The son of a Russian spy couple who lived clandestine lives in Canada and the United States said Friday that he wants a future in Canada after the country’s Supreme Court ruled he can keep his Canadian citizenship.
Alexander Vavilov was born in Toronto, which would typically qualify him for Canadian citizenship. But authorities had ruled that Vavilov didn’t qualify because his parents were part of a Russian spy ring in North America that was broken up by the FBI in 2010.
The high court rejected that finding on Thursday, meaning Vavilov can reside permanently in the country where his parents once lived clandestine lives as deeply embedded spies who were the models for the TV show The Americans.
“It’s a huge relief,” Vavilov said at a news conference after flying to Toronto from Russia. “I am happy to be back in Canada, to be here without this constant doubt in my head, with the ability to finally put down roots and build a life for myself. It’s going to take time. But I’m happy I can move forward with my life and put these problems behind me.”
Vavilov, 25, said he works in finance but said it’s been difficult to find work. He said people trust him, but companies don’t want to be associated with his espionage story. “It’s been difficult, a lot of anguish and stress,” he said.
As he waits for the ruling on his citizenship, he’s been bouncing around countries in the Middle East and Asia. He said it’s “hard to say” where he now resides, though he flew in from Russia. He declined to comment on life in Russia under Vladimir Putin.
Who is entitled to citizenship?
The Canadian government argued he wasn’t entitled to citizenship and appealed to the Supreme Court to annul the passport granted to him by a lower court. The top court upheld that ruling.
Vavilov’s supporters said a son shouldn’t pay for the sins of his parents, while critics contend his claim to be a Canadian by birth was based on fraud since he and his parents lived under stolen identities in the Toronto area and later Massachusetts as they collected intelligence for Moscow.
He said he has mended his relationship with his parents. He said it’s OK now after initial difficulties after they were arrested.
“I understand their decisions now. They did what they did for patriotic reasons. They wanted to help their country to fight for peace and better understanding between the countries,” he said. “Although I suffered through the result of all this, but I have an understanding of why they did what they did. In their position maybe they shouldn’t have had children, but that’s not to say I’m not happy to be alive and be here.”
In the dark about his parents’ dealings
Canada, like the U.S., grants citizenship to anyone born within its territory with limited exceptions, such as the children of diplomats. The government argued that Vavilov’s parents were employees or representatives of a foreign government and thus ineligible. Vavilov’s lawyer argued that they were not official representatives and that all that matters in this case is their physical birthplace.
The parents came to Toronto in the 1980s and took the names Donald Heathfield and Tracey Ann Foley. They then gave birth to two sons — Timothy in 1990 and Alexander in 1994 — before moving to Paris in 1995 and then Cambridge, Massachusetts, in 1999.
In 2010, the FBI arrested a ring of sleeper agents for Russia that it had been following for years in the United States. All 10, including the now well-known Anna Chapman, pleaded guilty and were returned to Russia in a swap. Vavilov had not been to Russia before.
Vavilov said he had no idea his parents were spies and that he was surprised and confused at their arrest. “I thought the FBI had the wrong house,” he said. “I did not believe it.”
The Vavilovs at Niagara Falls (Family handout)
The family’s story became the inspiration for The Americans. He said he and his parents have watched the show.
“My parents said they enjoyed watching it, because it at least portrayed the sense of patriotism and the sense of connection. It’s a good show,” he said.
The FBI agent who oversaw the arrests said in 2010 that Timothy Vavilov may have found out about his parents’ secret life before they were arrested.
Alex called it nonsense and said his parents would never have put them in jeopardy by telling them that. The brothers weren’t charged. “He’s over the moon,” he said of his brother.
Their lawyer said no evidence had ever surfaced suggesting the sons knew their parents were Russians or were spies.
Alexander Vavilov wanted to return to Canada for university but was denied. The government ruled Canada would no longer recognize him as Canadian because his parents were “employees or representatives of a foreign government.”
Criticism of the decision
After losing in a lower court, Vavilov won support from the Federal Court of Appeal, which ruled in 2017 that the law applies only to foreign government employees who benefit from diplomatic immunities or privileges. Vavilov was given his citizenship back.
In its decision, the Supreme Court said the citizenship registrar’s decision was unreasonable. Although the registrar knew her interpretation of the provision was novel, she failed to provide a proper rationale, the court said.
Although it involves the same central issue, Timothy Vavilov’s case proceeded separately through the courts and was not directly before the Supreme Court. However, in a decision last year, the Federal Court of Appeal said its 2017 ruling on Alexander Vavilov equally applied to his brother, making him a citizen.
Former FBI agent Richard DesLauriers, who oversaw the arrest of the couple, Andrey Bezrukov and Elena Vavilova, and the other eight sleeper agents criticized the high court’s decision on Thursday. DesLauriers called it ridiculous.
REGINA – Scott Moe says his Saskatchewan Party would issue a directive banning “biological boys” from using school changing rooms with “biological girls” if it forms government again on Oct. 28.
Moe says the move is in response to a recent complaint that some biological males changed for gym class with girls at a school in southeast Saskatchewan.
He says school divisions should already have change room policies, but a provincial policy would ensure all have the rule in place.
The Saskatchewan Party government passed legislation last year that requires parents consent to children under 16 using different names or pronouns at school.
The law has faced backlash from some LGBTQ+ advocates who argue it violates Charter rights and could cause teachers to out or misgender children.
NDP Leader Carla Beck has said if elected her party would repeal the legislation, and she says Moe’s proposed locker room policy would make already vulnerable kids more vulnerable.
Moe said a directive would come from his education minister.
“If we are re-elected, I’ll be very clear, there will be a directive that would come from the Minister of Education that would say that biological boys will not be in the change room with biological girls,” Moe said Thursday at an election campaign news conference in Regina.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 17, 2024.
MONTREAL – Passengers riding on Via Rail’s most heavily travelled corridor may endure a slower trip after Canadian National Railway Co. imposed restrictions on Via’s new trains.
CN last Friday said that Via’s recently arrived Siemens trainsets running between Montreal and Windsor, Ont., must lower their speed at public crossings.
Via says the rule — previously in effect only between Montreal and Quebec City — is causing delays of about 30 minutes per train on average.
It says no incidents at level crossings have been reported since the 16 Venture trains now operating first hit the rails two years ago.
CN, which owns most of the tracks used by Via in Central Canada, says it made the decision when it learned the new trains were traversing routes they had previously steered clear of.
The company says that in order to maintain higher speeds through crossings, Via would need to add cars to the new trainsets in order to raise their axle count for reasons tied to signalling and speed detection.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 17, 2024.
TORONTO – Hot Docs says it will gradually resume programming in early December and host another edition of Canada’s largest documentary film festival next spring, after months of restructuring and cost-cutting.
The struggling organization had temporarily closed its flagship Toronto theatre in May and laid off staff over the summer, citing “urgent” financial challenges.
Hot Docs says it has made “significant progress” over the last four months to address its deficit and governance issues as it looks for a new leader.
The return of programming at the Hot Docs Ted Rogers Cinema is set to begin Dec. 4, with another season of the Doc Soup film screening series.
The 32 edition of the Hot Docs Festival will run from April 24 to May 4, 2025, with an expected lineup of more than 100 documentaries.
Hot Docs says it’s also actively seeking a new owner for its Toronto cinema as part of a long-term rebuilding strategy.
The organization’s interim executive director, Janice Dawe, says an outpouring of support from sponsors, donors, and the public sector is allowing Hot Docs to move forward.
“We would not be in this position if it weren’t for these champions of Hot Docs – from the individual donors who gave during our spring campaign, to the incredibly gracious donors who converted their designated gifts to operational support and to the many elected officials at all levels of government who are standing up for culture and working diligently to help secure funding,” Dawe said in a news release Thursday.
The Hot Docs Ted Rogers Cinema reopened on a limited basis last month for third-party rentals and select screening events. At that time, Hot Docs said it would gradually welcome back staff who had been laid off and seek a new head with leadership experience in the Canadian non-profit arts sector.
The organization’s president Marie Nelson stepped down in July after just one year in the role. She had faced criticism from some observers who questioned why her primary residence was in the U.S.
There was also a mass exodus of Hot Docs staff just before the announcement of the festival’s 2024 lineup, with departing programmers citing a “toxic workplace.”
Hot Docs says it is now accepting applications for a permanent executive director “who will not only excel in leadership but also resonate with our mission and community,” and its scaled-down board of directors plans to rebuild its membership this winter.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 17, 2024.
