DECEMBER 2012 - News in review - CBC Learning

DECEMBER 

2012 

EDITION

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Copyright © 2012 Canadian Broadcasting Corporation 

News in Review, December 2012 

1. Learning from the Death of Amanda Todd 

(Length: 14:47) 

2. U.S. Election: Obama Re-elected 

(Length: 16:34) 

3. Canada's Spy Story 

(Length: 14:51) 

4. Truth, Lies and Confessions 

(Length: 18:42)

DECEMBER 2012 

CONTENTS 

IN THIS ISSUE ..........................................................................................................2 

Learning from the Death of Amanda Todd 

SETTING THE STAGE ................................................................................................................................ 4 

VIDEO REVIEW ........................................................................................................................................ 6 

ACTIVITY: Digging Deeper ...................................................................................................................... 10 

U.S. Election: Obama Re-elected 

SETTING THE STAGE .............................................................................................................................. 12 

VIDEO REVIEW ...................................................................................................................................... 14 

ACTIVITY: Weighing In ........................................................................................................................... 17 

Canada's Spy Story 

MINDS-ON ACTIVITY .............................................................................................................................. 19 


ACTIVITY ................................................................................................................................................ 19 

VIDEO REVIEW ...................................................................................................................................... 20 

ACTIVITY: Two Perspectives ................................................................................................................... 22 

ACTIVITY: Canada's Intelligence History ................................................................................................. 23 

Truth, Lies and Confessions 

MINDS-ON ACTIVITY .............................................................................................................................. 25 


VIDEO REVIEW ...................................................................................................................................... 27 

ACTIVITY: Primary Source Analysis ......................................................................................................... 29 

COMMUNITY CONNECTION ................................................................................................................... 30 

News in Review ∙ CBC Learning ∙ newsinreview.cbclearning.ca 1


IN THIS ISSUE 

Learning from the Death of Amanda Todd (Length: 14:47) 

B.C. teenager Amanda Todd was bullied relentlessly for years before choosing to take her own life. 

What can we learn from this tragedy, and what must change to stop bullying? 

News in Review Study Modules 

Teen Suicide: Breaking the Silence, 

November 2011 

A New Campaign to Fight Bullying, 

December 2010 

Teaching Children How to Care, 

December 2006 

Bullies in Schools, September 2001 

Reena Virk: A Senseless Death, May 2000 

Related CBC Videos 

#bullyPROOF 

Boys Will Be Boys: Sexual Harassment in 

Schools 

Bullied, Battered & Bruised + Update 

Class Queers 

Cyber-Bullying 

It's a Girl's World: How Girls Use Their Power to 

Hurt Each Other 

It's a Teen's World: Wired for Sex, Lies and 

Power Trips 

Sext up KIDS 

U.S. Election: Obama Re-elected (Length: 16:34) 

Barack Obama is the President of the United States for another four years after defeating Republican 

challenger Mitt Romney. We review the campaign and look at both men's successes and failures. 


The Great U.S. Health Care Debate, 

December 2009 

Barack Obama Visits Canada, March 2009 

Americans Choose a New President, 

November 2008 


Barack Obama: Great Expectations 

Meltdown: The Secret History of the Global 

Financial Collapse 



Canada's Spy Story (Length: 14:51) 

Royal Canadian Navy Sub-Lieutenant Jeffery Paul Delisle has confessed to being a spy for Russia. We 

show what he did, how he managed to get away with it for so long, and what motivated him to betray 

his country. 


U.S.-China: The Risks of Spying, May 2001 

CSIS: Spying on Canada, October 1994 


Inside CSIS 

Spies Who Came from the Sea 

Truth, Lies and Confessions (Length: 18:42) 

A popular police interrogation method is seen as a success for all the confessions it helps elicit from 

suspects. Detractors acknowledge its success but also claim it can pressure people into confessing to 

crimes they did not commit. 


Bill C-30 and Internet Privacy, April 2012 

Cracking Down on Tasers, February 2008 

Policing and Race in Canada, December 2002 


Best of News in Review: Law 

Eyewitness: Unreliable Evidence 

Inside the Interrogation Room: Police Tactics 

Mounties Under Fire 

Steven Truscott: His Word Against History 

Steven Truscott Story: Moment of Truth 

Exercises marked with this symbol indicate that a worksheet to aid in the exploration of the 

topic is available online. 


News in Review – December 2012 – Teacher Resource Guide 

LEARNING FROM THE DEATH OF AMANDA TODD 

SETTING THE STAGE 

It is a story that has become all too familiar. 

A young woman is a victim of cyberbullying. 

Targeted, taunted, mocked and humiliated 

online. And when she goes to school, people 

whisper about her, refuse to be friends with 

her, and move away from her when she is 

eating in the cafeteria. 

Note to Teachers and Students 

This News in Review story deals with the issues of bullying and suicide. Some of the material is very disturbing, and 

it is important to make sure that a safe climate exists in the classroom before these issues are explored. 

She tried to make a new start a couple of times 

— changing schools in an attempt to leave her 

past behind and begin again. But in the world of 

online bullying, it doesn’t matter where you live 

because information travels everywhere. 

Students from the previous school tell students 

at the new school horrible things about her, and 

the bullying continued. 

She was relentlessly bullied for three years. She 

became depressed and suffered from anxiety and 

panic attacks. On one occasion she tried to kill 

herself by drinking bleach. 

Her parents were loving and supportive, and 

they did everything they could to help her. They 

put her in counselling, moved houses to get her 

away from local kids who were teasing her, 

helped her to switch schools, and at one point 

even moved cities to help her get free of the 

bullying. But all these efforts failed to stop the 

tide of the abuse. 

Eventually, the parents contacted the police for 

help in identifying her cyber attackers, but this 

action came too late. The young woman — 

Amanda Todd — had given up all hope of 

anything improving, and she took her own life. 

She was 15. 

A National Debate is Sparked 

Amanda Todd’s suicide on October 10, 2012 set 

off a national debate. Not only because it was 

another tragic case of a life cut short as a result 

of cruel and vicious bullying, but also because 

before her suicide Todd had posted a nineminute 

YouTube video in which she used a 

series of flash cards to tell her experience of 

being bullied. After her suicide the video post 

went viral, receiving over 1.5 million views by 

October 13, 2012. 

The video was heartbreaking, and served as a 

visual suicide note. The video itself generated 

discussion and debate, as did the posts that 

appeared on YouTube. Some people posted 

comments mocking Todd for her feelings, and 

calling her ugly and stupid. Some people even 

made fun of her for killing herself. Some people 

4

DECEMBER 2012 — LEARNING FROM THE DEATH OF AMANDA TODD 

also left horrible comments on her Facebook 

page following her death. 

But on the other hand, an avalanche of support 

for Amanda and her family followed her death. 

More than a million people have “like” Todd’s 

memorial page on Facebook, and tributes have 

been held for her across the country. The RCMP 

is investigating her death and trying to locate the 

key people who bullied Todd. And on October 

15, 2012 a motion was introduced in the House 

of Commons to put a nationwide anti-bullying 

strategy in place. 

Amanda Todd’s family does not want her short 

life and death to have been for nothing. They 

To Consider 

want Amanda’s YouTube video to be debated in 

schools and at dinner tables, and they want 

young people to stop acting in cruel and hurtful 

ways. They believe that the anonymity of the 

internet allows people to engage in cruel 

behaviour that they would never conduct if they 

had to do it to another person’s face. 

Although the debate over how to curb 

cyberbullying is far from over, it seems clear 

that the problem is no longer a secret, and that 

those who engage in this type of cruel and 

shameful behaviour are going to find themselves 

persecuted if they choose to bully others. 

1. Everyone knows how bad it feels to be picked on so why do some kids choose to pick on others? 

2. Why didn’t anyone stand up for Amanda Todd? How hard would it have been for someone to be nice 

to her, include her in a group, or eat with her at lunch? 

3. Take a moment and write a message to her parents sharing your feelings about their daughter’s 

suicide. 



VIDEO REVIEW 

Pre-viewing Activity 

Organize yourself into small groups and respond to the following questions and activities. Be prepared to 

share your responses with the rest of the class. 

Context 

The issue of bullying is not new. Most people can share stories of when they, or someone they 

know, was bullied. But cyberbullying — where young people are targeted through Facebook or 

other forms of social media — is a relatively new phenomenon. It has only really been an issue 

for the past ten years. 

1. Is cyberbullying different than “regular” bullying? Explain. 

2. Does the fact that cyberbullying occurs online and is anonymous make it easier for people to become 

bullies? Provide at least one reason for your answer. 

3. Why don’t kids who are being cyberbullied take themselves completely offline? (For example, delete 

their Facebook page, get rid of their smart phone, and not check social media sites.) 

4. Make a list of things that you think teachers, other adults, and schools could do to reduce bullying. 



Viewing Questions 

1. Explain what was in Amanda Todd’s video. 

2. Why do some experts worry that the video might lead to problems for some kids? 

3. Why does Professor Hymel, from the University of British Columbia, say that drawing a line between 

bullying and suicide is too simplistic? 

4. What disturbing thing happened to her Facebook page after her death? 

5. Why can’t the police do anything about the hateful messages being posted on Amanda Todd’s 

memorial page? 

6. Where were Amanda Todd’s cyberbullies from? 

7. Who is “Anonymous” and what does the group do? What did it do in response to Amanda Todd’s 

bullying and suicide? 



8. What is the problem with vigilante justice online? 

9. Why do some people say that it is easier to bully in person than face-to-face? 

10. What steps should parents take to help prevent bullying? 

11. Record some of the ways that Amanda Todd’s death has been memorialized across the country. 

Post-viewing Activities 

With a partner, or in a small group, reflect on the video material and discuss the following questions. 

1. Do you think Amanda Todd’s online behaviour was outrageous, or fairly “normal”? 

2. How do you think the man that she “flashed” was able to locate her (track her down)? 

3. Does it concern you that your online actions can be tracked or traced by another person? 



4. Why do you think the man decided to harass and victimize Amanda? 

5. Why do you think Amanda’s friends and other kids at the schools she attended joined in the bullying? 



ACTIVITY: Digging Deeper 

The life and death of Amanda Todd gained widespread media attention. This is because people were 

horrified at the extent of the bullying she experienced, as well as the fact that she committed suicide. But 

her case also gained widespread attention because she chose to chronicle her pain in a YouTube video. 

The video — which some people feel was basically an online suicide note — has been watched by 

millions of people around the world. 

Unfortunately, Amanda Todd is not the only young person who has been bullied and has committed 

suicide. Review the cases below and complete an organizer in your notebook that identifies similarities 

and differences between each case and Amanda’s case. These notes will help you complete the discussion 

questions at the end of this feature. 

For example: 

Case 

Similarities to 

Amanda Todd Story 

Jenna Bowers-Bryanton 

In January 2011, 15-year-old Jenna Bowers- 

Bryanton, from Belmont, Nova Scotia, 

committed suicide after being harassed at school 

and through a social networking site. 

Jenna was not your typical victim. She was a 

talented drama student and singer. People recall 

that “she lit up a room” when she entered it. But 

for some reason, she became the target of 

bullies. 

Girls in her class pretended to vomit when she 

walked into the classroom. And an older student 

slapped her on her first back to school in Grade 

10. Her mom, Pam Murchison, took immediate 

action and pulled her out of school. 

What her mother didn’t anticipate was that the 

bullying would continue to reach Jenna at home 

through social media. Jenna received mean 

messages via SMS and on forums such as 

Formspring. Jenna’s cyberbullies ridiculed her 

Differences from 

Amanda Todd Story 

looks, her personality, and her singing ability. 

They told her she might as well kill herself. 

In January 2011, she took her own life. 

Mitchell Wilson 

Mitchell Wilson was an 11-year-old boy from 

Pickering, Ontario, who suffered from muscular 

dystrophy and had to use a walker to get around. 

In 2011, two boys beat Mitchell on the street and 

stole his iPhone. After the beating, Mitchell 

suffered from depression and anxiety and lived 

in fear of another attack. One boy was charged 

with assault after Mitchell identified him as one 

of Mitchell’s attackers. Mitchell was terrified 

when he learned he’d have to face his attacker in 

court and testify against him. Just before the trial 

began, Mitchell took his own life. 

Without Mitchell’s testimony, and the ability of 

the defense to cross-examine Mitchell about his 

certain identification of the boy, the boy was 

found not-guilty. 



Your Task 

These are difficult stories to think about. They all involve young people who have been tormented by 

other kids, and who have chosen to kill themselves. But it is important to reflect on these stories so that 

you can think about your own life, the lives of your friends, and what these tragedies mean for us as a 

society. 

With a partner, discuss each of the following statements or questions. Record your thoughts in your 

notebooks. Your teacher may choose to discuss these with the entire class. 

Teen girls tend to be bullied in a different way. While the bullying of males typically 

(1) “ involves physical aggression, girls tend to be the target of social and verbal harassment, 

including exclusion or having others talk — or in many cases now, text — about them 

behind their backs.„ 

– Shannon Freud, Kids Help Phone (Globe and Mail, October 14, 2012) 

To what extent do you agree or disagree with this statement? 

Are we teaching our children through our words and deeds that might does not make 

(2) “ right, that stealing is wrong, that one of the bravest things a person can do is own up to his 

or her mistakes? Taking the time to learn from this case, and working together to ensure 

that such a tragedy never happens again, is the least we can do to express our sorrow to the 

Wilson family and honour the memory of Mitchell Wilson.„ 

– Justice Mary Teresa Devlin, after acquitting a 13-year-old boy of beating Mitchell Wilson 

(The Toronto Star, March 5, 2012) 

To what extent do you agree or disagree with this statement? 

Cases of suicides linked to cyberbullying have grown over the past decade, but being 

(3) “ tormented over the Internet is rarely the main factor involved, a new Canadian study shows. 

There have been 41 suicides since 2003 involving cyberbullying in the United States, Canada, 

Australia and the United Kingdom, but most of the victims were also bullied in school and 

many suffered from mental illness, including depression.„ 

– John C. LeBlanc, a professor at Dalhousie University in Halifax 

(CBC News, October 20, 2012) 

What point is Professor LeBlanc trying to make? Do you agree with his argument? Why or why not? 



U.S. ELECTION: OBAMA RE-ELECTED 


A YouTube clip of a little girl crying and saying 

she was “tired of Bronco Bamma and Mitt 

Romney” captured the sentiments of many 

Americans in the final days before Election Day. 

Although election night fell on November 6, 

2012, the campaign for president began as early 

as 2010 in the national media, and in a concerted 

way by both parties in 2011. By January 2012 

— a full 10 months before election night — over 

50 per cent of Americans reported that the 

election campaign had already been going on too 

long (Pew Research Center, January 18, 2012). 

Every four years — on the Tuesday after the 

first Monday in November — Americans go to 

the polls to elect their president. Election Day 

2012 saw the Democratic President Barack 

Obama square off again the Republican 

candidate, former Massachusetts Governor Mitt 

Romney. By all accounts, it was a long and 

bitter campaign. Both candidates were involved 

in negative campaigning — pointing out the 

weaknesses of their opponents rather than 

focusing on the policy issues at hand — and 

both candidates were sometimes defensive, 

changed their positions, made exaggerated 

statements, and ridiculed the other. 

This is not unusual for election campaigns, but 

when President Obama was elected in 2008 he 

had run a fairly clean campaign. One that 

focused on hope and change, and the promise 

that he could unite Americans from different 

political persuasions, and work with politicians 

across party lines. So his campaign for the 2012 

election stood in marked contrast to the 2008 

campaign. 

But times had changed since President Obama 

was elected in 2008. The President inherited a 

Check It Out 

A YouTube clip of a little girl crying because she 

was sick of hearing about the American election 

showed up in news broadcasts around the world. 

www.youtube.com/watch?v=OjrthOPLAKM 

three trillion dollar deficit when he took office, 

and then had to deal with an economic collapse, 

the depth of which had not been seen since the 

Great Depression of the 1920s. Many of the 

promises he’d made in 2008 were quickly 

overshadowed by the economic crisis. 

Despite the extremely difficult financial 

situation he faced, President Obama did deliver 

on a number of his promises from the 2008 

campaign. He introduced a health care reform 

bill, withdrew American troops from 

Afghanistan, and worked to improve the 

reputation of the United States around the world. 

Supporters of Republican challenger Mitt 

Romney felt that President Obama’s fiscal plan 

was flawed. They wanted to reduce taxes to 

stimulate the economy, and they argued that 

Obama and the Democratic Party were moving 

the country in a direction that was far too liberal. 

12

DECEMBER 2012 — U.S. ELECTION: OBAMA RE-ELECTED 

This was because the Democrats support 

reproductive choice for women, same-sex 

marriage and reform to immigration. 

The Republicans, on the other hand, supported 

policies that were more socially conservative. 

The Republican Party is not pro-choice, and 

some of its members hold the position that 

abortion should be illegal, even in cases where a 

woman is raped. They also do not believe in 

same-sex marriage, and some members of the 

party believe that homosexuality itself is a sin. 

They believe that America needs to return to its 

roots: a socially conservative country, with less 

government. 

Although the election result was very close — 

too close to call before election night — the 

results were very interesting. The Republicans 

had the most support from white males, 

especially those over 30 years of age. The 

Democrats had the most support from women, 

immigrants, black Americans, and younger 

Americans across racial and ethnic lines. 

In any event, President Obama was given 

another four years to lead the country. And since 

this is his final term in office he will push ahead 

with policies to leave the greatest legacy 

possible. Already, some people are talking about 

the next election — speculating that Hillary 

Clinton of the Democratic Party — will run for 

president. 

Checking Understanding 

1. If you could have voted for the president of the United States, whom would you have voted for? 

Why? 

2. Which of the two dominant political parties in the United States do you think most reflects 

“Canadian” values? Explain your answer. 

3. How would you compare the leadership qualities of Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper with 

those of U.S. President Barack Obama? 



VIDEO REVIEW 

Pre-viewing Activity 

Work with a partner to complete the following organizer. The organizer is designed to help you 

understand some of the differences between the American and Canadian political and electoral systems. 

Leader of the country 

(Name of position) 

Leader of the country 

(Name of person) 

Main political parties 

Political party that is the 

most socially conservative 

How is the leader of the 

country elected? 

The name of the lower house 

of government 

The name of the upper 

house of government 

How health care is managed 


Canada United States 

1. Rick Santorum was a candidate for the Republican nomination in the 2012 U.S. election race. 

Identify some of his beliefs. 

2. What happened when Santorum withdrew from the nomination race? 



3. a) What is President Obama’s position on same-sex marriage? 

b) What is Mitt Romney’s position on same-sex marriage? 

4. President Obama has always had a great deal of support amongst the Hollywood community and 

famous stars. What happened when Mitt Romney tried to use the star power of Clint Eastwood in his 

campaign? 

5. How did the Republican Party handle the “Clint-astrophe”? 

6. Which of the two candidates was considered to have won the first televised presidential debate? 

And why? 

7. Who is considered to have won the next two debates? 

8. In what ways did Hurricane Sandy help President Obama during the campaign? (2) 

9. President Obama was re-elected on November 6. What are some of the major impacts that will have 

on the United States in the following areas? 

a) Taxes 

b) Health care 

c) The economy 



Post-viewing Activities 

With a partner, or in a small group, reflect on the video material 

and discuss the following questions. 

1. American presidential campaigns last for many months and 

cost billions of dollars. Canadian election campaigns are not 

inexpensive, but they are not as expensive or as lengthy. Do 

you think there should be limits placed on campaign spending 

and extravagance? If so, why and what? 

Further Research 

Visit the Elections Canada 

website at www.elections.ca/ 

home.aspx to learn more about 

the Canadian electoral system. 

2. What influence do televised presidential debates have in the United States? How does that compare to 

televised leadership debates here in Canada? 

3. Do you think Americans are more involved in the political process and elections in the United States 

than we are here in Canada? Explain your answer. 

4. a) What is one lesson you’d like Canadian politicians to learn from the American style of politics? 

b) What is one lesson you’d like American politicians to learn from the Canadian style of politics? 



ACTIVITY: Weighing In 

Elections in countries like Canada and the United States are really a fight for public opinion as much as 

they are about anything else. 

Political parties hire public relations firms to learn how to “sell” their positions to the public. Political 

candidates get public speaking training and image makeovers, which includes tips for how to style their 

hair and what glasses and clothing they should wear. And political parties spend an inordinate amount of 

money on media campaigns to convince voters that their candidate is the right one, and all other 

opponents will be a bad choice. 

But when we have a chance to clear away all the media hype and political spin, there are always a number 

of very important issues that need to be addressed and discussed during an election campaign. 

Your Task 

Below and on the following page you’ll find a number of quotes. Read each quote, and write a response 

to each in your notebook. 

1. Comment on the extent to which you agree or disagree with each quote. Make sure you explain your 

position on each quote. 

2. When you are finished evaluating each quote, write a concluding statement that sums up your overall 

opinion of the 2012 presidential election in the United States. Do you think the right person won? 

“ America’s changing. I’m calling it 

‘Obamerica.’ It’s a different place. It’s much 

more multicultural, much more diverse, a 

much more open, tolerant place. It’s also a 

place that doesn’t quite know where its soul 

is at.„ 

– Gil Troy, history professor at McGill University 

(CBC News, November 7, 2012) 

“ It’s been dreadful — in many ways the 

worse campaign I’ve ever lived through. We 

saw two honourable men absolutely pollute 

themselves in desperation to be president or 

remain president. Two serious, intelligent, 

previously honourable men who told 

untruths, changed their positions, refused to 

talk about many of the most serious issues 

we face . . .„ 

– Stephen Hess, presidential scholar, The Brookings 

Institution (Toronto Star, November 3, 2012). 

“ It is not easy to feel sorry for Mitt Romney… 

he looks too comfortably well off, his skin 

too shiny and tanned, his hair too 

expensively cut, his jeans too well pressed. 

He estimates his personal wealth at 

somewhere between $210m and $250m. 

When you don’t know how rich you are to 

the nearest $40m, it must be hard to relate 

to people who know exactly how little there 

is in their pay packets.„ 

– Nicholas Wapshott, New Statesman, June 11, 2012 



“ Obama’s re-election to another four-year 

term should guarantee the future of his 

signature legislative achievement, a health 

care overhaul…. Internationally, it means the 

United States is likely to continue a foreign 

policy emphasizing multinational 

partnerships in dealing with issues such as 

Syria's civil war and Iran’s nuclear program…. 

Obama’s victory could also come as a relief 

to China since Romney had pledged to 

declare it a currency manipulator, potentially 

leading to sanctions and escalating trade 

tensions.„ 

– Editorial, Toronto Star, November 7, 2012 

“ It doesn’t matter whether you’re black, or 

white, or Hispanic, or Asian, or native 

American, or young, or old, or rich, or poor, 

abled, disabled, gay, or straight, you can 

make it here in America if you’re willing to 

try.„ 

– President Obama, acceptance speech, 

November 6, 2012 

“ Former Republican presidential challenger 

Mitt Romney says President Barack Obama 

won re-election last week because of the 

‘gifts’ Obama had provided to blacks, 

Hispanics and young voters and because of 

his effort to paint Romney as antiimmigrants.„ 

– CTV News online, November 15, 2012 

“ Obama has the chance to shape and leave a 

legacy not just for himself, but also for his 

party, through the election’s connection with 

new constituencies that seem to be 

forming…. Polls have indicated a large 

majority of the Latino community favours 

immigration reform that would give some 

path toward permanent residency to the 

more than 12 million undocumented 

immigrants who already live and work in the 

United States.„ 

– Andrew Davidson, CBC News, November 7, 2012 



CANADA'S SPY STORY 

MINDS-ON ACTIVITY 

Discuss the following questions before reading: 

1. How does the media portray spies? 

2. How do you think spies in the "real world" may 

differ from those in books, television and movies? 

3. Why do you think countries spy on each other? 

What types of information do you think are the target 

of spying? 


Hollywood portrays spies as glamorous, athletic 

and highly intelligent people jumping from 

planes and engaging in high speed car chases 

with their guns ablaze. However, spying is not a 

new phenomenon nor is it especially glamorous 

work. 

Spies have existed since the beginning of 

civilization. As nations competed with each 

other over land and resources it became 

increasingly important to stay one step ahead of 

foreign powers by knowing their secrets. 

Spying is the gathering of secret knowledge or 

"intelligence" held by a different nation or 

peoples without their knowledge. These secrets 

tend to involve military information such as the 

location, size and strength of weapons and 

troops in addition to future plans for military 

ACTIVITY 

activities. They may also steal technology, 

convince others to defect to their side, and 

sabotage military or political plans. Spies often 

infiltrate the military or industrial ranks of 

another nation to get access to this confidential 

information. There are strict laws against 

espionage and severe punishments for spies in 

most nations since spying compromises the 

security of a nation. 

In addition to international espionage, domestic 

spying also exists. Governments may want to 

keep track of perceived threats to their own 

national stability. Many nations have a "secret 

service" that is directly involved in intelligence 

and espionage. This government-sanctioned 

intelligence gathering is a controversial area of 

government activity since the nation's security 

interests may compete with its citizens’ desire 

for privacy. 

Define as many of the following espionage terms as you can and then check a reliable source to insure 

your definition is correct. 

double agent deep cover operative agent provocateur 

re-doubled agent safe house covert agent 

sleeper agent cyber spy 

19

DECEMBER 2012 — CANADA'S SPY STORY 

VIDEO REVIEW 

Pre-viewing Activities 

Answer the following questions individually, then discuss them with a partner. Prepare to debrief as a 

class. 

1. What do you think might motivate someone to become a spy against their own country? 

2. What qualities or characteristics do you think would make an effective spy? 

3. List as many ways that you can think of that a government tries to prevent spying. 

4. Do you think the Canadian government engages in spying? On whom and why? 


1. Why is this case very serious and of "grave concern"? 

2. Where did Delisle work? 

3. What is the maximum penalty that Delisle could face? 

4. HMCS Trinity in Halifax is the hub for _____________ intelligence. It tracks all vessels moving in 

and out of Canadian waters, using _______________, drones and ____________________. 



5. What additional information did Delisle have access to? 

6. In addition to Russia, what other countries may be interested in Canada's intelligence? 

7. Why did the Canadian government not publically expel the Russian diplomats? 

8. Why is Delisle's guilty plea a relief for the government? 

9. How did technology assist in this case of espionage? 

10. Why did Delisle get caught? 

11. Stone Ghost is a programme that shares classified information between the U.S., _________, 

Australia, ____________, and Canada. 

12. What information did the Russians want according to Delisle? 

Post-viewing Questions 

1. Did Lt. Jeffery Paul Delisle fit your description of an effective spy? Why or why not? 



2. Why do you think Delisle became a spy? 

3. What punishment do you think he should face and why? 

4. Is spying an inevitable or do you think the government could do more to prevent its own citizens from 

spying? 

5. Recently it has come to light that it was the FBI that alerted the RCMP of the fact that Delisle was an 

informant for the Russians. Why do you think this fact embarrassed the Canadian government? 

ACTIVITY: Two Perspectives 

Explain the reason for these two viewpoints on the Delisle espionage case. Consider the source, the bias 

and the point of view. 

“ Based on CSIS analysis and our current knowledge of the totality of the compromise, 

Delisle's unauthorized disclosures to the Russians since 2007 has caused severe and 

irreparable damage to Canadian interests.„ 

– CSIS report 2012-02-22 

“ We spy on everybody. Everybody spies. It's uh…(laughs). And, and our Western values, you 

know it's uh … everybody spies and we spy on our friends and they spy on us and we hold 

hands smile and it's … it's hypocritical.„ 

– Jeffery Paul Delisle quoted during his police interrogation. 



ACTIVITY: Canada's Intelligence History 

Minds-On Activity 

1. About which countries do you think Canada gathers the most intelligence? Why? 

2. Which countries do you think want intelligence about Canada? Why? 

Leader in Signals Intelligence 

Where does Canada fit in the world community 

in terms of espionage? Canada's intelligence 

resources centred around the work of the RCMP 

until World War II where dramatic events led to 

Canada being pushed to the forefront of 

protecting its ally, Great Britain. It was then that 

Canada became a leader in signals intelligence. 

Signals intelligence is intelligence-gathering by 

monitoring, intercepting, decoding and 

interpreting radio, radar and other 

communication signals. Many Canadian, 

American and British women were involved in 

transcribing and translated coded messages. 

Signals intelligence was vital in monitoring the 

movement of enemy troops, planes and vessels. 

Canada tracked naval signals to convoys of ships 

in the western Atlantic, warning of German Uboat 

activity. Canadian intelligence also 

intercepted and decrypted German agent 

messages. The RCMP captured 3 German agents 

sent to Canada. Canadians served with 

distinction with the SOE (Special Operations 

Executive) a secret resistance group created by 

Winston Churchill to aid a resistance movement 

in occupied France. 

At the end of World War II, the Canadian 

government believed that there was a need to 

sustain intelligence efforts and to cooperate with 

its allies in gathering intelligence. The 

Communications Security Establishment allows 

signals intelligence exchanges between Britain, 

the United States and other commonwealth 

countries. 

The Gouzenko Affair 

The most startling case of spying in Canada was 

involved a Russian man named Igor Gouzenko. 

On September 5, 1945, Igor Gouzenko, a cipher 

clerk in the Soviet Embassy in Ottawa defected 

to the Canadian authorities. He revealed to the 

RCMP that a number of Soviet spy rings were 

operating in highly sensitive government 

departments and nuclear laboratory facilities. 

These revelations caught Canada unaware since 

Russia had been considered an ally during the 

war. The government beefed up internal security 

and counter intelligence measures. The Cold 

War had begun — leading to decades of mutual 

suspicion and spying between the U.S. (and its 

allies) as new world power and the Soviet Union 

(and its allies). 



CSIS Arrives on the Scene 

Canada continues to be a target of spying by 

various foreign powers, largely because of our 

proximity to the United States and Russia. In 

1984, a new civilian intelligence organization 

came into being in Canada, called the Canadian 

Security Intelligence Service (CSIS). The 

RCMP Security Service was disbanded largely 

in response to criticism of its performance. 

Canada continues to play a large role in defence 

alliances such as NATO and NORAD from 

which it gains access to a wider pool of strategic 

intelligence. 

Canada in Question 

Canada's reputation as a secure nation with 

which to share intelligence came into question in 

January 2012, when the FBI alerted the RCMP 

that there was a Canadian spy who had been 

sharing secrets with Russia for over four years. 

Questions after Reading 

Royal Canadian Navy Sub.-Lt. Jeffrey Paul 

Delisle plead guilty to passing secret 

information to a foreigner in breach of the 

federal Security of Information Act, a law 

passed in the aftermath of the September 11 

terror attacks. He is also charged with breach of 

trust under the Criminal Code of Canada. Delisle 

has admitted to sending CSIS reports, 

information on organized crime, contact details 

for U.S. Defence officials and intelligence 

officers in Australia and Canada. 

His arrest has raised questions of internal 

security due to the crude methods used by 

Delisle to extract the information. He used 

floppy discs and USB drives to smuggle data 

from his secure office in Halifax to his home — 

and then on to Russian agents via online email. 

He was paid $3,000 a month for the stolen 

information. He has plead guilty and is awaiting 

sentencing. He faces a possible sentence of 

life imprisonment. 

1. Why did World War II mark a change in Canada's participation in espionage? 

2. Why did the Gouzenko spy case surprise the Canadian government and its allies? 

3. Research Delisle's final sentence. Do you think he deserved this sentence? 

Did You Know? 

In the early 1940s, the British established a training camp for spies just outside Oshawa. Camp X 

trained mainly British and American intelligence agents. There is speculation that Ian Fleming, 

the creator of James Bond, trained there. 



TRUTH, LIES AND CONFESSIONS 

MINDS-ON ACTIVITY 

Before further reading complete the questions 

below. Discuss your answers as a class. 

What do you think? 

Indicate below if you agree, somewhat agree, 

disagree or strongly disagree with the 

following statements: 

1. A trained, experienced interrogator is 

better at detecting if someone is lying to 

them than an untrained individual. 

2. People should be treated as if they are innocent until they are proven guilty. 

3. Police should be allowed to aggressively interrogate a suspect in order to solve a crime and catch a 

dangerous criminal. 

Indicate below if the following statements are TRUE or FALSE. 

A. Psychological manipulation is not allowed during a Canadian police investigation. 

B. A small percentage of suspects in a criminal investigation waive their right to silence and a lawyer. 

C. Sometimes people confess to a crime he or she did not commit. 

D. Confessions must be voluntary in order to be upheld by the law. 


The scene is a cramped, brightly lit police 

interrogation room with no windows. The 

suspect is sweating, arms crossed and refusing to 

talk. The two police officers involved are taking 

turns with “good cop” and “bad cop” 

interrogation styles. One officer tries to befriend 

the suspect and assures him that the law will be 

lenient if he cooperates; the other officer badgers 

and intimidates the suspect in order to get him to 

confess. While this scene plays out on a nightly 

basis on television crime dramas, the reality of 

the interrogation process is more complex and 

nuanced. 

So what actual happens during a Canadian 

criminal investigation? The gathering of 

evidence from witnesses and forensics often 

results in a person being arrested for a crime. In 

Canadian criminal law, all accused persons are 

innocent until proven guilty, and they have the 

right to legal counsel (a lawyer) and to remain 

silent in the face of police questioning. Many 

people waive these rights and choose to 

cooperate with police through the process of an 

interview (in the US 75-80% of all suspects 

waive their right to silence and counsel). The 

decision to do so most likely arises from their 

belief that they can best argue their own 

innocence. 

25

DECEMBER 2012 — TRUTH, LIES AND CONFESSIONS 

Most police officers believe they can detect 

deceit during an interrogation. Research shows, 

however, that compared to "untrained 

individuals," police investigators perform no 

better than chance (50% accuracy) in detecting 

lies. Police interrogators also demonstrate a bias 

towards finding suspects "deceitful" rather than 

"truthful." They can be more likely to conclude 

that any suspect being interviewed is guilty. 

The Reid Technique 

In Canada, the United States and Great Britain, a 

style of police interrogation called the Reid 

Technique is used when interviewing accused 

suspects. This technique has recently been 

criticized for leading to false confessions and 

Charter of Rights violations. The technique 

assumes that the accused is guilty and can be 

manipulated into making a confession through a 

three-part procedure. 

The first component is the interviewing of 

witnesses and victims. The second is a nonaccusatorial 

interview of the suspect to assess 

whether or not he or she is lying. The police 

officer will display sympathy and understanding 

at the beginning of an interview with the suspect 

to gain trust. The officer may suggest two 

alternative scenarios or motivations for the 

crime, each worse than the next, to encourage 

the subject to confess to the lesser crime of the 

two. Thirdly, the interrogator moves to a more 

accusatorial interrogation in which the main 

objective is securing a confession through 

psychological coercion and by minimizing the 

consequences of confessing to the crime. If the 

suspect maintains he or she is innocent, the Reid 

Technique stipulates that the officer should tell 

the suspect the crime is already solved. The 

officer issues a warning that the only question is 

how harsh the punishment will be. 

The Reid Technique has its critics both in and 

outside of the legal system. Some claim it leads 

to false confessions and that it borders on 

violating the rights of citizens. The strongest 

argument against Reid interrogations is a 

number of documented cases in which suspects 

confessed (some were convicted and sentenced 

to death) but were later exonerated by irrefutable 

evidence (typically DNA testing). A number of 

factors can contribute to an initial false 

confession but interrogation techniques account 

for a significant proportion of these cases. 

A proposed alternative to the Reid Technique is 

known as PEACE, an acronym that refers to a 

five-part process: (1) preparation and planning, 

(2) engage and explain, (3) account, (4) closure 

and (5) evaluation. According to its supporters, 

this method focuses on disproving theories 

rather than proving hunches. Its methods have 

been adopted by police forces in Great Britain 

and training has begun in Ontario and B.C. 

Critics of the PEACE methods say it doesn't 

have enough "teeth" to be an effective method of 

persuading suspected criminals to tell the truth, 

and that the Reid Technique has been very 

effective at obtaining confessions. The debate on 

the best interrogation model remains unresolved. 



VIDEO REVIEW 

Pre-viewing Questions 

1. Do you think police should be allowed to use deceit and/or use psychological coercion to get a 

confession of guilt from a suspect in a criminal investigation? Why or why not? 

2. Why do you think some people make false confessions? 


1. What is the Reid Technique? 

2. What is the main concern regarding the use of the Reid Technique? 

3. After starting out by" playing it tough," what does the Reid Technique suggest the interrogator do to 

the suspect? 

4. What is the purpose of presenting the suspect with two reasons for committing the crime? 

5. True or False? Under Canadian law, lying to suspects is allowed. 

6. Why was Cory Armishaw's confession "thrown out" by a judge? 



7. According to Craig Perry, what is the main goal of the Reid Interrogation Technique? 

8. What crime did Brenda Waudby confess to and why? 

9. According to The Innocence Projects in the U.S., _______ out of _______ post-conviction DNA 

exonerations involved a false confession. 

10. List two ways new interrogation techniques differ from the Reid Techniques. 

11. What country uses the PEACE interrogation model? 

12. What happened to Cory Armishaw and Brenda Waudby? 

Post-viewing Activity 

Return to the Pre-viewing Questions and reconsider your answers with a small group. What information 

in the video made you reconsider your answers? What questions remain? 



ACTIVITY: Primary Source Analysis 

Select a transcript of an actual police interrogation. Analyse this primary source using the chart below, 

noting in particular which of the following Reid Techniques of Interrogation were used. 

An interesting possible example would be a transcript of RCMP Sergeant Jimmy Moffat interrogating 

Canadian Forces naval intelligence officer Jeffery Delisle. In January 2012, Officer Delisle was accused of 

spying on Canada for the Russian government. 

A transcript of the Delisle interrogation can be found on the CBC News website: 

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/story/2012/10/23/ns-navy-spy-documents-.html 

Reid Interrogation Technique Evidence from Transcript 

In early part of interview interviewer establishes if 

suspect is “fit” for the interview (not sick, hungry, 

under the influence of drugs, injured etc.) 

Investigator establishes rapport 

Investigator offers “themes” or reasons for the 

crime that allow the suspect to “save face” or to 

minimize the seriousness of the crime 



Investigator offers evidence that the suspect is 

guilty 

Investigator offers an alternative question in which 

an answer points to their guilt 

(e.g. "Did you blow the money on drugs and 

partying, or did you use it to pay bills?"; "Was this 

whole thing your idea or did you get talked into 

it?") 

Investigator displays understanding and sympathy 

for the accused 

The interrogation process lasts a long time 

COMMUNITY CONNECTION 

Invite a community police detective to talk about Charter Rights and police interrogation. Prepare 

questions ahead of the talk regarding police investigations and training in interrogation.

DECEMBER 2012 - News in review - CBC Learning

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