Money laundering is a crucial element in a wide range of criminal activities from the drug trade and stock market manipulation to health care fraud and tax evasion. Without it, criminals could not enjoy the fruits of their labours. In this presentation, I would like to discuss the history of money laundering from a Canadian perspective. We'll examine some of the influences on its development and the evolution of some techniques. In particular, we'll look at how confidential money-handling and tax-avoidance techniques developed by businesses and wealthy individuals for legitimate or quasi-legitimate purposes have been appropriated by criminals. We'll look at the kinds of roles Canada and Canadian financial institutions have unwittingly played in international money laundering. And, drawing on recent international experience, I'll make some stabs at peering into the future