Research Guide to Records on Foreign Intelligence in Canada (1945-2000)

Research Guide to Records on foreign intelligence in Canada (1945-2000)

Structure and Scope of Guide

The research guide consists of three reference documents and a collection of finding aids: 

Period Covered

This research guide focuses on government records from the period 1945 to 2000. Some of the finding aids described in the guide also list records created prior to 1945, but the guide does not include finding aids that only list records from prior to 1945. Some of the finding aids described in the guide list a small number of records created after 2000, but for practical purposes, the year 2000 marks the effective extent of this guide. The intention is to expand this coverage in the future as additional historic records and finding aids become available. 

Foreign Intelligence

The aim of this research guide is to assist in the study of “foreign intelligence” in Canada. For the purpose of the guide, “foreign intelligence” relates to all aspects of the intelligence function intended to support Canadian government decisions on foreign policy and defence matters. The guide does not attempt to describe the large volume of records related to “security intelligence” in Canada, i.e intelligence dealing with domestic security matters. The guide deals primarily with matters related to the bodies involved in directing the foreign intelligence function in Canada, the departments and agencies involved in this work, and the process and products of foreign intelligence assessment. Currently, the guide describes only a small number of records dealing with aspects of the collection of foreign intelligence by Canada.  

National Intelligence

The guide focuses on records dealing with national-level intelligence, that is, intelligence supporting decisions on foreign and defence matters by Cabinet or individual departments. With some exceptions, it does not describe records dealing with intelligence supporting operational activities (e.g. in-theatre decisions concerning peace-keeping missions, military operations in the Gulf and the former Yugoslavia, etc.) or tactical intelligence.