Yesterday’s terror threat in Southwestern Ontario that led to the death of Aaron Driver has a local connection.
Driver’s father, Wayne Driver is currently serving as a corporal on CFB Cold Lake. He says he knew his son had converted to Islam a few years ago and at first thought it was a positive step, “He had stopped the drugs, he had stopped drinking, he stopped swearing. He was polite and cordial. He kept a full-time job, he was going to school. He looked like he was turning his life around.”
However, Driver and his wife learned of their son’s radicalization last January when they were contacted by CSIS. They weren’t aware just how far things had gotten though until he was arrested on a peace bond. The family hoped their son would stay in contact with a councillor through a Muslim organization in Winnipeg. However, he moved to London and broke ties.
Wayne is trying to keep the positives in mind when remembering his son, “He was a good kid. He was intelligent. He just went down a dark path and there was no helping him return… you still have to have some faith in humanity right?”