Writing historical fiction has made me delve deeply into multiple areas of research.

It is important for me that my novels ring true historically. That need has taken me down a great many rabbit holes, from fabrics and fashion, car makes and colours, sayings and slang, to actual events and occasions that fall into the timeline that my books are taking place.

I feel like all this research has transformed me into a Cliff Clavin of sorts. All these bits of newfound knowledge that I have absorbed are often waiting to escape, either onto a page or into the ear of anyone one who dares to ask.

Take the Forty Elephants Gang for example. I cannot explain the utter sense of delight I felt when I stumbled upon these very real and wonderfully wicked women. Alice Diamond made my day and she made my book’s day too.

Then there is the real-life person that my character Hedda Kolorz, (found in my next story), is based on. She plays my antagonist in The Truth has Teeth, and the rest will be for you to read when it comes out…hopefully in the fall.

While excavating in one my latest information burrows, I came across “Operation Fish”, an interesting article that made this already proud Canadian author even more proud. I felt an instant swell of patriotic pride upon reading it, just as I had during 9-11 when I learned of Operation Yellow Ribbon.

The difference with my latest discovery was that Operation Fish was “Top Secret”.

Its clandestine agenda was to ultimately land shipments of “fish” or perhaps better said, “goldfish”, onto the sovereign Canadian shores, in Halifax.

Let me now set the scene.

It’s 1940, war has broken out and Germany is on the march, working their way toward the French channel.

Prime Minister Winston Churchill surmises that the United Kingdom is the next target in Hitler’s sights.

Churchill begins developing a covert plan to install his government in Montreal, if need be, and govern the commonwealth from there.

The Bank of England prepares to run a “shadow bank” set up in Ottawa, while also increasing its gold reserves in Canada should this back-up plan be needed.

With Germany goosestepping their way towards England’s borders, Churchill accelerates the movement of his country’s gold overseas, thus “Operation Fish” gets set in motion.

The British Prime Minister prepares to ship almost two thousand tonnes of bullion and coins including holdings from the Bank of France, that undoubtedly will soon be captured.

The gold and securities get loaded on June 24^th 1940, as a convoy in Scotland gets ready to set sail on an uncertain transatlantic mission in war battled waters, at risk of being easy prey for German U-boats.

At 7 a.m. the first shipment aboard the HMS Emerald thankfully arrives in Halifax on July 1^st, 1940. It was a Monday, and coincidentally also Dominion Day, which we refer to now as Canada Day.

The “boxes of goldfish” are taken by the officials from the Bank of Canada and the National Express, checked and loaded onto train cars destined for Montreal, and then to Ottawa. Their journey is accompanied by almost 300 armed guards.

More ships followed thereafter, all thankfully arriving intact.

Operation Fish had successfully transferred over 1500 tonnes of gold. It remained safely stashed away in the Bank of Canada’s vault until the war ended.

This successful mission to move the United Kingdom’s wealth to Canada involved over six hundred people.

This loyal camaraderie stands as a testament to Canada’s true nature.

And yes, this historical gem will one day work its way into my writing.

Happy Canada Day!

Canadians can be proud to live in a country that has historically proven time and again that it can be counted on, unless aggressively provoked, and then it’s “Elbows Up!”