Minister Orders Investigation into Border Guard Videos

(Vancouver Province)

Public Safety Minister Stockwell Day ordered an investigation Tuesday after embarrassing video clips of border–guard recruits appeared on the online networking site, Facebook.

The recruits posted photographs of themselves drinking in uniform, called Prime Minister Stephen Harper a “serial killer” and referred to French Canadians as “f–––ing bastards” on the popular website, according to CBC News.

Facebook quickly removed the offensive material.

“I was very concerned after watching media reports on allegations of improper conduct and hateful language from employees and recruits of the Canada Border Services Agency,” Day said in a statement.

“I immediately directed my officials to look into these allegations and take appropriate disciplinary action where warranted. . . . It is regretful that the report on a small number of individuals has reflected poorly on the CBSA,” Day said.

The CBC report said former Victoria border guard Chris Hughes tipped the network to the material on Facebook.

Hughes, who is in his 40s, questioned whether the recruits were qualified to protect Canada’s borders from terrorists.

A drinking party at a CBSA training centre in Rigaud, Que., was allegedly the site for some of the embarrassing photos that made it onto Facebook.

One recruit referred to Quebec as “the land of poutine and frog,” and “f–––ing French bastards.”

Hughes and a former colleague, also in his 40s, were hired to work in the summer as border guards, but were not kept on permanently.

The two men claim CBSA dumped them in favour of younger, cheaper student recruits.

Hughes expressed concern about the ability of the students to do their job.

“If you were a terrorist and you wanted to get into Canada . . . come when the students first go on the job,” he told the CBC.

Following a series of embarrassing incidents in which Canadian border guards – who were not armed – deserted their posts on the border because they feared for their safety, the Conservative government announced it would issue them firearms.

The first armed border guards at Surrey, B.C., crossings were deployed Aug. 31.

“Border services officers are being provided with duty firearms to enhance their law–enforcement effectiveness and their safety as they fulfill their duties,” the government said in a press release at the time.

“In total, 4,800 border services officers will be trained and deployed by the end of the training process.

“This includes the 400 new border services officers who will be hired, trained and equipped in order to eliminate dangerous ‘work–alone’ situations.”