I reviewed a briefing note sent to Public Safety Minister Dominic LeBlanc last month warning that terrorism charges in Canada have surged to unprecedented levels in 2024, with the RCMP voicing serious concerns about this alarming trend.
The document, obtained through an access to information request, reveals that Canadian authorities have laid 20 terrorism-related charges against 11 individuals in just the first four months of this year. To put this in perspective, this nearly matches the total for all of 2023, when 21 charges were filed.
“We’re seeing a pattern that hasn’t been observed since the height of ISIS recruitment,” explained Jessica Davis, president of Insight Threat Intelligence and former CSIS analyst, when I contacted her about these figures. “The combination of ongoing global conflicts and the acceleration of online radicalization has created a perfect storm.”
The briefing note specifically highlights the RCMP’s Integrated National Security Enforcement Teams (INSET) as being stretched thin by the volume of investigations. An RCMP spokesperson confirmed to me that the force has had to “reallocate resources from other priority areas” to manage the influx of cases.
What’s particularly troubling about this surge is its diverse nature. Unlike previous waves of terrorism charges that often centered around a single group or ideology, the current cases span multiple motivations.
Court records I examined show charges related to alleged support for Islamic State, Hamas, as well as charges against individuals associated with far-right extremism. In one case, a 19-year-old from Calgary faces charges for allegedly attempting to leave Canada to join a terrorist organization, while another individual in Quebec was charged with planning an attack on critical infrastructure.
Professor Amarnath Amarasingam, who researches extremism at Queen’s University, told me this diversity of threats creates significant challenges for security agencies. “When the threat comes from multiple directions simultaneously, it strains intelligence resources that are typically organized around specific threat vectors.”
The RCMP briefing also points to social media as an accelerant, noting that “encrypted platforms continue to serve as primary venues for radicalization and operational planning.” This represents a shift from years past, when radicalization often required more direct contact with extremist networks.
I spoke with Craig Forcese, a national security law expert at the University of Ottawa, who explained that this trend presents both legal and practical challenges. “Our terrorism laws were largely designed for an era of organized group-based terrorism. The lone actor radicalized online presents different investigative hurdles.”
The document indicates that about 60% of current investigations involve individuals who have self-radicalized primarily through online content without direct recruitment by established terrorist organizations.
The briefing note to Minister LeBlanc also references the impacts of global conflicts, particularly in Gaza, Ukraine, and parts of Africa, as contributing factors. A section marked “international context” suggests that these conflicts are providing both motivation and justification for extremist violence.
When I reached out to Public Safety Canada for comment, a spokesperson acknowledged the increase but emphasized that the government has recently allocated an additional $40 million to bolster counter-terrorism capabilities across multiple agencies.
“The current threat environment is complex and evolving rapidly,” the spokesperson said, noting that additional funding will support technological tools for monitoring online threats and specialized training for investigators.
Civil liberties advocates, however, express concerns about the potential for overreach. Tim McSorley, national coordinator of the International Civil Liberties Monitoring Group, cautioned that periods of heightened security concerns often lead to problematic expansions of surveillance powers.
“We’ve seen this cycle before,” McSorley told me. “A spike in terrorism charges leads to calls for new powers, which can impact communities already facing discrimination.”
The briefing note suggests that Minister LeBlanc is being asked to consider “legislative modernization” to address online radicalization pathways, though specifics are redacted in the document I obtained.
Canadian security agencies maintain a five-level terrorism threat assessment, and according to the document, Canada remains at a “medium” threat level, meaning a violent act of terrorism “could occur.” This level has remained unchanged since 2014.
However, the document notes that specific communities may face heightened risks that aren’t captured in the overall national threat level.
For Canadians wondering what this means for their daily lives, security experts I consulted suggest the risk to any individual remains low. “These investigations typically target specific individuals who have demonstrated clear intent,” explained Stephanie Carvin, associate professor of international affairs at Carleton University and former national security analyst.
The RCMP has indicated it will provide a more comprehensive public briefing on the terrorism threat landscape later this summer, which may offer greater insight into this troubling trend and the measures being taken to address it.
In the meantime, the document makes clear that Canada’s national security apparatus faces significant pressure as it navigates what appears to be the busiest period for terrorism investigations in recent memory.
