Commission of Inquiry Relating to the Department of Manpower and Immigration in Montreal (Canada) : The Commission of Inquiry Relating to the Department of Manpower and Immigration in Montreal was established under Order in Council P.C. 2374, 10 August 1973, later revoked by Order in Council P.C. 3454, 30 October 1973; and Order in Council P.C. 1685, 17 July 1975, under Part II of the Inquiries Act (R.S.C., c.I-13, 1970) and on the recommendation of the Minister of Manpower and Immigration. The Commission was mandated to inquire into and report on the state and management of the business of the Department of Manpower and Immigration, pertaining to: (a) the subject matter of, matters related to and the processing of the following Montreal files of the Department ... [Order in Council P.C. 3454, 30 October 1973, goes on to list 109 file numbers]; (b) persons represented by S.M. Byer, an advocate practising in Montreal, who had dealings with the department or any person in the service of the Department; (c) the preparation of a list of immigrants by immigration officer Brian Purdon for S.M. Byer; (d) the conduct of any person who is or was in the service of the department if that conduct relates to official duties in any of the matters referred to above. Further the Commissioner is directed to investigate: (a) the subject matter of, matters related to and the processing of the following Montreal files of the department ... [Order in Council P.C. 1685, 17 July 1975 lists four file numbers] and (b) the conduct of any person who is or was in the service of the department if that conduct relates to official duties in any of the matters referred to above. The Commissioner was Claire L'Heureux-Dubé, and the Secretary was William J. Brennan.
The creation of an inquiry by the Government of Canada concerning the Department of Manpower and Immigration resulted from several developments in immigration and in the department in the Montreal area. A Royal Canadian Mounted Police investigation, conducted at the request of the department, had led to the arrest on 16 April 1973, of S.M. Byer, a Montreal lawyer. Byer was charged, under Article 110(1)(a) of the Criminal Code (R.S.C., 1970, c. C-34) with having, on three separate occasions, given to a Canadian immigration officer a reward for cooperating on a government business matter. A different Montreal immigration officer, Brian Purdon, was suspended from the department for misconduct on 26 June 1973, and was dismissed on 22 October 1973. Meanwhile, following a separate and unrelated investigation, immigration officer Lawrence Doiron admitted misconduct, was suspended from the department on 27 April 1973, and was dismissed on 28 June 1973. At the same time, the department was investigating several immigrants suspected of having entered the country illegally, and was looking into the distribution of "Immigration Visa Services of Canada" business cards, bearing the maple leaf emblem, to immigrants arriving at Montreal Airport. Finally, articles causing some public concern appeared in the press alleging sexual relationships between immigration officers and persons (including immigrants) who had dealings with the department (see Report of the Commission of Inquiry Relating to the Department of Manpower and Immigration in Montreal, Ottawa, Information Canada, 1975, pp. 3-4). Hearings of the Commission were held mainly in Montreal, from 23 April 1974 to 19 August 1975, but the commissioners also heard evidence in Vancouver and London, England. There were 607 exhibits were filed with the Commission. RG33-9 General Inventory
