EvanL
05-17-2004, 12:58 PM
Man who asked about ventilation just wanted a warm place to sleep
Bill Curry And Mike Blanchfield
The Ottawa Citizen
Sunday, May 16, 2004
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A homeless man looking for a warm place to sleep outside National Defence Headquarters in downtown Ottawa unwittingly became the subject of a national-security investigation, CanWest News Service has learned.
The man's "suspicious questions" about the building's ventilation system set off alarm bells and attracted the attention of the Canadian Forces National Counter-Intelligence Unit.
The incident occurred on March 15 and is described in a report obtained through access to information.
According to the document, a man in a winter coat and toque approached a Department of National Defence employee who was smoking outside the building and started asking unusual questions.
The person "asked how often the road under NDHQ (National Defence Headquarters), beneath the concourse, is blocked off. He further inquired as to the location for the vents leading into the building," states the edited report.
The incident occurred three weeks before extra concrete barriers were put up around the building and the road running under the headquarters was blocked to public traffic.
Alexandra Hernandez, a spokeswoman for the military police, said an investigation later found there was no security threat.
"Limited inquiries concluded the person is a homeless person and he was simply querying about a warm place to sleep, to rest. The matter was not shared with (Canadian Security Intelligence Service) as it was deemed to be a military matter and therefore of no interest to them," she said.
Further, the incident was not related to the boost in security around the building or the road block under the headquarters, said Ms. Hernandez.
The incident comes as speculation swirls about the possible relocation of the Defence Department from the downtown to an abandoned high-tech complex that was once the headquarters of fibre-optics company JDS Uniphase.
Public Works Minister Stephen Owen said Friday: "nothing's imminent there in terms of even making a decision to move." But he confirmed Minto Developments of Ottawa had approached the Defence Department with a proposal to buy the JDS Uniphase property and lease it back to the military.
"We did receive an unsolicited proposal from Minto with respect to JDS Uniphase but there's been no decision inside government," Mr. Owen said. Minto has denied all comment about whether it has entered negotiations to purchase the JDS Uniphase property in Ottawa's western suburbs.
Mr. Owen also brushed aside concerns the current location of DND headquarters -- housed in twin office towers overlooking the Rideau Canal downtown -- poses any undue security concerns.
"Downtown Ottawa is a site of extraordinary importance to the country," he said, noting the presence of several foreign missions including the U.S. embassy as well as Parliament Hill.
"(But) we don't consider downtown Ottawa any kind of a particular security risk."
© The Ottawa Citizen 2004
Bill Curry And Mike Blanchfield
The Ottawa Citizen
Sunday, May 16, 2004
ADVERTISEMENT
A homeless man looking for a warm place to sleep outside National Defence Headquarters in downtown Ottawa unwittingly became the subject of a national-security investigation, CanWest News Service has learned.
The man's "suspicious questions" about the building's ventilation system set off alarm bells and attracted the attention of the Canadian Forces National Counter-Intelligence Unit.
The incident occurred on March 15 and is described in a report obtained through access to information.
According to the document, a man in a winter coat and toque approached a Department of National Defence employee who was smoking outside the building and started asking unusual questions.
The person "asked how often the road under NDHQ (National Defence Headquarters), beneath the concourse, is blocked off. He further inquired as to the location for the vents leading into the building," states the edited report.
The incident occurred three weeks before extra concrete barriers were put up around the building and the road running under the headquarters was blocked to public traffic.
Alexandra Hernandez, a spokeswoman for the military police, said an investigation later found there was no security threat.
"Limited inquiries concluded the person is a homeless person and he was simply querying about a warm place to sleep, to rest. The matter was not shared with (Canadian Security Intelligence Service) as it was deemed to be a military matter and therefore of no interest to them," she said.
Further, the incident was not related to the boost in security around the building or the road block under the headquarters, said Ms. Hernandez.
The incident comes as speculation swirls about the possible relocation of the Defence Department from the downtown to an abandoned high-tech complex that was once the headquarters of fibre-optics company JDS Uniphase.
Public Works Minister Stephen Owen said Friday: "nothing's imminent there in terms of even making a decision to move." But he confirmed Minto Developments of Ottawa had approached the Defence Department with a proposal to buy the JDS Uniphase property and lease it back to the military.
"We did receive an unsolicited proposal from Minto with respect to JDS Uniphase but there's been no decision inside government," Mr. Owen said. Minto has denied all comment about whether it has entered negotiations to purchase the JDS Uniphase property in Ottawa's western suburbs.
Mr. Owen also brushed aside concerns the current location of DND headquarters -- housed in twin office towers overlooking the Rideau Canal downtown -- poses any undue security concerns.
"Downtown Ottawa is a site of extraordinary importance to the country," he said, noting the presence of several foreign missions including the U.S. embassy as well as Parliament Hill.
"(But) we don't consider downtown Ottawa any kind of a particular security risk."
© The Ottawa Citizen 2004