David Boyd

Divisions Served: “A,” “H,” “I,” “HQ,” “Depot,” CSIS

Medals & Honours: Long Service Medal

Pillar Location: Pillar VII, Row 36, Column C

Story: 

Although my entire 33+ year career in the Force and the Canadian Security Intelligence Service(CSIS) was served in only three provinces and limited to three cities and one town, I found it both rewarding and challenging. My application to join the Force was made at Windsor Detachment, O Div, and after the lengthy process of tests, interviews and background investigations, I was sworn in at O Div HQ, Toronto on 10 Aug 1960. Training at Depot was rigorous and demanding both physically and mentally. Physically, the hours of equitation, foot drill, physical fitness including swimming and self-defense built and toned our bodies while developing discipline, esprit de corps and pride in our troop. The academic subjects included history of the Force, the Criminal Code, typing and role-playing provided us with knowledge and skills that would be necessary when we took up duties serving in the communities to which we were posted upon graduation from training.
Following graduation, I was posted to H Div., where I served in Halifax and Windsor Detachments and the Halifax Security and Intelligence(S&I) section. My three and a half years in H Div. brought new experiences. At Halifax detachment, I was assigned general duties which included routine day and night patrols and investigations enforcing provincial and federal statutes while at smaller 7 man Windsor detachment I as assigned town policing duties and general duties in Hants county.
While serving in Halifax: I was called upon to provide a Red Serge presence when a Federal Cabinet Minister officially opened Grand Pre as a national historic site, to attend my first of two full autopsies performed by the provincial coroners office, investigate the accidental sudden death of a young woman, investigate the non-fatal accidental shooting of a minor, provide back-up during a response to a domestic disturbance, and provide assistance during a road block following a major incident in the city.
Town policing in Windsor consisted of day and night foot and vehicle patrols within the town boundaries and investigating complaints reported to the detachment. Night patrols were usually uneventful but occasionally there was something that caused some concern like finding the door of the local bank or auto parts store were unlocked. A routine search of the establishments and a call to the manager resolved the issue. County patrols could include assisting the Chief of police of a village in the detachment area or assisting the local Lands and Forest Officer on and all night patrol following up a complaint of illegal hunting, assisting our Highway Patrol member at the scene of a serious accident, investigating reports of impaired drivers, or assisting and out of province Police Force to advise families of the death of local area young men as they were returning home after working summer jobs.
At the Halifax S&I section I was introduced to what was become the major part of my service in the Force and subsequently in CSIS.
In 1964, I received a transfer to Ottawa where I was to spend the rest of my career with postings to various Branches of HQ, I Division, A Division S&I and CSIS. I became a reader/analyst in A Branch (Security Screenings), B Branch (Counter Intelligence), D Branch (Counter Subversion and Counter Terrorism) and an analyst researcher in the Central Research Branch. At the field unit in downtown Ottawa’s A Division, I received experience in investigations in the areas of counter subversion and counter terrorism and counter intelligence which included the development directing and debriefing of sources. A small unit was trained in and actively assisted occasionally in the surveillance of intelligence targets. Here too I participated in an in-depth search of a local residence at which a suspected agent lived. At A Division S&I I was promoted to Sgt., which led to my supervision of a number of members, and I also gained experience in the small local unit responsible for ensuring the administration and handling of sources was conducted as required.
Both regular members and members in CSIS serving in the the Ottawa region were frequently assigned duties of crowd control or security when foreign dignitaries made official visits to the capital, of personal security of cabinet ministers during the October Crisis and other occasions.
While at HQ, I was given the opportunity to attend attend university full time and graduated with four other members with a B.A. degree in Political Science. Many of our fellow graduates were surprised to see the five of us attend the ceremony in “Walking Out Order.” Additionally I was part of the combined RCMP CSIS Olympic Secretariat which was responsible for the planning and co-ordination of the various security plans for different venues of the 1976 Summer Olympics.
I had periods of learning, satisfaction and real happiness over the years but also experienced frustration, personal challenges and deep sadness.
I met and courted my first wife , Gretta Hawboldt, in Nova Scotia. We married in 1964 and were blessed with a daughter, Ardeth, in 1965. Her birth followed a stressful 25+ hours of labour on the part of my wife. Shortly after my graduation and first promotion, my wife died in an accident as we were returning from a social function. The other couple and I also received injuries in the accident. My injuries required hospitalization, an involved operation to repair a damaged left elbow and a lengthy period of recovery and rehabilitation as well as the adjustment to raising my 3 1/2 year old daughter as a single parent. During the rehab and the grieving process, I turned to alcohol to deaden the pain and bury my feelings.
In 1972, I married again and my wife, Jane Matatall, blessed us with another daughter, Katherine, in 1972 and a son, Ian, in 1974. A few years passed before Jane was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis, a progressive disease which gradually took away muscle control in various areas and she first needed a wheelchair and eventually required hospitalization in a long care facility. She passed away from complications of the disease on 20 Jan 1988. With the stresses of work and a complicated home life, alcohol was becoming a regular habit, from which I decided to seek a solution in joining a 12 Step fellowship in early 1987. I retired as an IO 5(S/Sgt, equivalent) from CSIS on 31 Mar 1994.
This too has been a challenging and rewarding journey leading to life with new purpose, a renewal of faith and service to the community and the church we attend. I renewed acquaintance with a lady I had dated in high school and we married on 1 Jun 1996. I moved to Verona where she had resided for many years and we have built our life together there. We have a combine family of 7 children, and as of November 2020, 11 grand children and 5 great grand children. Since 1996, we have traveled to visit family and friends in Nova Scotia, Ontario, Manitoba and British Columbia in Canada and to the United Kingdom. Accompanying a brother-in-law and sister-in-law as they celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary trip took us to Europe and a road trip through Germany, Holland and France with a interesting and solemn visit to Vimy and the Canadian monument to those who made the ultimate sacrifice in World War I. Cruises through the Panama Canal to Alaska that included a D Troop reunion have also been most enjoyable.
We are richly blessed, busy, comfortable and healthy in retirement.