The number of terrorism charges laid in Canada jumped 488 per cent last year amid rising youth radicalization, the RCMP wrote to the public safety minister.
The RCMP’s ministerial briefing binder, posted on a government website this week, said violent extremism remained “a prominent national security threat.”
“Canadian police have foiled six terrorist plots in the last 12 months alone, with arrests spanning from Edmonton to Ottawa to Toronto,” the briefing said.
Between April 1, 2023 and March 31, 2024, 25 suspects were accused of 83 terrorism-related charges, “representing a 488% increase,” the RCMP wrote.
Three minors and six young adults were among those charged, and another eight youths faced terrorism peace bonds, signalling a “rise in youth radicalization.”
Online platforms were “contributing to substantial youth engagement with violent extremist ideologies and an increase in the number of youth subjects of interest,” the document said.
“This increase in violent extremism has not seen a parallel increase in resourcing.”
The 75-page document was prepared in December when David McGuinty became public safety minister during the final months of Justin Trudeau’s government.
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It was released publicly on Wednesday, after Prime Minister Mark Carney handed the public safety portfolio to Liberal MP Gary Anandarasangaree.
Briefing binders are supposed to inform cabinet ministers about the priorities, challenges and workings of the departments within their new realms.
The RCMP package identified violent extremism as a “hot issue,” along with foreign interference, hate crimes, the Canada-U.S. border and opioids.
U.S. President Donald Trump has justified his trade war against Canada with claims that fentanyl smuggling across the northern border was a “grave threat” to America.
But there is “little to no evidence” to back that assertion, the RCMP document said. The police force said it was nonetheless “committed to working with international partners” on the matter.
The government’s demands on the RCMP have “stretched the organization beyond its current capabilities and capacity,” the briefing warned the minister.
“The RCMP cannot continue to effectively deliver on the full breadth of its federal mandate without addressing significant resourcing challenges.”
The Canadian Security Intelligence Service has also said it was seeing a “concerning increase” in extremism, but it does not believe the national terrorism threat level needs to be raised.
The recent spike in terrorism is linked partly to renewed interest in the so-called Islamic State. Since 2023, police have disrupted several ISIS-linked plots, including an alleged bombing of a pro-Israel rally on Parliament Hill.
Other foiled attacks targeted Calgary Pride events and an unknown location in Toronto. An arrest in Quebec allegedly stopped an attack planned in New York City.
Three Canadian women who were part of ISIS in Syria have also been charged with terrorism, while a handful of others are on peace bonds that limit their movements.
Last week, an ISIS financier pleaded guilty in a Toronto court to raising money for Gaza through crowdfunding and sending it to the terrorist group’s overseas handlers.
Meanwhile, members of far-right groups have increasingly been charged with terrorism offences for activities such as producing hate propaganda.
“Violent extremism is on the rise worldwide and constitutes a prominent national security threat,” the RCMP told the minister.
In cases where charges can’t be laid, police are using “disruptive measures” and terrorism peace bonds, it said.
Earlier this month, Global News reported a Yemeni citizen was arrested on a terrorism peace bond on April 19 as he was allegedly trying to leave Toronto to join an Iranian-backed terrorist group.
Stewart.Bell@globalnews.ca
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