Close, except for an important nuance: CSIS is primarily for domestic intelligence and security and doesn’t do much foreign work. From what I understand, the CIA isn’t supposed to work domestically; for CSIS, working domestically is in their charter.
From what I recall, CSIS was established after the FLQ Crisis in the 1970s, when the government realized that having a single organization responsible for clandestine domestic intelligence and law enforcement was an idea that was rife with abuse.
CSIS does foreign work. They are responsible for anything related to national security. Internal and external.
From Wiki:
“There is no restriction in the Canadian Security Intelligence Service Act on where CSIS may collect "security intelligence" or information relating to threats to the security of Canada.[31] The agency may collect information on threats to Canada or Canadians from anywhere in the world. While CSIS is often viewed as a defensive security intelligence agency, it is not a strictly domestic agency. CSIS officers work partly domestically and often internationally in their efforts to monitor and counter threats to Canadian security”
> Previous law stated that CSIS was only allowed to collect this intelligence within Canada but due to an updated law in 2016 they are now allowed to collect that intelligence abroad as well.
I am Canadian and you are correct. OP lost me at "CIA" as well.
Canada has a "spy agency" and it is CSIS as you state.
I don't think many Canadians would think of the RCMP as "federal police" but more "national police" because their have odd responsibilities:
"
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) is Canada's national police force. The RCMP is the only police force in the world that acts as a federal, provincial and municipal force.
"
From what I recall, CSIS was established after the FLQ Crisis in the 1970s, when the government realized that having a single organization responsible for clandestine domestic intelligence and law enforcement was an idea that was rife with abuse.