Centre for Free Expression

09/29/2026

The latest episode of The Centre for Free Expression Podcast, on Canada's extradition process, is out now.

Almost everyone sought for extradition from Canada is extradited. Is this a sign of efficiency or of injustice? Join a panel of leading experts on Canadian extradition law and practices who discuss what actually happens when a person in Canada is sought by another country.

Panelists: Donald Bayne (Distinguished criminal defence lawyer and counsel for Hassan Diab), Julianna Greenspan (Senior partner at Greenspan Partners with extensive experience in extradition matters), Joanna Harrington (Eldon Foote Chair in International Business and Law, and Vice Dean, Faculty of Law, University of Alberta)

Moderator: Robert Currie (Viscount Bennett Professor of Law, Schulich School of Law, Dalhousie University)

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09/22/2026

The latest episode of The Centre for Free Expression Podcast is out now.

Popular trust in the media has been declining fairly consistently over the past decade. In her new book, The Trust Spiral: Why the Media Needs Objectivity, Canadian journalist and podcaster, Tara Henley, explains why. Join her in a conversation with veteran Canadian Press journalist Jim Bronskill about this vital issue for our democracy.

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09/08/2026

The latest episode of The Centre for Free Expression Podcast, on anti-racist discourse, is out now.

In 'Visitor: My Life in Canada,' Anthony Stewart explores the lack of a recognizable Black anti-racist discourse in Canada and why Canada's lack of expression and commitment to Black anti-racism led him to give up his full professorship at Dalhousie University to move to a small college in the USA.

Join Anthony in conversation with Vershawn Young, Professor of Communication Arts and English, University of Waterloo, and author of 'Your Average N***a: Performing Race, Literacy, and Masculinity.' Anthony unpacks the differences in the discourses of anti-racism in Canada and USA and the differential effects of those discourses both on himself, as a Black man, and on Black peoples in both countries.

This conversation occurred on Oct 5, 2021 and was co-sponsored by Edmonton Public Library, Milton Public Library, Thunder Bay Public Library, Toronto Public Library, and Vancouver Public Library.

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09/04/2026

James L. Turk, director of the Centre for Free Expression, recently joined PEN Canada president Ira Wells for a conversation on Alberta's Bill 28 and defending the right to expressive freedom, on the A Good Think podcast.

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Jim Turk on Bill 28 and a Defining Moment for Canada’s Public Libraries

09/02/2026

Alberta’s public libraries have until January 1 to respond to the province’s new censorship rules.

In our latest blog post, CFE Director James L. Turk, Senior Scholar Toni Samek and Senior Fellow Peter Bailey lay out what libraries can do to stand by their collections, policies, and commitment to intellectual freedom.

Read "Standing Up for What You Are: A Guide for a Positive Response to Provincial Demands" here: https://buff.ly/agPMKln

08/25/2026

The latest episode of The Centre for Free Expression Podcast, on protecting private sector whistleblowers, is out now.

Whistleblower protection is an essential tool for stopping fraud and wrongdoing in the private sector, as well as the public. While Canadian corporations in some sectors have admirable policies and practices, there is much we can learn from law, policies, and practices elsewhere.

Join a panel of global private sector whistleblowing experts who will examine best international law and practices that could serve as models for Canada.

Panelists:
• Elizabeth Gardiner, Joint CEO of Protect – the UK’s leading organization whistleblower protection and advocacy organization
• Christian Hauser, Professor at FHGR University of Applied Sciences in Switzerland who has conducted significant research into private sector WB issues over many years
• Anna Myers, Executive Director, Whistleblowing International Network composed of whistleblower protection organizations from around the world

Moderator:
• Sandy Boucher, leads investigations and cybersecurity practices for Doane Grant Thornton LLP and is a Senior Fellow, Centre for Free Expression

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08/24/2026

What can Alberta’s public libraries do in the face of government censorship?

In our latest blog, CFE Director James L. Turk and Senior Scholar Toni Samek outline an effective response: stand by their collections, their communities, and their commitment to intellectual freedom.

🔗 Read “A Positive Option for Alberta Public Libraries: Stand Up for What You Are” here: https://buff.ly/YjBIZBN

08/11/2026

The latest episode of The Centre for Free Expression Podcast, on whistleblowing in medicine, is out now.

Wrongdoing in medicine is all too common, with punishment typically reserved for those who speak up about it, writes leading American bioethicist, Carl Elliott, in his new book, The Occasional Human Sacrifice: Medical Experimentation and the Price of Saying No. Join Carl in conversation with Nancy Olivieri, eminent Canadian physician, medical researcher, and whistleblower as they describe the troubling reluctance in medicine to act in the interests of their patients and the public and explore what can be done about it.

This conversation occurred on May 15, 2024 and was co-sponsored by Edmonton Public Library, Toronto Public Library, and Vancouver Public Library.

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08/07/2026

📣 Check out our latest blog post, "Democracy, Access to Information, and Young People’s Right to Information," by CFE Scholar-in-Residence Toni Samek.

Samek examines how government intervention, organized censorship campaigns and cuts to library services are increasingly limiting access to information across Canada.

🔗 Read here: https://buff.ly/S7P6xXD

07/28/2026

The latest episode of The Centre for Free Expression Podcast, on censorship in schools and libraries, is out now.

In his book, On Book Banning, Wells begins with his astonishment when the principal in his children’s school wanted to get rid of “all the old books” as being too Eurocentric, too male, too heteronormative. While understanding these concerns, he felt the solution was wrong. In his engaging exploration of censorship and the common goals of censors of all persuasions, Wells looks at the consequences for human development, for art, and for democracy. Listen to Ira, the Academic Program Director at Victoria College - University of Toronto, in conversation with for Free Expression Director Turk, at this time when censorship is becoming popular and pervasive.

This conversation occurred on Feb. 26, 2025 and was co-sponsored by Edmonton Public Library, PEN Canada, Toronto Public Library, and Vancouver Public Library.

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