CSIS receives a Public Service Award of Excellence

On June 14, 2007, the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) was awarded a Public Service Award of Excellence for its work in the evacuation of Canadian citizens from Lebanon in the summer of 2006.

The Public Service Award of Excellence recognizes employees who have demonstrated excellence in the achievement of results for Canadians that reflect the current values, ethics and priorities of the Public Service of Canada.

During the summer of 2006, the Lebanon Evacuation Team, made up of public service employees from nine government departments, evacuated thousands of Canadians from Lebanon during Hezbollah’s war with Israel. At the height of the conflict, dozens of Government of Canada employees were deployed to Lebanon to facilitate the operation, with more than 250 sent to assist from forward bases in Cyprus and Turkey.

The nine-day operation, which transported more than 14,000 Canadians from Lebanon to Cyprus and Turkey, was the largest and most successful rescue effort in Canadian history. The unprecedented operation was coordinated and organized from Ottawa and the three crisis response locations abroad.

Service employees assisted with the evacuation of Canadians through their contacts with local security and intelligence services. From a security screening perspective, CSIS anticipated that a substantial number of Canadians being evacuated would also be bringing their spouse and/or children who may not have the appropriate Canadian travel documents. This meant that they would require travel visas, and CSIS agreed that it would facilitate the process for issuing those documents for compassionate reasons. Of all the countries who had to evacuate citizens, Canada had the largest number to evacuate. CSIS employees worked 24 hours a day, seven days a week for approximately one and a half months to screen people who submitted applications for visas.

As a member of the Lebanon Evacuation Team, the Service had to coordinate and respond to this situation on very short notice, and the employees working on this case showed a great deal of enthusiasm for this cause. The response to the crisis is a reflection of the resourcefulness and cooperation within the Service, and within the Government of Canada. Other federal departments and agencies involved in the rescue efforts which were also recognized by the Award of Excellence included: Canada Border Services Agency, Citizenship and Immigration Canada, Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada, National Defence, Privy Council Office, Public Safety Canada, Public Works and Government Services Canada and Transport Canada.