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In 1978 national political journalist Paul Conrad Jackson caused a sensation in Canada when he revealed the RCMP had caught 13 Soviet diplomats in a spy ring, but Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau’s government refused to take any action and wanted to cover up the espionage plot.
Jackson began a series of risky encounters with the RCMP and the Soviets in order to get to the depth of espionage activities in Canada.
After Jackson’s story appeared the 13 diplomats were expelled. Jackson then spent the next four years breaking many other espionage stories involving East Bloc activities in Canada. His exclusive spy stories were the talk of Ottawa and the entire diplomat community around the world
Between 1971 and 1982, Jackson was a member of the Parliamentary Press Gallery in Ottawa where he wrote for newspapers coast-to-coast including the Vancouver Sun, Edmonton Journal, Calgary Herald, Calgary Albertan, Lethbridge Herald, Winnipeg Free Press, Montreal Gazette, Regina Leader-Post, Saskatoon Star-Phoenix and the Ottawa Journal.
In 1981 Jackson was again at the centre of national attention when he revealed that a number of RCMP officers charged with criminal offences for illegal activities in fighting separatism in Quebec had committed the offences at the express orders of the federal cabinet. Jackson’s work was mentioned – and praised – often in the House of Commons, and eventually charges against the Mounties were withdrawn.
At a private reception, he was presented with a glass-framed official crest with a gold engaging: “Paul Jackson – A Quiet Canadian Hero, RCMP Security Service”. All of these activities between 1971 and 1982 happened at a time when security on The Hill was extremely relaxed. Journalists had free roam and easy access to Cabinet minister’s offices, including the Prime Minister’s Office, and were regular invitees to cocktail receptions along Embassy Row. Great perks for the under paid scribes of Parliament Hill.
This is a Canadian story packed with intrigue and adventure that demonstrates how espionage flourished during the cold war era in our country. The story follows one man’s passion to route out Soviet activities in the free world while never comprising his journalistic integrity.
Jackson is one of Canada’s most distinguished and thought-provoking journalists. Countless awards and citations have been bestowed on him by governments and prestigious organizations around the world.
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