June Callwood (1924–2007)

I remember hearing about Igor Gouzenko defecting from the USSR embassy and revealing that some Canadians were accused of giving secret information to the USSR. I don't think I ever heard that one of the accused spies was a Doukhobor woman from Saskatchewan. That woman, Emma Woikin, worked in the cipher division of External Affairs during World War II. June Callwood examines her life from her childhood on a farm, early marriage, death of her first child, suicide of her husband, her time in Ottawa, the prison term she served and her return to Saskatchewan where she worked as a legal secretary and married again. It's a fascinating tale but also one of injustice and inequality. Emma didn't sell top secrets to Russia and it's doubtful if what she did pass on was of any help to the Russians who got the information. She was not told she could have a lawyer and she certainly wasn't told that she didn't have to answer questions. She was sentenced to two and half years in prison. Because the sentence was longer than two years she had to serve it in Kingston Penitentiary. Another accused spy, Kathleen Wilsher, was also in Kingston. Conditions there were pretty awful but Emma seldom complained.

In all, thirteen people were arrested and charged with spying but ultimately only 7 were convicted. It is now felt that most of them did not pass anything of importance. The Gouzenko affair looks like a tempest in a teapot.… (mer)