Who were the Fenians and what threat did they pose?

The Fenians, a group of Irish Americans who sought to pressure England into granting Ireland independence, posed a significant threat to the young nation of Canada in the late 19th century. From 1865-1870, the Canadian government was on high alert, mustering militias along the border to deter any potential invasion from the Fenians.

Led by former Canadian intelligence analyst Phil Gurski, a presentation at the Ogdensburg History Museum on May 23rd at 6pm will delve into the level of threat posed by the Fenians from northern New York state. Gurski will examine the sentiments of residents on both sides of the border towards these "rebels" and question whether they were Canada's first "terrorists."

Gurski, the President and CEO of Borealis Threat and Risk Consulting Ltd., has extensive experience in the field of national security and terrorism. He worked as a senior strategic analyst at the Canadian Security Intelligence Service and as a senior multilingual analyst at Communications Security Establishment. He is also the author of six books, including "The Peaceable Kingdom? A history of terrorism in Canada from Confederation to the present."

This event is free and open to the public, and will be held at the Ogdensburg History Museum located at 206 Ford St. Ogdensburg, NY. For more information, please contact Julie Madlin at jmmadlin@gmail.com or 315-528-0733.