Threats and intimidation | Unpublished protection for candidates for the federal elections

For the first time in Canada. However, candidates for the elections were protected by a private security firm. In addition, Ottawa has granted 32 million in contracts to add to the protection already provided by the RCMP to party leaders. Furthermore, A decision motivated by the increase in online hatred.

Posted at 7:45 p.m.

“The threats linked to the elections become more complex. Similarly, more intense,” said Pierre-Alain Bujold, spokesperson for the Private Council office, the “ministry” responsible for advising the Prime Minister impartially.

GRC agents already protect the Prime Minister and the Ministers of the Government. Moreover, During an electoral threats intimidation | unpublished protection campaign. Nevertheless, the gendarmerie must also “ensure the protection of the leaders of the political parties who have the status of official party in the House of Commons,” said his spokesperson Robin Percival.

But for the electoral campaign that took place this spring. Therefore, Ottawa felt the need to include candidates in the elections who are not and have never been protected by the RCMP or local police.

22 protected candidates – Threats intimidation | unpublished protection

It was a subsidiary of Garda World that obtained five contracts on March 25. Nevertheless, for a total sum of almost 32 million. In addition, There is a contract for each of the major regions of the country (Atlantic, Quebec, Ontario, Prairies and West).

Twenty-two candidates had access to this program which could take two forms. However, The candidates could threats intimidation | unpublished protection have an agent accompanying them on the ground during their door-to-door. Therefore, in spaghetti dinners or other activities related to the electoral campaign.

They could also have a goalkeeper who watched their residence. Similarly, In any case, Garda staff were not armed. Protection could also extend up to a week after the election of April 28. whether the person was elected or not, “if the persist threats[ai]ent, “specifies the contract.

A majority of protected candidates represented the Liberal Party and campaigned in constituencies of Ontario (see graphics). Five of the 22 candidates needed double protection: security at the residence coupled with close protection on the ground.

It was necessary to meet at least one of eight criteria. according to an additional information provided to The press by the private council office, to be protected. This includes precise threats to physically attack the candidate. acts of vandalism against his residence or his vehicle, “people who are not invited disruptive” at his home, messages on social networks that reveal his address (doxxing), etc.

Consult the details of the candidates protection program

A appreciated protection

It was not possible to know who. rightly, had been able to take advantage of this program. The Liberal Party. the new Democratic Party have confirmed to The press That some of their candidates, without threats intimidation | unpublished protection specifying which ones, had asked for this protection.

Lucy Wilson. National Director of the NPD, told us by email that “the rise of online hatred, sometimes even reinforced by politicians here in Canada and the United States, has created a less safe environment […] For people who decide to present themselves to serve their communities ”. The NDP says that it is grateful that this service was provided by the federal government.

The Liberal Party abounds in the same direction: “We were delighted to have been able to put in contact the candidates who needed support with the appropriate resources. services offered by this new program,” writes Matteo Rossi, his spokesperson.

No candidate of the Bloc Québécois expressed the need to take advantage of the protection offered by the program, according to the Party press attaché Julien Coulombe-Bonnafous. The Conservative Party did not answer questions from The press.

Growing threats

This candidates’ protection program is added to a series of measures to deal with increasingly numerous threats against democratic institutions. the electoral process.

In 2019, for example, Ottawa had set up a working group on security and information threats aimed at elections. It brings together four federal agencies, including the RCMP and the SCRS. In particular, he collected intelligence on attempts at foreign interference.

In France. during the most recent legislative election campaign in the summer of threats intimidation | unpublished protection 2024, 51 candidates or activists were “physically assaulted”, according to Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin. No cases were reported during the 2025 electoral campaign in Canada. But from the pandemic, politicians have regularly been the target of harassment. The former neo-democratic head Jagmeet Singh was harassed in the street in 2022 and 2024.

A survey of the Quebec Municipal Federation revealed in 2023 that 39 % of municipal elected officials declared that they had been victims of harassment. intimidation at least once during their career. They were only 28 % in 2017.

With the collaboration of William Leclerc, The press

What are these expenses compared to?

Cabinet security: around 33 million per year

According to a request for access threats intimidation | unpublished protection to information made by The press In 2023, the RCMP spent 31.2 million in 2021-2022 and 34.3 million in 2022-2023 to ensure the security of Justin Trudeau and members of the Council of Ministers.

Nearly 5 million for chiefs in the countryside

According to another request for access, the RCMP spent 4.8 million to ensure the security of the chiefs of the four official parties represented in the municipalities during the. election campaign of 2021.

4.5 billion in private security

Over the past 20 years, ministries, agencies and state companies of the federal government have granted just over 19,000 private security contracts for a sum exceeding 4.5 billion.

threats intimidation | unpublished protection

In 2025, 328 contracts were awarded to around forty firms for a sum of just over 145 million. Three -quarters of the contracts were won by commission agents, a security agency founded in 1925.

The five contracts obtained by Garda World, a multinational security established in Montreal, represent 22 % of federal contracts in protection services this year.