Canada's Rights Movement: A History is a site dedicated to the history of the human rights movement in Canada.  Although the site has sections on various aspects of the "rights revolution", it is primarily designed to highlight the activities of social movement organizations (non-governmental organizations). The project began in 1999 as a history of Igor Gouzenko's defection in Ottawa in 1945, and the subsequent federal royal commission on espionage. The commission was responsible for some of the most extensive abuses of civil liberties in Canadian history. Today, the site has a broader mandate and the Gouzenko Affair is only one part of the site.

You will find four primary uses for this site:

• First, the site explores several key events in the history of the human rights movement such as the Gouzenko Affair, the October Crisis of 1970, the Special Joint Committee on the Constitution (1980-1) and many others.

• Second, the site has been designed as a teaching and research tool. The site will only introduce you to the issues. You will find a vast array of primary documents available on this site to do research, as well as links to other websites where you can find additional primary documents.

• Third, this site is a forum for promoting the work of historians and to encourage collaboration in the field of human rights. The links on the top of each page include information on recent publications, scholarships and research grants, a list of scholars and their research interests, and other important information.

• Fourth, the site is a useful reference tool. For instance, the biography page has biographical data on most of the individuals listed in this site, and the NGO page has background data dozens of social movement organizations.

Igor Gouzenko and the Royal Commission on espionage

The espionage commission was one of the most blatant abuses of fundamental freedoms perpetrated by the Canadian state against its own citizens. This section provides an overview of the history of the Gouzenko Affair, and includes a wide array of primary materials on the commission. In addition, you will find useful information such as a chronology of events, a list of key figures, further reading and the results of the subsequent spy trials. Continue >>

The First Generation Human Rights Movement: 1930s to 1950s

This section provides an overview of the emergence of the first civil liberties groups in Canadian history, and is a portal for conducting research on human rights activists and human rights campaigns. Continue >>

The Second Generation Human Rights Movement: 1960s to present

After a period of inactivity in the late 1950s, a new generation of rights associations (human rights as well as civil liberties organizations) emerged in Canada. This section explores the history of the second generation of rights associations and topics such as police violence, religion in public schools, censorship and the October Crisis of 1970. Continue >>

Key Events

This section will introduce you to several key human rights controversies in Canadian history and access to primary sources (when possible). Continue >>

Biographies

This section includes a list of many of the individuals referenced in this site. In most cases you will find biographical data and links to further reading (e.g.., biographies and auto-biographies). Continue >>

Non-Governmental Organizations

A comprehensive list of most of the civil liberties and human rights organizations in Canadian history, including information on their origins and activities. Where possible, there are references to reading materials or primary sources for further research. Continue >>

Primary Sources

The stories presented on this site represent only a small part of its potential as a research tool. In addition to the biography and NGO sections, there is an extensive collective of primary materials you can access on this site. This section offers a complete list of of all the primary materials located on this site. Continue >>

Further Reading

This site is only the beginning. A vast literature is available for further reading on many of these topics. Continue >>

Links

A list of useful links including sites for historical research, other history portals similar to this site, a list of human rights organizations, and much more. Continue >>