Squamish Five

bassist Gerry Hannah The group's first action was in 1982: vandalizing the British Columbia Ministry of Environment offices. They began training with stolen weapons in a deserted area north of Vancouver and stole a large cache of dynamite belonging to the Department of Highways. Litton Industries bombing In October 1982, the five filled a stolen pick-up truck with of dynamite and drove from Vancouver to Toronto. Their target was Litton Industries, a company producing guidance components for the controversial American cruise missiles many feared would increase the risk of nuclear war. Ann Hansen alleges in her memoirs that the police were surveilling them at the time of the Red Hot Video action, which would mean the police broke the law to get the evidence needed to proceed with the charges on the earlier bombings. == Arrest and trial ==

The high-profile crimes attracted major police attention and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) was closing in. On the morning of January 20, 1983, an RCMP tactical unit disguised as a road crew captured all five on the road to their training area. Punk band D.O.A released a pair of benefit singles, Right to Be Wild and Burn It Down, for the arrested members. == Legacy ==

After prison, Juliet Belmas attended Emily Carr University of Art and Design, and completed a degree in film. She produced independent art films on the conditions of women in prison and was working on her memoirs as of 2012. In 1987, experimental filmmaker Oliver Hockenhull released Determinations, an avant-garde documentary which criticized the political undertones in media coverage of the Squamish Five. In 1988, CBC Television released an award winning docudrama entitled The Squamish Five. The film's cast included Nicky Guadagni as Ann Hansen, Michael McManus as Brent Taylor, Robyn Stevan as Juliet Belmas, Albert Schultz as Doug Stewart, and David McLeod as Gerry Hannah. == See also ==