Max French
Encyclopedia
David Maxwell French (born 1960) is a far-right political activist in Canada and a leading figure of the Heritage Front
.
A railway brakeman by training, in 1988, French was a fringe candidate running to be mayor
of Scarborough, Ontario
as the candidate of the white supremacist Nationalist Party of Canada
.
During the campaign he described himself as a "white racist" and in future campaigns would say he was concerned about keeping the race "pure".
French ran for mayor of Scarborough again in 1991 when he finished in third place with 3,784 votes and again in 1994, this time as a candidate for the Heritage Front
(and initially claiming to be a "Reform Party/Heritage Front" candidate). On September 16, 1994, shortly after he announced his mayoral candidacy, French was expelled from the Reform Party after boasting in the press about being a member of both Reform and the Heritage Front Reform leader Preston Manning
alleged that this was part of a plot to discredit the party. In this final attempt at election French came in fifth place with 2,792 votes or less than 3% of the vote.
In 1993, French emceed a Heritage Front rally in Kitchener, Ontario
and paid tribute to Holocaust denier Ernst Zundel
telling the audience "Without Zundel, we couldn't sit down here tonight and ridicule the Holocaust and everything that goes with it."
French was a central character in the so-called "Heritage Front Affair" involving Canadian Security Intelligence Service
(CSIS) informant Grant Bristow
and was one of several Heritage Front members whose attempt to infiltrate the Reform Party of Canada
with Bristow's alleged assistance prompted a review by the Security Intelligence Review Committee
. The report, which included a profile of French, claimed that French collected uniforms that belonged to dead Nazis and was nicknamed the "Necronazi" for his efforts; French denied being aware of he nickname.
In 1989, French and several other members of the Nationalist Party of Canada
travelled to Libya
to celebrate the twentieth anniversary of the 1969 Libyan Revolution. Factional divisions within the Nationalist Party, as well as dissatisfaction with leader Don Andrews
, were exacerbated as a result of the trip and Droege, Gerry Lincoln
and others decided to form a new neo-Nazi organization which was launched as the Heritage Front
in September. French joined the new organization several years later after he had a falling out with Andrews. He was also one of several neo-Nazis who infiltrated the Reform Party of Canada
in the late 1980s and early 1990s prior to being expelled. in 1994 when he ran as a "Heritage Front/Reform Party" candidate for Mayor of Scarborough.
Following the murder of Wolfgang Droege
, French eulogized his long-time friend, associate and neighbour calling him "the Michelangelo of the white separation movement."
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...
.
A railway brakeman by training, in 1988, French was a fringe candidate running to be mayor
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
of Scarborough, Ontario
Scarborough, Ontario
Scarborough is a dissolved municipality within the city of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Geographically, it comprises the eastern part of Toronto. It is bordered on the south by Lake Ontario, on the west by Victoria Park Avenue, on the north by Steeles Avenue East, and on the east by the Rouge River...
as the candidate of the white supremacist 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...
.
During the campaign he described himself as a "white racist" and in future campaigns would say he was concerned about keeping the race "pure".
French ran for mayor of Scarborough again in 1991 when he finished in third place with 3,784 votes and again in 1994, this time as a candidate for 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...
(and initially claiming to be a "Reform Party/Heritage Front" candidate). On September 16, 1994, shortly after he announced his mayoral candidacy, French was expelled from the Reform Party after boasting in the press about being a member of both Reform and the Heritage Front Reform leader Preston Manning
Preston Manning
Ernest Preston Manning, CC is a Canadian politician. He was the only leader of the Reform Party of Canada, a Canadian federal political party that evolved into the Canadian Alliance...
alleged that this was part of a plot to discredit the party. In this final attempt at election French came in fifth place with 2,792 votes or less than 3% of the vote.
In 1993, French emceed a Heritage Front rally in Kitchener, Ontario
Kitchener, Ontario
The City of Kitchener is a city in Southern Ontario, Canada. It was the Town of Berlin from 1854 until 1912 and the City of Berlin from 1912 until 1916. The city had a population of 204,668 in the Canada 2006 Census...
and paid tribute to Holocaust denier Ernst Zundel
Ernst Zündel
Ernst Christof Friedrich Zündel is a German Holocaust denier and pamphleteer who was jailed several times in Canada for publishing literature which "is likely to incite hatred against an identifiable group" and for being a threat to national security, in the United States for overstaying his visa,...
telling the audience "Without Zundel, we couldn't sit down here tonight and ridicule the Holocaust and everything that goes with it."
French was a central character in the so-called "Heritage Front Affair" involving Canadian Security Intelligence Service
Canadian Security Intelligence Service
The Canadian Security Intelligence Service is Canada's national intelligence service. It is responsible for collecting, analyzing, reporting and disseminating intelligence on threats to Canada's national security, and conducting operations, covert and overt, within Canada and abroad.Its...
(CSIS) informant Grant Bristow
Grant Bristow
Grant Bristow was a mole for the Canadian Security Intelligence Service working inside the Heritage Front for six years, who was exposed by Toronto Sun reporter Bill Dunphy in August 1994...
and was one of several Heritage Front members whose attempt to infiltrate the Reform Party of Canada
Reform Party of Canada
The Reform Party of Canada was a Canadian federal political party that existed from 1987 to 2000. It was originally founded as a Western Canada-based protest party, but attempted to expand eastward in the 1990s. It viewed itself as a populist party....
with Bristow's alleged assistance prompted a review by the Security Intelligence Review Committee
Security Intelligence Review Committee
The Security Intelligence Review Committee is an independent agency of the government of Canada empowered to oversee and review the operations of Canada's security service, the Canadian Security Intelligence Service and investigate complaints against CSIS...
. The report, which included a profile of French, claimed that French collected uniforms that belonged to dead Nazis and was nicknamed the "Necronazi" for his efforts; French denied being aware of he nickname.
In 1989, French and several other members of 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...
travelled to Libya
Libya
Libya is an African country in the Maghreb region of North Africa bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to the east, Sudan to the southeast, Chad and Niger to the south, and Algeria and Tunisia to the west....
to celebrate the twentieth anniversary of the 1969 Libyan Revolution. Factional divisions within the Nationalist Party, as well as dissatisfaction with 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:...
, were exacerbated as a result of the trip and Droege, Gerry Lincoln
Gerry Lincoln
Gerald C. Lincoln was one of the founders of the Heritage Front along with Wolfgang Droege, Grant Bristow and James Scott Dawson. Lincoln was editor of Up Front, the group's official magazine, designed the groups logo and also acted as one of its spokespersons.In 1989, Lincoln traveled with Droege...
and others decided to form a new neo-Nazi organization which was launched as 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...
in September. French joined the new organization several years later after he had a falling out with Andrews. He was also one of several neo-Nazis who infiltrated the Reform Party of Canada
Reform Party of Canada
The Reform Party of Canada was a Canadian federal political party that existed from 1987 to 2000. It was originally founded as a Western Canada-based protest party, but attempted to expand eastward in the 1990s. It viewed itself as a populist party....
in the late 1980s and early 1990s prior to being expelled. in 1994 when he ran as a "Heritage Front/Reform Party" candidate for Mayor of Scarborough.
Following the murder of Wolfgang Droege
Wolfgang Droege
Wolfgang Walter Droege was a Canadian white supremacist, neo-Nazi and founding leader of the Heritage Front.-Early life:...
, French eulogized his long-time friend, associate and neighbour calling him "the Michelangelo of the white separation movement."