A mysterious loss of $20 million in specialty drugs from a federal emergency warehouse involved medicines meant to respond to a biological threat, according to a Public Health Agency of Canada memo.The February 5 memo, titled National Emergency Strategic Stockpile Loss Of Therapeutic Drug, said the lost medicine has since been replaced and Canada’s ability to respond to the unspecified threat is not currently at risk.“What specifically was lost?” the memo asked.“Where possible, the National Emergency Strategic Stockpile maintains a range of treatment options for different threats,” it said. “I can confirm there was loss of a quantity of treatment for a biological threat and replenishment of that loss has been completed. Capability to respond to this biological threat is not at risk at this time.”Blacklock's Reporter said MPs on the House of Commons health committee were briefed on the incident behind closed doors on February 10. An investigation by the Auditor General is underway.The Public Health Agency did not identify the drug or the specific threat involved, citing security concerns around Canada’s emergency preparedness.“Why will the Public Health Agency not disclose more information on the type of drug that was lost?” the memo asked.“We are committed to transparency at the Emergency Strategic Stockpile while also being sensitive to the operational details on how Canada prepares for and responds to chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear and other public health threats,” it said..Agency managers told the health committee the drugs were spoiled after Public Health Agency staff left a freezer door ajar.Conservative MP Burton Bailey, of Red Deer, said Canadians deserve a fuller explanation, particularly given the possibility of outside interference or internal misconduct.“Especially when you talk about foreign actors, possibly a mischievous employee,” Bailey said.Agency managers did not respond to the comment.Conservative MP Dan Mazier, of Riding Mountain, also pressed officials on whether any hostile foreign actors had attempted to access the National Emergency Strategic Stockpile after the $20 million product loss.Stacey Mantha, director general responsible for warehouse security, said officials were aware of foreign interest in the locations of agency warehouses.“We are aware through a vendor we work closely with that there was interest from a foreign national in obtaining access to our warehouse locations,” Mantha said.Mazier asked what country the individual was from.“I cannot say,” Mantha replied..The disclosure comes amid continued scrutiny of security at federal health facilities following the 2021 firing of two Chinese-Canadian scientists from the National Microbiology Laboratory in Winnipeg.Xiangguo Qiu, the former head of vaccine research, and her husband, biologist Keding Cheng, were under surveillance by the Canadian Security Intelligence Service at the time of their dismissal.Documents later showed the pair had maintained secret contacts with China’s People’s Liberation Army bioweapons program.A confidential 2020 intelligence memo said the couple posed “a very serious and credible danger to the Government of Canada as a whole and in particular at facilities considered high security due to the potential for theft of dangerous materials attractive to terrorist and foreign entities.”
