In light of the horrific bombing in Boston this week, one may ask, does this kind of thing happen in Canada?
Data from the federal police agency, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) indicate that between 2008 and 2012, there were 982 incidents involving explosives. Of that number, 185 occurred last year alone resulting in four deaths. In the five year period there were seven deaths and 17 injuries.
The information comes from the RCMP’s “Canadian Bomb Data Centre”, which detects and disposes of explosives and investigates blast scenes.
The centre also notes that during the five-year period there were some 187 hoaxes.
The centre also collects information on bomb reports from police and bomb squads across the country. However, because reporting is voluntary, they estimate only about 60% of incidents are reported to the centre.
One of the Canada’s early cases of mass killings by bomb occurred in 1949 when a Quebec City man put a bomb in his wife’s suitcase before she boarded a flight from Quebec City. All on board the DC-3 were killed.
One of the worst mass murders occurred in 1985 when a bomb placed aboard an Air India 747 by Sikh terrorists in Canada.. Flight 185 left from Montreal and later exploded over the ocean near Ireland, killing all on board.
In the 1960’s bombings were carried out against the Cuban embassy and trade delegation in Ottawa, the Montreal consulate, and the Cuban pavilion at Expo 67.
Croation nationalists bombed Yugoslav official offices in Toronto and Ottawa in the mid 60’s
Other notable bombings were carried out by the Quebec separatist group the FLQ. Many dozens of bombs were set off between 1963 -1969, mostly in the Montreal area. The targets were businesses owned by English-speakers, banks (deemed to be capitalist, and controlled by English-speakers) , and Canadian federal institutions. The terrorizing campaign resulted in a number of deaths and maimings, until members were either arrested or fled.
In 2001 firebombs damaged 3-coffee shops in Quebec because of its English name- Second Cup. A previously convicted FLQ member was convicted of those incidents.
In 2006 an Islamist plot based in Ontario was foiled by police. Labelled the “Toronto 18” the group with alleged ties to Al Queda planned to detonate truck bombs at the Canadian Parliament, the Canadian Security Intelligence HQ, shoot up a crowded area, and attempt to kidnap and kill the Prime Minister and other officials.
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