Please join Irwin Law and the Canadian Civil Liberties Association for the Toronto book launch of “At the Barricades”: A Memoir! Author A. Alan Borovoy will be in attendance.
Wednesday, February 26, 2014
6:00 – 8:00 p.m.
Ben McNally Books
366 Bay Street (south of Richmond Street West)
Best known as General Counsel of the Canadian Civil Liberties Association, a position he held for over 40 years, A. Alan Borovoy was at the centre of many of the most profound and difficult public debates of last half century. In “At the Barricades,” Borovoy reflects on the events that have shaped the Canadian political legal landscape from the Cold War of the 1950s and 60s to the “war on terrorism” in the 21st century. He provides a first-hand account of Québec’s FLQ crisis of 1970, the protests on the abortion controversy, the battles over free speech, hate speech, and pornography, and the struggles to protect the rights of Aboriginal peoples, the economically disadvantaged, and victims of police misconduct.
While writing a convocation speech for University of Waterloo graduates in 2009, the author reflected on decades of social and political change. It was then that “I experienced an epiphany: I had not simply been a witness to these developments. On a number of occasions, I was also a participant. Either an organization with which I was affiliated or I personally had had an actual hand in helping to bring about these social reforms. It was at this stage that the idea of writing a memoir took a firm hold of me.”
And in writing his memoirs, what began as “a combination of materials in the office, old newspaper clippings, [and] certain additional research” became much more personal and much more reflective: “as I delved into the past, additional experiences came back to me. I found myself remembering things that had never dawned on me when I began the exercise.”
The release of “At the Barricades”: A Memoir is timely because it coincides with the 50th anniversary of the Canadian Civil Liberties Association. We hope you will join us and the CCLA in celebrating many more decades of positive change for all Canadians.
Read more about “At the Barricades” here and learn more about the Canadian Civil Liberties Association at www.ccla.org.