On May 26, a man with a strange European accent, a limp and missing fingers bought about 1500 kg of fertilizer from a rural Ontario supplie. The ammonium nitrate contained in fertilizer is one of the ingredients needed to make explosives, and anyone making large purchases is supposed to provide ID. For whatever reason, the store employees failed to take this precaution, but then they got worried and alerted police. The RCMP's counter terrorism squad was called in and immediately swung into high
gear
A request was issued for tips and police sketches of the man were widely circulated. He himself contacted the police and they soon determined that there was nothing suspicious about the purchase. "It was a gardening incident" said Toronto Police Staff Supt. Jeff McGuire. A cop with a sense of humour? I like it.
I suppose we should be grateful that the authorities were on top of the situation etc., etc., but as for me, I just see it as another case of paranoid summit hystera. Meanwhile, this non-story gets full coverage in the G&M, and ends with a cautionary paragraph about Timothy McVeigh.
Get a grip people.
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Oh lordy, lordy, good Gordie. I guess I should be wetting myself, except that I make my fertilizer from comfrey and stinging nettles. Good thing potash granules aren't explosive, too, because they're all over my potatoes.
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