In 1952, Ian Fleming published his first James Bond novel, then the stories of the MI6 agent, known as his code 007 became best-selling books and appeared in the popular movie series. The James Bond stories were inspired by Ian Fleming's experiences during WWII when he was an observer and participant in 1942 at Camp X in Whitby Ontario.
The UK, US, and Canada established Camp X as a top classified project. It was an intelligence agent training facility operating between 1941 and 1946. The war's end, about 500 - 2000 agents had been trained and sent to behind the enemy lines. An estimated 5% of scheduled actions succeeded.
Let's don't forget the sacrifices made by the unnamed heroes during the war. We are proud to be Canadian.
Visitor Info:
The Camp X facilities have been removed. There is a monument located in the Intrepid Park.
Address: 2008 Boundary Rd, Whitby, ON
Public Transit: From GO Lakeshore East Oshawa Station, take Durham bus route 403 to Intrepid Park. (GO and Durham bus is free for children 12-year-old and younger. Adults can buy a weekend day pass for GO Transit between any two stations for only $10. Presto Card is charged on Durham bus)
Research Question:
There are several stories about why Fleming picked James Bond as the name of 007. One of the stories has a strong connection to Toronto. Can you find that story?
Photo: XIn Yi Zhang (2023)