The Heritage Front
On August 14, 1994 Bill Dunphy reported in the Toronto Sun
that the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) has been
giving money to Grant Bristow since the late 1980s. Brislow, the
former intelligence chief and co-director of security for the
Heritage Front, allegedly used this money to finance the
organization's campaign of hatred. Dunphy's story also alleged
that Bristow directed a Heritage Front harassment campaign to
incite violence between the Front and anti-racists. This programme
apparently involved illegal access to the answering machines and
voice mailboxes of anti-racists.
The following week produced equally stunning revelations and
allegations. The Globe and Mail reported that Bristow, who resigned
from the
Front two months before Dunphy's story, received between
$50,000 and $60,000 annually from CSIS. Gerry Lincoln, the editor of
Up Front, confirmed that Bristow gave start-up money to the
Heritage Front. In fact, the total amount of money given to Bristow
could be in excess of $300,000.
Lincoln also said that Bristow, who joined the
Nationalist Party
in 1989, helped found the
Heritage Front in 1989; the suggested
timing of the alleged early payments corroborates this fact. It
appears that Bristow was hired by CSIS to infiltrate the Canadian
far-right. A Winnipeg Free Press editorial on August 19 noted the
irony of CSIS creating an enemy only to destroy it. The
Heritage Front hotline boasted in August 1994 that "CSIS created something
that can't be stopped. White Canada should be grateful."
Gary
Schipper called Bristow a "tremendous asset to the organization."
Bristow allegedly used his money to finance networking trips for
Heritage Front leaders from across Canada. Lincoln professed that
Bristow was a major asset to the Front, saying "the positive things
he did for us outweigh any negative things...l'd like to have 10
more [men] like him." These remarks were made on August 16, the
same day that
Anti-Racist Action held a rally at Toronto's City
Hall to condemn the alleged collaboration between CSIS and the
Heritage Front.
The Toronto Star reported that CSIS used a
Heritage Front mole to
spy on the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation as the network was
preparing a segment on racism in the Canadian Armed Forces. The
Star reported that classified documents in their possession
substantiated these allegations. CSIS responded by demanding that
the Star return the papers or face penalties under the Official
Secrets Act.
In fact, NOW, a Toronto weekly, had reported in May 1993 that
Heritage Front members were approached by CSIS agents about the
possibility of becoming informants. Droege made public the names
of the two agents, but neither would confirm Droege's account.
When the HF leader filed a complaint with CSIS, he was told that
"CSIS is an intelligence gathering operation and that Parliament
wants to have certain information about specific groups."
Alleged targets of other investigations by CSIS included the Reform
Party and Canada's Somali community. In addition, Bristow was
revealed to have been a volunteer security guard for Reform Party
leader Preston Manning during rallies and speeches. On August 28,
1994 a Reform spokesperson stated on CTV that the former Tory
government used CSIS moles, inclucling Bristow, to spy on an
opposition party. Allegedly, infiltration of Reform in Ontario was
one of Bristow's priorities in 1991 and 1992; Manning now wants a
parliamentary investigation into whether Bristow was spying on his
party on behalf of CSIS.
On August 24 and 25, 1994 the Canadian Jewish community was shaken
by two allegations. First, it was reported that Bristow spied on the
Canadian Jewish Congress (CJC). Then, the CBC reported that Bristow
had given inforrnation on both the CJC and B'nai Brith Canada to
White Aryan Resistance (WAR), a violent neo-Nazi hate group dedicated
to the idea of an armed race war in which "Aryans" will prevail.
Tom Metzger, the leader of WAR confirmed that he had received this
information from Bristow. Both Jewish organizations agreed that CSIS
was, through its support of Bristow, endangering the lives and safety
of Canadian Jews.
Solicitor General Herb Gray could not confirm nor deny Bristow's
involvement with CSIS, pending the outcome of an investigation by
Security Intelligence Review Committee public hearings starting on
September 13, 1994.
However, on August 25, CTV reported that Brian McInnis, a
communications advisor to former Solicitor General Doug Lewis, had
leaked the secret documents to the media. After weeks of allegations,
McInnis' admission became the first concrete evidence of CSIS
involvement with neo-Nazi groups.
McInnis was quoted as saying that "apparently some good came out
of what I did," citing that there was "no need to create" the
Heritage Front. It is unclear as this report goes to press whether
he will be charged with any criminal offences, although McInnis has
stated that he does not want his legal troubles to overshadow the
issue of CSIS involvement with neo-Nazis. More than 70 anti-racist
activists demonstrated in Toronto on August 27 to protest CSIS
involvement with the
Heritage Front and to pressure Ottawa not to
press charges against McInnis.
Despite the hundreds of thousands of dollars allegedly given to
Bristow by the Canadian government, he has never served as a crown
witness for any prosecutions; nor have hate-related charges been
pressed against the Heritage Front. In light of five years of hate
activities by the Heritage Front, it is as yet unclear what CSIS got
from its investment in Bristow. Frank Dimant, Executive Vice-President
of B'nai Brith Canada, stated publicly on August 25 that if all the
allegations are proven to be true, then "CSIS has clearly overstepped
its mandate, and appears to have lost control of its own operations."
Concerned Canadians are still awaiting the results of the SIRC
investigation into the allegations.
The
original plaintext version
of this file is available via
ftp.
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Recent Developments:
CSIS and the Heritage Front