The secret spy service file on Pierre Trudeau came close to eluding destruction 30 years ago, newly disclosed memos reveal. However, a late October 1988 recommendation that the dossier on the former prime minister be preserved for at least another decade was nixed just days later, sealing its fate. The Canadian Press reported last month that the Canadian Security Intelligence Service scrapped the Cold War file on Trudeau in 1989 instead of sending it to the national archives. Mr. Trdueau became prime minister in 1968 following an election that saw a giddy electorate give him a resounding mandate. His time in office saw profound changes to the government and way of life that echo today. Though the contents of the Trudeau file are a mystery, the RCMP might have noted the future prime minister’s support of striking asbestos miners in Quebec or his exotic travels, including a visit to the Soviet Union in the early 1950s.
