Canadian hero Ken Taylor gets Calgary school named after him

Ken Taylor, the Canadian ambassador best known for his role in the 1979 covert “Canadian Caper” operation in Iran, is set to have a Calgary school named after him.

Taylor helped six Americans escape during the Iran hostage crisis by getting them Canadian passports, enabling them to pose as a Canadian film crew scouting locations.

Though Taylor’s heroic actions were officially secret, they came to wider public attention when actor/director Ben Affleck made Argo, the Oscar-winning movie about the rescue.

Over the years, Taylor received many Canadian and U.S. honours for his service, including the Order of Canada and the U.S. Congressional Gold Medal. He died late last year.

The Kenneth D. Taylor School, serving students in Kindergarten to Grade 3 in Calgary’s Evanston neighbourhood, is due to open in September 2016.

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