The Defence Research Board (DRB), established in 1947 under the Department of National Defence (DND), served as Canada's central organization for military research and development. It was created in the wake of the Second World War to address concerns about the future technological needs of the Canadian Forces.
Development of the VELVET GLOVE, Canada's first and only air-to-air missile, the Heller anti-tank rocket, the McGill Fence radar system. Collaboration with the navy led to innovations in anti-submarine technologies, including the Variable Depth sonar and the adaptation of helicopters for anti-submarine warfare.In the field of aerospace engineering, DRB made significant contributions to the development of Canada's first satellites, Alouette I and II, in the 1960s.
The DRB was involved in controversial research on "brainwashing" techniques during the Cold War, notably the unethical experiments associated with the US MKUltra program.
Following the Korean War, reports emerged of American and British POWs being "brainwashed" by North Korean, Chinese, and Soviet forces. This led to collaborative research by Canada, Britain, and the United States into brainwashing and countermeasures. The DRB provided limited funding for research by Dr. Donald Hebb, who studied sensory deprivation with the informed consent of his subjects.
However, the most controversial research associated with Canada occurred at the Allan Memorial Institute in Montreal, where Dr. Ewen Cameron conducted highly unethical experiments. These included sleep deprivation, intensive electroshock therapy, and administering LSD, often without the patients' informed consent. Cameron's work was secretly funded by the CIA as part of its MK-Ultra program. Despite Cameron seeking additional support, Dr. Omand Solandt, head of the DRB and a critic of Cameron, consistently rejected his funding requests.
In the late 1980s, Solandt testified on behalf of Cameron's victims when they filed a lawsuit against the CIA. The case was ultimately settled out of court.
The DRB also conducted limited research into UFO sightings, particularly the "flying saucers" reported in North Bay, Ontario, although the research was ultimately inconclusive.
The DRB underwent restructuring and renaming over time. By the late 1960s and early 1970s, recommendations from the Glassco Commission led to the DRB losing its contracting authority and executive powers. In 1974, it was restructured into the Defence Research and Development Branch, and further changes culminated in its renaming as Defence Research and Development Canada (DRDC) in 2000.
U.S. argues for immunity in MK-ULTRA mind control case before Quebec Court of Appeal
Hayes, Matthew. A History of Canada's UFO Investigation, 1950-1995. Trent University, 2018.https://digitalcollections.trentu.ca/objects/etd-776