James Alexander McQuirter
Encyclopedia
James Alexander McQuirter (born circa 1959 and also known as James Tavian Alexander) was the Grand Wizard
on the Canadian Knights of the Ku Klux Klan in the 1980s. In 1981 he was charged, along with Wolfgang Droege
and other white supremacists, with plotting to overthrow the government of Dominica
.
McQuirter joined the white supremacist Western Guard
as a teenager and first met Droege at the age of 16 in 1975. In 1976, he and Droege attended the "International Patriotic Congress" organized by American Klan leader David Duke
and were recruited as Canadian organizers for Duke's Knights of the Ku Klux Klan. In 1978, McQuirter and Armand Siksna were charged with conspiracy to distribute hate literature following a police raid on Siksna's Toronto apartment.
McQuirter and Droege subsequently moved to Vancouver to join McQuirter's father in the used car business as well as organize for the Klan. In 1978, McQuirter returned to Toronto and joined the Nationalist Party of Canada
's executive council but, in 1979, he allowed his membership in the party to lapse due to disdain for leader Don Andrews
and resumed his activity with the Klan full time. At its peak, the Canadian chapter of the Klan was estimated by researcher Stanley Barrett to have approximately 2,500 members coming from every province of Canada.
In 1981, McQuriter was arrested and sentenced to two years in prison for his role in Operation Red Dog
, the plot to overthrow the government of Dominica
and install a white supremacist haven initiated with an American mercenary and Klan sympathizer who came into contact with Droege in 1979. The Dominican government learned of the plot in 1981 and arrested Patrick John
the Dominican who was to be the coup d'état's figurehead. The FBI arrested Droege in New Orleans.
A book about the plot, by Canadian journalist Stewart Bell, was published in August 2008.
With the KKK falling into disarray, McQuirter quit in the summer of 1982 with the intention of founding a more moderate organization. In August 1982, McQuirter was charged with conspiracy to murder another Klansman, Gary MacFarlane because of his abuse of his partner and the perception that he was a security risk to the Klan. McQuirter pleaded guilty. He was sentenced in 1983 and served a prison term until 1989 when he was released to a Toronto half-way house.
McQuirter kept a low profile after leaving prison. Wolfgang Droege
contacted him in 1991 about becoming active in the Heritage Front
but, according to Droege "he was not politically active and had no desire to get involved in racist politics".
Using the pseudonym James Tavian Alexander, he published the book Realm of Wealth: The 9 Cycles of Prosperity and embarked on a career as a speaker and marketer of his own financial self-help program. He was associated with a Panama
nian company marketing "prosperity" programs but was dismissed when his past became known.
When confronted about his past, McQuirter said he is no longer involved with white supremacism: "I was a different person 25 years ago. I have learned something important over the many years since 1980 -- that it was not possible for me to change my past, but it was possible for me to change."
In 2009, McQuirter renounced and apologized for his racist past in an exclusive interview with the National Post's Stewart Bell.
Grand Wizard
Grand Wizard was the title given to the leader of the Reconstruction-era Ku Klux Klan which existed from 1866 to 1871.In 1915, the Knights of the Ku Klux Klan was created, initially as a fraternal organization. The highest-ranking leader of the latter organization was the Imperial Wizard. National...
on the Canadian Knights of the Ku Klux Klan in the 1980s. In 1981 he was charged, along with Wolfgang Droege
Wolfgang Droege
Wolfgang Walter Droege was a Canadian white supremacist, neo-Nazi and founding leader of the Heritage Front.-Early life:...
and other white supremacists, with plotting to overthrow the government of Dominica
Dominica
Dominica , officially the Commonwealth of Dominica, is an island nation in the Lesser Antilles region of the Caribbean Sea, south-southeast of Guadeloupe and northwest of Martinique. Its size is and the highest point in the country is Morne Diablotins, which has an elevation of . The Commonwealth...
.
McQuirter joined the white supremacist Western Guard
Western Guard Party
The Western Guard Party was a white supremacist group based in Toronto, Canada. It evolved out of the far-right anti-Communist Edmund Burke Society that had been founded in 1967 by Don Andrews, Paul Fromm, Leigh Smith and Al Overfield.Andrews became the dominant figure in the EBS, and relaunched...
as a teenager and first met Droege at the age of 16 in 1975. In 1976, he and Droege attended the "International Patriotic Congress" organized by American Klan leader David Duke
David Duke
David Ernest Duke is a former Grand Wizard of the Knights of the Ku Klux Klan an American activist and writer, and former Republican Louisiana State Representative. He was also a former candidate in the Republican presidential primaries in 1992, and in the Democratic presidential primaries in...
and were recruited as Canadian organizers for Duke's Knights of the Ku Klux Klan. In 1978, McQuirter and Armand Siksna were charged with conspiracy to distribute hate literature following a police raid on Siksna's Toronto apartment.
McQuirter and Droege subsequently moved to Vancouver to join McQuirter's father in the used car business as well as organize for the Klan. In 1978, McQuirter returned to Toronto and joined the Nationalist Party of Canada
Nationalist Party of Canada
The Nationalist Party of Canada is an unregistered Canadian political party that was founded in 1977 by Don Andrews , who continues as leader of the party...
's executive council but, in 1979, he allowed his membership in the party to lapse due to disdain for leader Don Andrews
Don Andrews
Donald Clarke Andrews is a Canadian white supremacist. He is also the leader of the neo-Nazi Nationalist Party of Canada and a perennial candidate for mayor of Toronto, Ontario, Canada.-Early years:...
and resumed his activity with the Klan full time. At its peak, the Canadian chapter of the Klan was estimated by researcher Stanley Barrett to have approximately 2,500 members coming from every province of Canada.
In 1981, McQuriter was arrested and sentenced to two years in prison for his role in Operation Red Dog
Operation Red Dog
Operation Red Dog was the code name of plan by Canadian and American mercenaries, largely affiliated with white supremacist and Ku Klux Klan groups, to overthrow the government of Dominica, where they planned to restore former Prime Minister Patrick John to power...
, the plot to overthrow the government of Dominica
Dominica
Dominica , officially the Commonwealth of Dominica, is an island nation in the Lesser Antilles region of the Caribbean Sea, south-southeast of Guadeloupe and northwest of Martinique. Its size is and the highest point in the country is Morne Diablotins, which has an elevation of . The Commonwealth...
and install a white supremacist haven initiated with an American mercenary and Klan sympathizer who came into contact with Droege in 1979. The Dominican government learned of the plot in 1981 and arrested Patrick John
Patrick John
Colonel Patrick Roland John was the Prime Minister of Dominica as well as the Premier of Dominica. During his premiership Dominica gained independence from the United Kingdom and he became the first Prime Minister of Dominica. He was a successful trade union leader and a mayor of Roseau before...
the Dominican who was to be the coup d'état's figurehead. The FBI arrested Droege in New Orleans.
A book about the plot, by Canadian journalist Stewart Bell, was published in August 2008.
With the KKK falling into disarray, McQuirter quit in the summer of 1982 with the intention of founding a more moderate organization. In August 1982, McQuirter was charged with conspiracy to murder another Klansman, Gary MacFarlane because of his abuse of his partner and the perception that he was a security risk to the Klan. McQuirter pleaded guilty. He was sentenced in 1983 and served a prison term until 1989 when he was released to a Toronto half-way house.
McQuirter kept a low profile after leaving prison. Wolfgang Droege
Wolfgang Droege
Wolfgang Walter Droege was a Canadian white supremacist, neo-Nazi and founding leader of the Heritage Front.-Early life:...
contacted him in 1991 about becoming active in the Heritage Front
Heritage Front
The Heritage Front was a Canadian neo-Nazi white supremacist organization founded in 1989 and disbanded around 2005.The Heritage Front maintained a telephone message line with a different editorial each day. The voice on the hotline was Gary Schipper...
but, according to Droege "he was not politically active and had no desire to get involved in racist politics".
Using the pseudonym James Tavian Alexander, he published the book Realm of Wealth: The 9 Cycles of Prosperity and embarked on a career as a speaker and marketer of his own financial self-help program. He was associated with a Panama
Panama
Panama , officially the Republic of Panama , is the southernmost country of Central America. Situated on the isthmus connecting North and South America, it is bordered by Costa Rica to the northwest, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the north and the Pacific Ocean to the south. The...
nian company marketing "prosperity" programs but was dismissed when his past became known.
When confronted about his past, McQuirter said he is no longer involved with white supremacism: "I was a different person 25 years ago. I have learned something important over the many years since 1980 -- that it was not possible for me to change my past, but it was possible for me to change."
In 2009, McQuirter renounced and apologized for his racist past in an exclusive interview with the National Post's Stewart Bell.