[EFC#1] Speaking of Foreign Interference

This is the first installment of segments of ESCAPE FROM CERTAINTY: MY SAFE PASSAGE THROUGH THE ULTRA LEFT, A MEMOIR OF THE RADICAL 1970S AND 80S. I will be “dropping” these into my substack periodically. *

In the early 1970s, the RCMP was caught red-handed infiltrating political groups and engaging in illegal activity in Quebec. In one famous case, they burned down a barn on a farm south of Montreal owned by the family of FLQ (Front de libération du Québec) terrorists. The RCMP were wary of increased influence by the American radical Black Panther Party in the independence movement in that province, and believed there would be a meeting in the barn. This apparently was to be a kind of warning. After some Keystone Cops-type effort, the barn was brought to the ground.

The escapade leaked out. A Royal Commission was set up to investigate the national police service for this and other dubious misadventures. In the end, in 1984 the RCMP spun off its security wing, which became CSIS, the Canadian Security Intelligence Service.

Not long before this institutional transformation completed 40+ years ago, I was working midnights at Nortel (then Northern Telecom) on the microchip wafer production line on Corkstown Road, west of Ottawa. One dawn, a couple of hours before the end of our shift, we were all instructed to attend a mysterious security presentation by the RCMP.

A couple of officers in civilian clothes introduced themselves and then immediately dimmed the lights. A short film was shown outlining the risks that the technology industry faced from infiltrators who wanted to steal and sell company design secrets to foreign powers.

We learned how they would befriend us with dinners and phoney offers of friendship, possibly bribes. Maybe even honey traps, which seemed most intriguing. These spies were from China, Russia (then USSR), Cuba, North Korea, Eastern Europe and nefarious places like that. Or they were home-grown but worked for enemies.

However real the concern, it was such poorly argued and slanted propaganda that after the lights came back on, I raised my hand and asked why the risk of American espionage wasn’t also mentioned. Surely they would be just as much a danger, if not more so, and in fact American companies were in closer proximity, and in obvious competition with Northern Telecom for the same customers. What about the Yanks!

One of the officers raised an eyebrow and replied: “What’s your problem? Did we burn down your barn?” It was cynical but a great line, and we all laughed (at least those who understood the reference.)

As it happened, a coworker who also attended the film showing many years later got to know the officer who made the arson comment (they had become in-laws.) So when the story was resurrected in recent years, following a Facebook post, we were able to share a laugh with the now retired officer.

But the political climate has changed, hasn’t it, and our southern neighbours seem even more intent on nefarious challenges to our sovereignty — is it time to reassess? Asking for a friend.

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*From the section “Dirty Tricks”