Residents of a small Alberta community say they were "shell-shocked" to learn that one of Canada's most prominent white supremacist groups had quietly held a large national training event at their local volunteer-run community hall.
As CBC Investigates reports, Second Sons Canada, a group founded by Jeremy MacKenzie, gathered more than 60 masked members for military-style drills, marches, combat training and organizational exercises near Millarville, Alberta. CBC's visual investigations team identified the location using publicly available clues from the group's own social media posts.
According to the report, Second Sons leaders have welcomed neo-Nazis into their ranks, called for the mass deportation of non-white Canadians "at gunpoint," and said Canadian politicians should be executed as traitors.
The community hall's volunteer board says the group never identified itself when booking the facility. Had volunteers known who was behind the event, they say it would never have been approved.
This is not an isolated incident. CBC notes that Second Sons has repeatedly booked community spaces across Canada under false pretences, including a similar gathering in Ontario last year. Experts say this tactic is common among white nationalist organizations because most communities would refuse to host them if they disclosed their true identity.
The RCMP says it is aware of Second Sons Canada and is monitoring the rise of hate-motivated crimes and incidents across the country, while emphasizing that investigations focus on criminal activity rather than ideology alone.
This investigation is another reminder of why investigative journalism matters. CBC didn't simply repeat a press release. Its reporters and visual investigations team pieced together publicly available evidence, identified the location, spoke with local residents, the community association, experts and police, and brought important information into the public interest.
How should communities protect themselves from extremist groups booking public spaces under false pretences while respecting civil liberties? Where should that balance be drawn?
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