June Callwood receives award for the Advancement of Intellectual Freedom in Canada
(Ottawa) – June Callwood, journalist and columnist, magazine writer, television host and interviewer, author, social justice activist, and free speech advocate, is the 2006 recipient of the Award for the Advancement of Intellectual Freedom in Canada, presented by the Canadian Library Association (CLA).
Callwood is a founding member of many organizations and associations that have come to play a vital national role in defending Canadian civil liberties and freedoms: the Canadian Civil Liberties Association, PEN Canada, Feminists Against Censorship, The Writers' Union of Canada, the Periodical Writers Association of Canada, and the Electronic Rights Licensing Agency.
“Long before they were safe or fashionable, June Callwood was a courageous and principled pioneer in many social justice causes, especially those involving children and women,” says CLA President Barbara Clubb. “Her efforts have paved the way for others to follow.”
She has helped found more than 50 human rights and social action organizations, including Digger House, a youth hostel and safe haven for homeless youngsters; Nellie's Hostel for Women, a non-profit organization for women and children in crisis; Jessie’s Centre for Teenagers, a drop-in centre for teenage mothers; and Casey House, the first hospice in Canada to provide support and palliative care for people with HIV/AIDS.
Callwood continued to give volunteer service in an executive capacity to many organizations and agencies, as well as to many others associated with Canada's culture industries in publishing and communications; including the Book and Periodical Council, the Toronto Arts Council, the Canada Council Literary Advisory Committee, and the Advisory Committee of CanCopy (now Access Copyright).
In addition to her volunteer service, Callwood has been a prolific author, with more than 30 books to her credit (including at least 10 as a ghostwriter), a magazine writer with hundreds of articles published, and a host of several acclaimed television series capturing diverse aspects of Canada's cultural heritage. She served as a Writer-in-Residence at the North York Public Library.
Several years ago, to honour the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the Persons Case in 1999, Library and Archives Canada highlighted the “Famous Five” together with the achievements of 11 other Canadian women who have made significant contributions to the improvement of the lives of Canadian women and children, including Callwood.
For decades Callwood has championed causes for the disenfranchised, the unheard, and the minority communities in Canadian society. She has been called “Canada’s Conscience” and “St. June.”
The Canadian Library Association is Canada’s largest national and broad-based library association, representing the interests of public, academic, school and special libraries, professional librarians and library workers, and all those concerned about enhancing the quality of life of Canadians through information and literacy.
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For more information on the CLA Award for the Advancement of Intellectual Freedom, contact Dr. Antonia Samek, Chair of the CLA Advisory Committee on Intellectual Freedom, (780) 492-0179 or
toni.samek@ualberta.ca.
