Ken Taylor laid to rest

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The Canadian ambassador who was called a hero in both Canada and the United States was laid to rest on Tuesday in Toronto. Ken Taylor is best known for his part in helping six Americans escape the Iranian revolution.

Taylor’s granddaughter, Kasia described her grandfather as “legendary.”  Those in attendance at his funeral, include a who’s who of Canadian life. Among them, Prime Minister Designate, Justin Trudeau.

Taylor died on October 15 in New York City at the age of 81 after battling colon cancer. He lived in New York after serving in a number of diplomatic posts, none more famous than in Iran during the late seventies and early eighties.

On November 4, 1979, a group of radicals had stormed the US embassy and taken 52 hostages. Six US citizens escaped to the Canadian embassy in Tehran and Taylor worked with the CIA to devise a plan to smuggle them out.

The story was made popular in the 2012 film “Argo” which won best picture, but was panned for it’s lack of accuracy and minimizing the role that Taylor and the Canadians played. So much so that former US President Jimmy Carter took every opportunity to correct the record.