No terrorist risk in Sask. spray planes

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Published: December 20, 2001

Authorities say there is no link between terrorists and inquiries made at Saskatchewan crop spraying companies last summer.

RCMP and the Canadian Security Intelligence Service looked into the possibility after the Sept. 11 attacks in the United States.

Two companies, one in Lumsden and one in Weyburn, reported men of Middle Eastern background were asking unusual questions about spray planes before and after the attacks.

They were concerned about reports that terrorists considered using these planes to spray substances such as smallpox or anthrax. Planes across North America were grounded for a time as a precaution.

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RCMP spokesperson Heather Russell said Dec. 13 an investigation found the inquiries to be nothing out of the ordinary.

“All of the inquiries were found to be legitimate,” she said.

Russell could not give specifics of the investigation, but said people who made inquiries were interviewed.

Norm Colhoun, who owns Sky-north Aviation at Lumsden, said earlier that the man who contacted him asked too many basic questions for someone who claimed to have experience as a pilot.

Colhoun was also contacted by e-mail after Sept.11 about a plane he had for sale. When he spoke to that man, Colhoun found he knew little about crop spraying.

Russell said people concerned about suspicious activity should inform police, whether or not they suspect a link to terrorism.

About the author

Karen Briere

Karen Briere

Karen Briere grew up in Canora, Sask. where her family had a grain and cattle operation. She has a degree in journalism from the University of Regina and has spent more than 30 years covering agriculture from the Western Producer’s Regina bureau.

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