but They Gave us Barbie Instead

STORY BY: Joan T.
YEAR: 1959
LOCATION: Calgary, AB

Joan from Calgary writes: "We saw your play BOOM at Theatre Calgary and enjoyed it so much that I bought the transcript. You mentioned the Avro Arrow launch and I commented on it’s demise in 1959 and my disgust that we got ‘Barbie’ the same year. You asked if they fell on the same day, so I looked it up. The Arrow was scuttled for lack of sales on February 20, 1959; Barbie was hatched the next month, March 1959. Designer was Jack Ryan, former Raytheon employee (Raytheon, of U.S. military-industrial fame). It still makes smoke come out of my ears, as does the knowledge that Diefenbaker was the 1st Prime Minister from western Canada and the 2nd one was worse - Stephen Harper and his ‘Chicago Boyz’ mentors (faculty imports from U.S., Professors Tom Flanagan and Ted Morton). But that’s another story. Thanks for the entertaining reminder of history’s repetitive behaviour!" And thank you, Joan, for sharing your story!