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{{Short description|Canadian diplomat and entrepreneur (1925–2022)}}
⚫ {{Infobox Person
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
⚫ {{Infobox person
|name = Ian Verner Macdonald |name = Ian Verner Macdonald
|image = Ian_Verner_in_Yemen.png |image = Ian_Verner_in_Yemen.png
|image_size = 325px |image_size =
|caption = Macdonald posing alongside Yemeni mountain rebels |caption = Macdonald (2nd from rt.) posing alongside ]
|birth_date = {{Birth date|1925|1|19}}<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://thistlexpress.com/about-the-author/|title=About the Author Ottawa Books}}</ref>
|birth_date =
|birth_place = |birth_place = ], ], Canada
|death_date = |death_date = {{Death date and age|2022|6|28|1925|1|19}}
|death_place = |death_place = Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
|death_cause = |death_cause =
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|nationality = Canadian
⚫ |alma_mater = ]<br />]
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|years_active = United States - 1962-63<ref>Department of State, "Foreign Consular Offices in the United States", 1962. pt. "Michigan"</ref><ref>], "ASM Transactions Quarterly", Volume 56. p. 933</ref> |years_active = United States; 1962–63<ref>Department of State, "Foreign Consular Offices in the United States", 1962. pt. "Michigan"</ref><ref>], "ASM Transactions Quarterly", Volume 56. p. 933</ref>
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|relations = Cousin - Lt. Harvey MacHattie (d. 1943 in ]<ref>], "The Middle East, Part 2", 2005. pt. 17407</ref>)
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'''Ian Verner Macdonald''' (January 19, 1925 – June 28, 2022) was a Canadian trade diplomat and entrepreneur, known for his controversial associations with far-right figures and groups.
A former Canadian diplomat, '''Ian Verner Macdonald''' is an author who courted controversy for his association with several outlying social circles.<ref>Goldenthal, Howard. ], "Extreme right courts the left", November 5, 1987</ref>


==Career== ==Career diplomat and advocate==
Macdonald served as Canada's senior trade commissioner in Sri Lanka, the United States, and Lebanon in the 1970s.<ref name="Mike Haymes 2005">Mike Haymes, "Arson suspected on ex-KKK adviser's land: Supremacist scoffs at idea fire connected to reputation, past activities," ''Ottawa Citizen'', 18 March 2005.</ref>
{{Quote box
| quote = "I did not attend the rally, nor did I play any part in its planning or staging. The rally broke no laws, as far as I know, nor did it create any form of public nuisance. As for the political implications of the event, I performed a commendable public service, I think, by providing the organizers and their visitors with a forum to express their views on contemporary society in a private rural setting, thus avoiding possible offense to sensitive minorities"
|source = Ian Macdonald, in response to criticism about the Neo-Nazi rally held in one of his fields<ref name="ruling"/>
|width = 30%
}}A former pilot in the ] during ],<ref>Thistle Xpress, </ref> Maconald served as the Trade Commissioner in Bonn, Stockholm, Johannesburg, Colombo, Detroit and Beirut, but was dismissed in 1970 when he advocated closer trade relations with Arab countries and was accused of ].<ref name="ruling"/> He then served in Overseas Project Development until his dismissal in 1984 after he negotiated a Canadian contract in Saudi Arabia against instructions.


As President of the Iraqi-Canadian Friendship Association in the 1990s, he spoke at conferences in Montreal, Moscow and Baghdad opposing the sanctions and the use of ].
In 1984, he began purchasing properties throughout the ], owning as many as twenty residences which he rented out to tenants, many of them ]s.<ref>Macdonald v. Kinsella and CBC, Ruling by Justice Metvier, June 25, 2009</ref> He also allowed many controversial political advocates to reside, free of charge, at his house, including ] and ].<ref name="ruling"/> He courted further controversy when he allowed ] elements to use his property for a camping trip in the 1990s.<ref name="sherwin"/> His property in ] was the target of ].<ref name="sherwin">Sherwin, Fred. The Eastender, "Orleans man charged in connection with Carlsbad fire"</ref>


In 1984, the ] investigated allegations that Macdonald had given confidential Canadian trade documents to the ].<ref name="Mike Haymes 2005"/>
In 1988, he joined the ''Society for Free Expression'', whose stated aims included overcoming "the introduction of Holocaust studies in Ottawa's public schools", ostensibly since the event was not a harbinger of Canadian involvement in ].<ref name="review"/> The ] periodical sought to "discredit" Macdonald by suggesting he associated with "several Arab states and individuals".<ref name="review">], </ref><ref>Kayfetz, Ben. ], "Canada Group Plans Anti-Jewish Fight", August 5, 1988. p. 21</ref>


==Associations== ==Associations==
In 1987, Macdonald, who had business dealings with Libya since 1970, was asked by Palestinian-American Mousa Hawamda, a Libyan agent, to organise a Canadian delegation to Tripoli to commemorate the ] the previous year. Macdonald agreed and recruited a contingent of 96 members, among whom were representatives of the far-left and far-right.<ref>Warren Kinsella, "Remembering a Canadian victim of the Gadhafi regime," ''Calgary Sun'', 28 August 2011, p. 28.</ref>
{{Quote box
| quote = "There is a very wealth landowner in Ottawa, a former high-ranking diplomat by the name of Ian Macdonald, who for many years provided rhetorical and material support to the Canadian Knights of the Ku Klux Klan. And then, interestly enough...Macdonald provided connections between KKK leaders and the government of Libya".
|source = ], ]; statement leading to libel charge<ref>], "Remembering the Terror", April 19, 1996</ref>
|width = 30%
⚫ }}
As early as 1983, Macdonald was accused of offering financial assistance to Canadian ].<ref>Sher, Julian. "White Hoods: Canada's Ku Klux Klan", 1983. p. 117</ref> In 1987, Macdonald was approached by a Palestinian-American named Mousa Hawamda, who asked him to organise a Canadian delegation to ] to commemorate the American ] the previous year. Macdonald then contacted both left-wing and right-wing groups in Canada to form a contingent of 96 members.<ref name="ruling"/>


In March 1989, he helped organise a speaking engagement for controversial author ] at the ] along with ].<ref name="kins">Kinsella, Warren. "Web of Hate: Inside Canada's Far Right Network", 1994. p. 265</ref> In September of that year, author ] wrote an article titled "The Somewhat Right of Centre Views of Ian Verner Macdonald" for ].<ref name="ruling">Macdonald v. Kinsella and CBC, Ruling by Justice Metvier, June 25, 2009</ref> Macdonald also noted that he heard a radio interview with ], the Canadian leader of the ], and later explained that "I thought, well here's somebody quite out of the ordinary... we met and became friends".<ref>Bell, Stewart. ], , May 22, 2009</ref> In March 1989, he and Ingrid Beisner organized a sold-out speaking engagement for controversial author ] at the ] in Ottawa. In September of that year, author ] wrote an article titled "The Somewhat Right of Centre Views of Ian Verner Macdonald" for ''Ottawa Magazine''.

In the early 1990s, Macdonald permitted white supremacist rallies, as well as camps by neo-Nazi skinheads and ] groups, to be held on his property.<ref name="Mike Haymes 2005"/> He was a friend of ], leader of the Canadian ], in the 1980s.<ref>Stewart Bell, "Confessions of a Grand Wizard," ''National Post'', 23 May 2009, A10.</ref>

Kinsella published the book ''Unholy Alliances'' in 1992 and devoted Chapter 5 of the work to detailing his allegations about Macdonald's personal views. He also wrote ''Web of Hate'' in 1994, and accused Macdonald of being a "fascist" and "anti-Semite", claiming that Macdonald's friendship with McQuirter linked Irving to the KKK.

In 1992, Ottawa's ] described Macdonald as a "neo-nazi supporter", which he denied.<ref>{{cite web|title=Not a neo-Nazi, FRANK MAGAZINE|url=http://www.ianvmacdonald.com/not-a-neo-nazi-frank-magazine/|website=www.ianvmacdonald.com/|date=15 October 1992|accessdate=10 June 2015}}</ref>

In 1996, Kinsella took part in a ] (CBC) radio call-in program wherein he stated that Macdonald "provided rhetorical and material support to the Canadian Knights of the Ku Klux Klan, and ... provided connections between Ku Klux Klan leaders and the Government of Libya." Kinsella also stated that the Libyan government "provided funding to far right groups in Canada to carry out illegal acts." Macdonald subsequently engaged litigation lawyer ] to sue the CBC and Kinsella for libel. The case was dismissed on the grounds that the statements were not defamatory and that the claim was filed more than six weeks after the broadcast. The presiding justice wrote, "It is clear from the evidence that Macdonald was known for his anti-Semitic, racist views and friends, and for being at least an admirer of the KKK. Nothing that Kinsella said affected that reputation. Nothing he said alluded to any criminality."<ref>Kristy Nease, "Liberal strategist Kinsella defeats defamation suit; Ex-diplomat had established 'anti-Semitic, racist views,' judge rules," ''Ottawa Citizen'', 21 July 2009, C3.</ref>

The ruling was upheld on appeal by the Court of Appeal for Ontario on October 19, 2011, and an application to the Supreme Court was rejected.<ref>Natalie Stechyson, "Libel lawsuit against CBC, Warren Kinsella quashed by top court," ''Postmedia News'', 5 April 2012.</ref>


Kinsella published the book "Unholy Alliances" in 1992 and devoted Chapter 5 of the work to detailing his allegations about Macdonald's personal views. He also wrote "Web of Hate" in 1994, and accused Macdonald of being a "fascist" and "anti-Semite", and noted that Macdonald's friendship with Quirter linked Irving to the KKK.<ref>Irving v. Penguin Book and Deborah Lipstadt, , 1999</ref><ref name="kins"/> Macdonald tried to sue Kinsella for ] after he made a similar reference suggesting that Macdonald was a link between the KKK and the Libyan administration of ] on the ] programme, but it was dismissed as the accusation surfaced more than six weeks after the broadcast.<ref name="xmas">Daubs, Katie, ], , January 17, 2009</ref><ref name="ruling"/>
{{Quote box {{Quote box
| quote = "Sympathetic? In a way... are harassed to a certain extent and I think they should be allowed to have freedom of expression" | quote = "Sympathetic? In a way... are harassed to a certain extent and I think they should be allowed to have freedom of expression"
|source = Ian Macdonald<ref name="ruling"/><ref>Kinsella, Warren. "Unholy Alliances", 1992. Chapter V.</ref> |source = Ian Macdonald<ref name="ruling"/><ref>Kinsella, Warren. ''Unholy Alliances'', 1992. Chapter V.</ref>
|width = 30% |width = 30%
}} }}
] mole ] also testified that he had approached Macdonald along with Neo-Nazi ], to ask if any of his Middle Eastern contacts would be interested in purchasing a 30-page manual suggesting a way to cause "ecological destruction" using ] and ]s. He claimed that Macdonald told him that they were unlikely to be able to sell the idea, which he wasn't given in any specifics, for $250,000 as they claimed to be seeking. Bristow further claimed that Macdonald suggested they abandon the hope of selling the idea to Iraqis, and instead look towards Libyans.<ref name="xmas"/>


Macdonald wrote many letters to the editor on Zionism, ], the 1996 American attacks on Iraq, the ], the 2011 war in Libya, the removal of a daughter from her mother who espoused ], immigration, gun control, and what he called the subversion of the political process in Canada. He was a member of the ].
⚫ In 2008, Macdonald, an ardent heritage promoter, published "Ottawa: The Golden Years", a collection of 2,144 rare images from the city's early days. A copy was presented to ] and is housed in the Library at ].<ref>http://www.thistlexpress.com/books/otgy/queenletter</ref>


==Author==
He has been a notable author of ], noting his opposition to ],<ref>Macdonald, Ian. ], "Canada should have condemned US action", September 7, 1996</ref> the removal of a daughter from her mother who espoused ]sm,<ref>Macdonald, Ian. ], "Vengeful punishment of mother and child"</ref> and in defence of the ]'s stance on ].<ref>Macdonald, Ian. ], , August 6, 2009</ref>
⚫ In 2008, Macdonald, a collector of paper antiques, published ''Ottawa - The Golden Years'', an album of 2,144 rare images from the Victorian era. A copy was presented to Queen ] who welcomed the book into the Buckingham Palace Library.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://thistlexpress.com/ottawa-the-golden-years/|title = Ottawa Photography the Golden Years}}</ref>

He published in 2010 the ''Star Weekly at War'', an album of vivid wartime covers of the magazine.

==Personal life==
Macdonald died in Ottawa on June 28, 2022, at the age of 97.<ref>{{cite web |title=Ian Verner "Macdonald" Macdonald |url=https://www.echovita.com/ca/obituaries/on/ottawa/ian-macdonald-14880529 |website=Echovita |access-date=15 July 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=MACDONALD, Ian Verner |url=https://ottawa.citynews.ca/obituaries/macdonald-ian-verner-5542618 |website=City News |access-date=15 July 2022 |date=3 July 2022 |archive-date=15 July 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220715011445/https://ottawa.citynews.ca/obituaries/macdonald-ian-verner-5542618 |url-status=dead }}</ref>


==References== ==References==
{{Reflist|refs=
{{reflist|2}}
<ref name="ruling">Macdonald v. Kinsella and CBC, Ruling by Justice Metvier, June 25, 2009</ref>
{{Canada-bio-stub}}
⚫ }}

==External links==
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Macdonald, Ian Verner}}
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Latest revision as of 15:06, 10 January 2025

Canadian diplomat and entrepreneur (1925–2022)

Ian Verner Macdonald
Macdonald (2nd from rt.) posing alongside Yemeni mountain rebels
Born(1925-01-19)January 19, 1925
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
DiedJune 28, 2022(2022-06-28) (aged 97)
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Alma materQueen's University
University of Toronto
Years activeUnited States; 1962–63
EmployerTrade Commissioner Service
WebsiteThistle Express

Ian Verner Macdonald (January 19, 1925 – June 28, 2022) was a Canadian trade diplomat and entrepreneur, known for his controversial associations with far-right figures and groups.

Career diplomat and advocate

Macdonald served as Canada's senior trade commissioner in Sri Lanka, the United States, and Lebanon in the 1970s.

As President of the Iraqi-Canadian Friendship Association in the 1990s, he spoke at conferences in Montreal, Moscow and Baghdad opposing the sanctions and the use of depleted uranium munitions against Iraqi civilians.

In 1984, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police investigated allegations that Macdonald had given confidential Canadian trade documents to the government of Iraq.

Associations

In 1987, Macdonald, who had business dealings with Libya since 1970, was asked by Palestinian-American Mousa Hawamda, a Libyan agent, to organise a Canadian delegation to Tripoli to commemorate the American bombing of Libya the previous year. Macdonald agreed and recruited a contingent of 96 members, among whom were representatives of the far-left and far-right.

In March 1989, he and Ingrid Beisner organized a sold-out speaking engagement for controversial author David Irving at the Chateau Laurier in Ottawa. In September of that year, author Warren Kinsella wrote an article titled "The Somewhat Right of Centre Views of Ian Verner Macdonald" for Ottawa Magazine.

In the early 1990s, Macdonald permitted white supremacist rallies, as well as camps by neo-Nazi skinheads and Aryan Nations groups, to be held on his property. He was a friend of James Alexander McQuirter, leader of the Canadian Knights of the Ku Klux Klan, in the 1980s.

Kinsella published the book Unholy Alliances in 1992 and devoted Chapter 5 of the work to detailing his allegations about Macdonald's personal views. He also wrote Web of Hate in 1994, and accused Macdonald of being a "fascist" and "anti-Semite", claiming that Macdonald's friendship with McQuirter linked Irving to the KKK.

In 1992, Ottawa's Frank Magazine described Macdonald as a "neo-nazi supporter", which he denied.

In 1996, Kinsella took part in a Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) radio call-in program wherein he stated that Macdonald "provided rhetorical and material support to the Canadian Knights of the Ku Klux Klan, and ... provided connections between Ku Klux Klan leaders and the Government of Libya." Kinsella also stated that the Libyan government "provided funding to far right groups in Canada to carry out illegal acts." Macdonald subsequently engaged litigation lawyer Doug Christie to sue the CBC and Kinsella for libel. The case was dismissed on the grounds that the statements were not defamatory and that the claim was filed more than six weeks after the broadcast. The presiding justice wrote, "It is clear from the evidence that Macdonald was known for his anti-Semitic, racist views and friends, and for being at least an admirer of the KKK. Nothing that Kinsella said affected that reputation. Nothing he said alluded to any criminality."

The ruling was upheld on appeal by the Court of Appeal for Ontario on October 19, 2011, and an application to the Supreme Court was rejected.

"Sympathetic? In a way... are harassed to a certain extent and I think they should be allowed to have freedom of expression"

Ian Macdonald

Macdonald wrote many letters to the editor on Zionism, World War II, the 1996 American attacks on Iraq, the September 11 attacks, the 2011 war in Libya, the removal of a daughter from her mother who espoused Neo-Nazism, immigration, gun control, and what he called the subversion of the political process in Canada. He was a member of the Royal Canadian Legion.

Author

In 2008, Macdonald, a collector of paper antiques, published Ottawa - The Golden Years, an album of 2,144 rare images from the Victorian era. A copy was presented to Queen Elizabeth II who welcomed the book into the Buckingham Palace Library.

He published in 2010 the Star Weekly at War, an album of vivid wartime covers of the magazine.

Personal life

Macdonald died in Ottawa on June 28, 2022, at the age of 97.

References

  1. "About the Author Ottawa Books".
  2. Department of State, "Foreign Consular Offices in the United States", 1962. pt. "Michigan"
  3. American Society for Metals, "ASM Transactions Quarterly", Volume 56. p. 933
  4. ^ Mike Haymes, "Arson suspected on ex-KKK adviser's land: Supremacist scoffs at idea fire connected to reputation, past activities," Ottawa Citizen, 18 March 2005.
  5. Warren Kinsella, "Remembering a Canadian victim of the Gadhafi regime," Calgary Sun, 28 August 2011, p. 28.
  6. Stewart Bell, "Confessions of a Grand Wizard," National Post, 23 May 2009, A10.
  7. "Not a neo-Nazi, FRANK MAGAZINE". www.ianvmacdonald.com/. 15 October 1992. Retrieved 10 June 2015.
  8. Kristy Nease, "Liberal strategist Kinsella defeats defamation suit; Ex-diplomat had established 'anti-Semitic, racist views,' judge rules," Ottawa Citizen, 21 July 2009, C3.
  9. Natalie Stechyson, "Libel lawsuit against CBC, Warren Kinsella quashed by top court," Postmedia News, 5 April 2012.
  10. Macdonald v. Kinsella and CBC, Ruling by Justice Metvier, June 25, 2009
  11. Kinsella, Warren. Unholy Alliances, 1992. Chapter V.
  12. "Ottawa Photography the Golden Years".
  13. "Ian Verner "Macdonald" Macdonald". Echovita. Retrieved 15 July 2022.
  14. "MACDONALD, Ian Verner". City News. 3 July 2022. Archived from the original on 15 July 2022. Retrieved 15 July 2022.

External links

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