Intelligence Operator 230
In the Service of Canada
by Mike Fournier

---

Forget the tuxedos and shaken martinis. This isn’t fiction—it’s colder, quieter, and much more real. As an intelligence operator during the tense Cold War period, Mike served as a Peacekeeper and operated covertly behind the Iron Curtain, where silence spoke louder than words. Later, he participated in the Afghanistan War as an Electronic Warfare Intelligence Analyst. His story isn’t pulled from Bond movies or Smiley novels — it’s rooted in the real tension of secrecy, service, and warfare. Mike is a founding member of the modern Canadian Intelligence Branch, established on October 29, 1982, as the successor to the former Canadian Intelligence Corps, and was assigned Intelligence Branch number 230. Hence the title of the book. This memoir unveils the hidden world of Canadian military intelligence, shaped in part by its first Colonel Commandant, the renowned Sir William Stephenson—code name Intrepid—whose influence went beyond ceremonial duties. From encrypted briefings to moral dilemmas, Mike offers rare insight into a profession rooted in trust, restraint, and the burden of knowing too much.

---

“A well-written narrative by an expert in the field. I can’t recommend it enough for anyone interested in the Intelligence world. Excellent read.” —Paula Altenburg, USA Today bestselling author "Fournier lifts the curtain — insofar as he can — on a fascinating secret world. Gripping." —Stephen Maher, Journalist, Author of The Prince, Deadline, and Salvage

---

Warrant Officer (Retired) Mike Fournier was born in LeBreton Flats, Ottawa, in a house on Sherwood Street. Today, the Canadian War Museum’s west wall stands where that house once stood. His first period of service spanned twenty-five years, from 1972 to 1997. After retiring, he settled in Halifax, Nova Scotia, where he worked as a corporate security consultant, ran a Hapkido school, taught future police and correctional officers at Success College, and was inducted into the 2005 World Head of Family Sokeship Council Hall of Fame. In 2006, he began the re-enlistment process and returned to active military service in 2007, serving with 2 Electronic Warfare (EW) Squadron in Kingston, Ontario. He was the commander of the ASIC’s EW Intelligence Analysis Section, Roto 6, Task Force 3-08. After his second retirement in 2013, he reopened and continued operating a growing and successful Hapkido school, becoming Canada’s senior Combat Hapkido master with the rank of 6th Dan. He was inducted into the 2018 Action Martial Arts Magazine Hall of Honours and the 2018 International Combat Hapkido Federation Hall of Fame as the International Master of the Year. He retired from teaching in 2021, passing the school on to his senior black belt. Mike lives in Halifax with Jocelyn, near his children and grandchildren.

---

Contributors

Author

Mike Fournier