Borealis Threat & Risk ConsultingPhil Gurski is the President and CEO of Borealis Threat and Risk Consulting Ltd. Phil is a 32-year veteran of CSE and CSIS and the author of six books on terrorism.
Episode 261 – Is anyone else weirded out by Trump’s embrace of Russia? The Cold War may seem like a historic artifact to many these days but the threat from Russia, much like the threat from the former Soviet Union and its allies, is growing once again (if it ever really diminished). One would think […]
This piece first appeared in The Epoch Times Canada on February 2, 2025. If you follow the headlines regularly you would have to conclude that China is making advancements on several key technological fronts: electric vehicles,wind turbines,lithium batteries, and rare minerals needed for industries at the forefront of the war on climate change. To this […]
This piece first appeared in The Epoch Times Canada on January 23, 2025. Some people may be surprised to learn that the word “terrorism” is not that old. Oh sure, we had the Reign of Terror in France in the late 1790s, but the common use of the concept really only dates to the middle […]
Episode 262 – Terrorist deaths remain high around the world and jihadis are responsible for most of them That terrorism is a daily phenomenon somewhere in the world in any given 24-hour period should come as a surprise to no one who follows the news. Tracking terrorist attacks and groups is a full-time job, however. […]
Episode 260 – In the teeth of a crisis it is time for Canada to step up It is only six weeks since the new administration in the US and already Canada has been threatened with annexation (as the ’51st state’), expulsion from the 5 eyes intelligence alliance, and a ‘redrawing’ of the international border […]
Episode 261 – If you want to understand a violent ideology what better source than those who practice it? Over the past quarter century a lot has been written about terrorism and why people embrace violent ideologies. Much of this literature is academic in nature but some is very practical in nature. Borealis talks to […]
Season 2 Episode 25 The guys are joined by former colleague and ex-senior CSIS official Andy Ellis to talk about why the Canadian government has let intelligence slide and what it needs to do to get back to where it needs to be (and once was). And, importantly, the Hardy Boys give good advice on […]
Episode 260 – Election observers as protectors of democracy Elections are the bedrock of democracy. Having free, fair, unfettered opportunities to choose one’s leaders is a privilege that not enough people on earth enjoy. There are, however, countries which claim to hold elections which are neither free nor fair. To try to monitor these occasions, […]
Spies Like Us Season 2 Episode 24 The guys devote this episode to the case of Chiheb Esseghaier who with a partner planned to derail a train in Canada back in 2013 and is seeking to stay in Canada. Al plays the bagpipes – kinda – and we all have new nicknames! Tunisian terrorist wins […]
This piece first appeared in The Epoch Times Canada on February 20, 2025. In the aftermath of a violent attack, there are inevitably a number of things that happen. First and foremost, we collectively struggle to understand what exactly has happened, who was behind it, and what it means. Then we seek to assign immediate […]