Canadian Security Intelligence Service

The Canadian security intelligence agency created in 1984 after the McDonald Commission

Overview

CSIS was created in 1984 after the McDonald Commission documented abuses by the RCMP Security Service, separating intelligence from law enforcement. Based in Ottawa, it investigates threats to Canadian security and holds no arrest powers, passing evidence to police. The 1985 Air India bombing exposed coordination failures that drove a decade of reform. The service works within the Five Eyes, and legislation in 2019 affirmed its authority to collect intelligence abroad. A review committee and inspector general examine its activities and report publicly each year.