September 9,2025
RED FM News Desk
A Labour Day weekend rally in Ontario’s Niagara Region by a self-described “Canadian men’s nationalist” group is drawing concern over rising anti-immigrant sentiment and the recruitment tactics of extremist organizations.
Experts who study extremism have linked the group, called Second Sons, to white supremacist and neo-Nazi “active clubs.” These clubs often combine physical fitness activities with what researchers say is training for a potential race war.
Second Sons’ leader, Jeremy MacKenzie, also founded Diagolon, which the RCMP has described as a “militia-like extremist organization.”
On August 31, the group posted photos and videos online showing about 50 people marching through Queenston Heights Park in Niagara-on-the-Lake. The rally featured masked participants in matching black T-shirts with slogans such as “All thy sons” and “He who guards.” The group gathered in front of the 56-metre monument to Maj.-Gen. Sir Isaac Brock, as onlookers watched from a distance.
Founded in 2024, Second Sons calls itself a “Canadian men’s nationalist club,” saying its mission is to defend a way of life it believes is under threat through political activism and physical training. On its website, the group claims Canadians are being “replaced by foreigners without any roots or connections.”
A CBC investigation recently found that Second Sons and another active club, Nationalist-13, have been training in gyms, martial arts studios, and public spaces around Hamilton and Niagara. Niagara Parks, which manages the Queenston Heights site, said the group did not have a permit for the rally.
The day after the event, Second Sons claimed it had received an “avalanche” of new membership applications, suggesting recruitment was a key goal. Analysts note that the group’s appearance—with white masks and matching uniforms—resembled that of the U.S.-based white nationalist group Patriot Front, which advocates for a whites-only state.
Observers warn that anti-immigrant rhetoric, such as blaming international students and temporary foreign workers for job losses, has increasingly entered mainstream discussions in Canada, influencing recent policy debates.
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