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A 2006 report by Human Rights Watch, Funding the Final War, alleged the LTTE had “sought control” of temples in Toronto and London because they “provide both ready access to the Tamil community and to a potential source of funds.”

The rebels made “systematic efforts” to take over temple management structures, it said, adding that a Toronto temple trustee had described how his group was approached by the LTTE for $1 million to finance the Tamil independence war.

But the Sri Lankan conflict ended in 2009, and Kenney said in an interview that when he attended an August prayer service he saw no WTM or LTTE symbols. “I’m surprised to see this information,” he said when told of the CBSA’s concerns.

Aside from a poster at the front entrance advertising Tamil Heroes Day on Nov. 27, an annual commemoration of fallen rebels that usually features the militaristic LTTE flag, a reporter who dropped by unannounced saw no rebel insignia. And despite the CBSA’s assessment, the temple is a charity in good standing. The Canada Revenue Agency declined to comment.

“The temples are serving as a community hub especially for seniors and young families,” said Markham city councilor Logan Kanapathi. A photo of Kanapathi at the temple appears on the Kandasamy Facebook page, although he is not involved in the administration.

“I go to almost every temple, especially Canadian Tamil places of worship, because I respect the people and devotees who invite me. As a first elected representative from the Canadian Tamil origin I have a social obligation,” he said.

The CBSA’s appraisal of the temple could prove politically awkward for some visitors. The Conservatives, who outlawed the WTM following an RCMP investigation that uncovered its role in fundraising and extortion for the LTTE rebels, have “always sought to maintain a no-contact policy with individuals or groups affiliated with the LTTE,” Kenney said.

During the recent election campaign, however, Kenney and his staff could not consult federal security agencies “so our vetting process had to rely on signal checks with credible people within relevant communities, he said. “In this case, we were told that this temple had no problematic political affiliations,” he said. “I obviously would not have attended had I been aware of the CBSA information beforehand.”