o - Memorial University of Newfoundland DAI

some of the German, llalian, En,lish and French-Canlldian communities.
Canadian historians have laraely ignored the topic of Fascism, and even those
who have elWl'lined it have taken a piecemeallppC'OKh. For insrance, ethnic
historians have chosen ID kxJk 11 iDdivMfuaJ groups, aeneral1y either German or
ltali&ns, wtIile odIers have choIen 10 focus on !he anti-Semitism of Canada's Fascist
orpniDtions. A brief O'm'View will demonstme !he problems in the litcmure.
Three sons of literature will be considcm1: the security and ilUClliaence (RCMP)
literature; internment history; and the history of Canadian Fascism including lIalian,
German, French and English-ean.dian varieties,
As is often !he cae in security and inldlipnce history, there are many
problems with the evidcrx::e. These ranee from problems of pinina: access 10 the
infonnation ID dealing wilh the censors' deJetionl. Some of these problems can be
handled throtJah the Aa:ess to Information Act, but this is, unfonunately, ar: best, a
slow, tedious process. Even when the documents are released there can be problems
usina: evidence written and collected by the ReMP. One has to recoanize the bias
inherent in any aovunmeJIt docwnemJ, especially dKIIe produced by an aeency such.
as the RCMP.
ean.lian security aDd inteUiJence literaDIre, unli:lnu.nately, has not paraUelled
that of Brilairt where recent researdI his focused on the reJ.uiodsbip between MIS and
British Fascists. Work by John Hope and Nichola Hiley has demonstmed that there
was a dcaree of collusion between Maxwell Kniaht, one of MIS's prominent acencs,