On April 24, 1975, as Saigon (now Ho Chi Minh City) was falling or being liberated, depending on your point of view, the last Canadian evacuation plane, a long-range Canadian Air Force Hercules, left Tan Son Nhut Air Base with Canadian diplomats on board as well as two embassy cars and much memorabilia.

At the same time, the United States and others were evacuating at a furious pace anyone who could make it to rallying points. Pictures of helicopters being thrown off the deck of US ships to make room for incoming helicopters contrast sharply with Canada’s bureaucratic and pedantic approach. Among other things, Canada’s Chargé d’Affaires was adamant that only local staff with a South Vietnamese exit visa would be considered. These visas were available for a price from corrupt South Vietnamese officials, who themselves were preparing for their upcoming exile. The Canadian approach meant that, in the best case, corrupt officials would enrich themselves at the expense of Canada’s embassy staff. In the worst case, those with insufficient means and their families would be left behind to face a most uncertain future.

In the last hours of the South Vietnamese regime, the United States—and others—chose people over things. It was not Canada’s finest hour, and Canada’s failure was noticed by the international press, including the New York Times.

History has a way of repeating itself. Over the past 24 months, Canada’s callous (and dangerous) attitude toward its local hires has once again come to light.

Firstly, there is the matter of the Afghan army translators and Canadian embassy staff and guards. Individuals entrusted with the lives of Canadians in a conflict should need hours to be vetted and given entrance to Canada, not months or years. There is no excuse: the Canadian Government has failed.

Secondly, the Globe and Mail reported on August 2, 2022, that the Canadian Embassy in Kiev had made no plans for its local staff in the event Kiev fell to Russia, even though there were indications that the staff would be subject to arrest and possibly worse should the Russians prevail. 

Since Ottawa, both politically and administratively, has shown itself unable or unwilling to do the right thing in a rapidly changing situation, it is high time that Canada put in place standard procedures to help and protect its local hires. Moreover, the local staff must be advised as to what Canada will and will not do, and these procedures should form part of the employment contracts with the Canadian government.