Doug Collins (journalist)
Encyclopedia
Doug Collins was a British-born Canadian journalist
. He was also a figure of Canada's far-right and a Holocaust denier.
he joined the British Army
. He was captured in the Battle of Dunkirk
in 1940, later being awarded the Military Medal
for bravery during this campaign.
During his four years as a prisoner of war
, he made no fewer than ten escape attempts. He was able to escape from a German POW camp in Silesia and stealthily made his way to Hungary. After being captured there, he made another daring escape, this time making his way to Romania. There he was imprisoned once again, but when Romania capitulated in 1944, he was freed and returned to Britain, serving in combat with British forces in northwest Europe during the war's final months.
The exact nature of his exploits while a POW have not been without controversy, however, with some questioning the veracity of his numerous escapes from Nazi-controlled prisons.
From 1946-1950, Collins worked as a political intelligence officer with the British Control Commission's de-nazification department in Germany.
in 1952 and worked for several decades as a reporter or columnist for several Western Canadian newspapers including the Calgary Herald
, Vancouver Sun and Vancouver Province.
In November, 1953, Collins, while working for the Calgary Herald, exposed George Dupre
's claims of being a war-time spy as a hoax. The disclosure came soon after publication of The Man Who Wouldn't Talk, a book about Dupre by American journalist, Quentin Reynolds
.
The following spring, in 1954, Collins testified on behalf of Westbrook Pegler
in the case of Reynolds v. Pegler
, a defamation case arising from comments written in 1949 by Pegler against Reynolds. Collins gave evidence as to Reynolds reputation as a writer, arising from Reynold's book about Dupre. Reynold's counsel, Louis Nizer
, attacked Collins's credibility during cross examination for his failure to give credit to other sources of evidence that exposed Dupre. Another witness from Calgary felt compelled to testify on behalf of Reynolds to counter Collins testimony.
In 1960 eight trade unions sued Collins for libel when he was the Vancouver Sun's labour reporter. The same year, the newspaper's managing editor, Erwin Swangard, fired Collins for doing outside freelance work. Collins successfully sued for wrongful dismissal. He was reinstated and returned to work after four months. He collected his back pay, walked into the editor's office and quit and then went to personnel to demand holiday pay. In 1963, he sued Reader's Digest for libel and won.
Collins returned to the Sun in the 1970s. He quit for the last time when then-publisher Clark Davey tried to restrict his freelancing.
Collins worked as an interviewer/editorialist for CBC Television
in Vancouver from 1958 to 1968. From 1981 to 1985 he was the news director/talk show host for CJOR radio in Vancouver.
1980, Collins wrote a story claiming Terry Fox drove through Quebec instead of running. (Coupland, D. 2005, "Terry")
Since last leaving The Sun, Collins also worked for the Vancouver Courier
, the Columbian (a newspaper formerly published in New Westminster, B.C.), and CKVU-TV
. Between 1983 and 1997, Collins wrote a column for the North Shore News, a small weekly community paper in North Vancouver, B.C.
In 1993 he was awarded the Commemorative Medal for the 125th anniversary of Canada's Confederation, given to persons "who have made a significant contribution to their fellow citizens, their community, or to Canada."
's candidate for the Capilano—Howe Sound
riding in the 1988 federal election
.
The party leader, Preston Manning
, had vowed not to sign Collins' nomination papers unless he first agreed to sign a pledge that he supported the party's position against racism. Collins refused to sign the pledge. Manning rejected Collin's nomination papers, saying he was concerned Collins's candidacy might have a negative effect on the party's fortunes in other ridings.
and anti-Semitism
. In 1997, a complaint against him was brought before the British Columbia Human Rights Commission
for a column in which Collins questioned the Holocaust and denounced "Schindler's List
," which he derided as "Swindler's List," as propaganda. The case was dismissed.
A further complaint was laid in 1999 citing four of his columns, including the column raised in the previous complaint. This one was upheld, and Collins and his publisher were ordered to pay $2,000 in damages. The complaint was upheld upon appeal.
Beginning in 1979 he wrote several more books, primarily dealing with his views on immigration, culture and society, and later on his fight over the human rights complaint against him.
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
. He was also a figure of Canada's far-right and a Holocaust denier.
Military service
At the start of World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
he joined the British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
. He was captured in the Battle of Dunkirk
Battle of Dunkirk
The Battle of Dunkirk was a battle in the Second World War between the Allies and Germany. A part of the Battle of France on the Western Front, the Battle of Dunkirk was the defence and evacuation of British and allied forces in Europe from 26 May–4 June 1940.After the Phoney War, the Battle of...
in 1940, later being awarded the Military Medal
Military Medal
The Military Medal was a military decoration awarded to personnel of the British Army and other services, and formerly also to personnel of other Commonwealth countries, below commissioned rank, for bravery in battle on land....
for bravery during this campaign.
During his four years as a prisoner of war
Prisoner of war
A prisoner of war or enemy prisoner of war is a person, whether civilian or combatant, who is held in custody by an enemy power during or immediately after an armed conflict...
, he made no fewer than ten escape attempts. He was able to escape from a German POW camp in Silesia and stealthily made his way to Hungary. After being captured there, he made another daring escape, this time making his way to Romania. There he was imprisoned once again, but when Romania capitulated in 1944, he was freed and returned to Britain, serving in combat with British forces in northwest Europe during the war's final months.
The exact nature of his exploits while a POW have not been without controversy, however, with some questioning the veracity of his numerous escapes from Nazi-controlled prisons.
From 1946-1950, Collins worked as a political intelligence officer with the British Control Commission's de-nazification department in Germany.
Journalist
Collins immigrated to CanadaCanada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
in 1952 and worked for several decades as a reporter or columnist for several Western Canadian newspapers including the Calgary Herald
Calgary Herald
The Calgary Herald is a daily newspaper published in the Canadian city of Calgary, Alberta.- History :The paper was first published on August 31, 1883 by Andrew Armour and Thomas Braden as The Calgary Herald, Mining and Ranche Advocate and General Advertiser. It started as a weekly paper with only...
, Vancouver Sun and Vancouver Province.
In November, 1953, Collins, while working for the Calgary Herald, exposed George Dupre
George Dupre
George Dupre is a Canadian man who falsely claimed to have been an Special Operations Executive operative during World War II.In 1953 Quentin Reynolds, an ex-war correspondent, had written a book The Man Who Wouldn't Talk about George Dupre's alleged wartime experiences...
's claims of being a war-time spy as a hoax. The disclosure came soon after publication of The Man Who Wouldn't Talk, a book about Dupre by American journalist, Quentin Reynolds
Quentin Reynolds
Quentin James Reynolds was a journalist and World War II war correspondent.As associate editor at Collier's Weekly from 1933 to 1945, Reynolds averaged twenty articles a year...
.
The following spring, in 1954, Collins testified on behalf of Westbrook Pegler
Westbrook Pegler
Francis James Westbrook Pegler was an American journalist and writer. He was a popular columnist in the 1930s and 1940s famed for his opposition to the New Deal and labor unions. Pegler criticized every president from Herbert Hoover to FDR to Harry Truman to John F. Kennedy...
in the case of Reynolds v. Pegler
Reynolds v. Pegler
Reynolds v. Pegler, 223 F.2d 429 , was a landmark libel decision in which Quentin Reynolds successfully sued right-wing columnist Westbrook Pegler, resulting in a record judgment of $175,001....
, a defamation case arising from comments written in 1949 by Pegler against Reynolds. Collins gave evidence as to Reynolds reputation as a writer, arising from Reynold's book about Dupre. Reynold's counsel, Louis Nizer
Louis Nizer
Louis Nizer was a noted Jewish-American trial lawyer and senior partner of the law firm Phillips Nizer Benjamin Krim & Ballon...
, attacked Collins's credibility during cross examination for his failure to give credit to other sources of evidence that exposed Dupre. Another witness from Calgary felt compelled to testify on behalf of Reynolds to counter Collins testimony.
In 1960 eight trade unions sued Collins for libel when he was the Vancouver Sun's labour reporter. The same year, the newspaper's managing editor, Erwin Swangard, fired Collins for doing outside freelance work. Collins successfully sued for wrongful dismissal. He was reinstated and returned to work after four months. He collected his back pay, walked into the editor's office and quit and then went to personnel to demand holiday pay. In 1963, he sued Reader's Digest for libel and won.
Collins returned to the Sun in the 1970s. He quit for the last time when then-publisher Clark Davey tried to restrict his freelancing.
Collins worked as an interviewer/editorialist for CBC Television
CBC Television
CBC Television is a Canadian television network owned by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, the national public broadcaster.Although the CBC is supported by public funding, the television network supplements this funding with commercial advertising revenue, in contrast to CBC Radio which are...
in Vancouver from 1958 to 1968. From 1981 to 1985 he was the news director/talk show host for CJOR radio in Vancouver.
1980, Collins wrote a story claiming Terry Fox drove through Quebec instead of running. (Coupland, D. 2005, "Terry")
Since last leaving The Sun, Collins also worked for the Vancouver Courier
Vancouver Courier
The Vancouver Courier is a Canadian semiweekly local newspaper published in Vancouver, British Columbia by Postmedia Network Inc. Currently, it is Canada's largest distributed community newspaper, with a weekly distribtuion of 265,000...
, the Columbian (a newspaper formerly published in New Westminster, B.C.), and CKVU-TV
CKVU-TV
CKVU-DT is a television station based in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Owned by Rogers Media , it was the second station to become part of the Citytv system in Canada.-History:CKVU's history dates back to 1975, when Western Approaches Ltd...
. Between 1983 and 1997, Collins wrote a column for the North Shore News, a small weekly community paper in North Vancouver, B.C.
Awards
Collins was the recipient of two awards for journalism. He received the National Newspaper Award (1953) for his report on Dupre. He received the MacMillan Bloedel Award (1975) for reports on alleged corruption at UBC.In 1993 he was awarded the Commemorative Medal for the 125th anniversary of Canada's Confederation, given to persons "who have made a significant contribution to their fellow citizens, their community, or to Canada."
Politics
Collins was acclaimed on October 18, 1988, as the Reform Party of CanadaReform Party of Canada
The Reform Party of Canada was a Canadian federal political party that existed from 1987 to 2000. It was originally founded as a Western Canada-based protest party, but attempted to expand eastward in the 1990s. It viewed itself as a populist party....
's candidate for the Capilano—Howe Sound
Capilano—Howe Sound
Capilano—Howe Sound was a federal electoral district in British Columbia, Canada, that was represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1988 to 1997.This riding was created in 1987 from parts of Capilano and Cariboo—Chilcotin ridings....
riding in the 1988 federal election
Canadian federal election, 1988
The Canadian federal election of 1988 was held November 21, 1988, to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 34th Parliament of Canada. It was an election largely fought on a single issue: the Canada-U.S. Free Trade Agreement ....
.
The party leader, Preston Manning
Preston Manning
Ernest Preston Manning, CC is a Canadian politician. He was the only leader of the Reform Party of Canada, a Canadian federal political party that evolved into the Canadian Alliance...
, had vowed not to sign Collins' nomination papers unless he first agreed to sign a pledge that he supported the party's position against racism. Collins refused to sign the pledge. Manning rejected Collin's nomination papers, saying he was concerned Collins's candidacy might have a negative effect on the party's fortunes in other ridings.
Accusations of racism and anti-Semitism
During his 14-year association with the North Shore News, Collins, was also a naturalized Canadian who had come to Canada as an immigrant, wrote regular columns against immigration and ethnic minorities in Canada. His writings became increasingly controversial and led to accusations of racismRacism
Racism is the belief that inherent different traits in human racial groups justify discrimination. In the modern English language, the term "racism" is used predominantly as a pejorative epithet. It is applied especially to the practice or advocacy of racial discrimination of a pernicious nature...
and anti-Semitism
Anti-Semitism
Antisemitism is suspicion of, hatred toward, or discrimination against Jews for reasons connected to their Jewish heritage. According to a 2005 U.S...
. In 1997, a complaint against him was brought before the British Columbia Human Rights Commission
Human rights commission
A Human Rights Commission is a body set up to investigate, promote or protect human rights.The term may refer to international, national or subnational bodies set up for this purpose, such as national human rights institutions or truth and reconciliation commissions.-International Human Rights...
for a column in which Collins questioned the Holocaust and denounced "Schindler's List
Schindler's List
Schindler's List is a 1993 American film about Oskar Schindler, a German businessman who saved the lives of more than a thousand mostly Polish-Jewish refugees during the Holocaust by employing them in his factories. The film was directed by Steven Spielberg, and based on the novel Schindler's Ark...
," which he derided as "Swindler's List," as propaganda. The case was dismissed.
A further complaint was laid in 1999 citing four of his columns, including the column raised in the previous complaint. This one was upheld, and Collins and his publisher were ordered to pay $2,000 in damages. The complaint was upheld upon appeal.
Author
Collins first book, "P.O.W.", published in 1968, was his account of his experiences as a prisoner of war during World War II.Beginning in 1979 he wrote several more books, primarily dealing with his views on immigration, culture and society, and later on his fight over the human rights complaint against him.
External links
- Human Rights and Discriminatory Publications Index by the Canadian Jewish Congress, compilation of resource materials on the Collins case.