National Network for Equitable Library Service

In River Road Friesen tells some of the "local stories" that make up the history of the Canadian prairies. From Louis Riel to the collapse of the Meech Lake Accord, the prairies have often been a place where conflicting visions of Canada have clashed. Friesen portrays some of the different sides and personalities of this history, such as Bob Russell, leader of the 1919 Winnipeg General Strike, and J.H. Riddell, principal of Wesley College.

Graham McInnes was one of many talented young people recruited by the charismatic John Grierson to build the National Film Board of Canada during the heady days of WWII. McInnes’s memoir of these “days of high excitement” is an insider’s look at the NFB from 1939 to 1945, a vivid “origin” story of Canada’s emerging world-class film studio that provides the NFB with the kind of full-bodied vitality usually associated with the great Hollywood studios in their golden years.

Jen Powley was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis at fifteen. By thirty-five, she had lost the use of her arms and legs. Just Jen is a powerful memoir that tells the story of Powley's life at the time of her diagnosis, and the infinite, irrevocable ways it has changed since. Powley's writing pulls no punches. She is lively, bold and unapologetic, answering questions people are often afraid to ask about living with a progressive disease. And yet, these snapshots from Powley's life are not tinged with anger or despair.

The Healing Journey offers a startling analysis of intimate partner abuse and its negative effects on women’s earnings, education and vocational training as well as in the labour market itself. Victims of abuse often suffer from chronic physical and mental health issues, which impede their participation in the labour market.

The first economic, military, and diplomatic history of the Plains Cree from contact with the Europeans in the 1670s to the disappearance of the buffalo from Cree lands by the 1870s, focussing on military and trade relations between 1790 and 1870. Milloy describes three distinct eras, each characterized by a paramount motive for war — the wars of migration and territory, the horse wars during the ‘golden years’ of Plains Indian life, and buffalo wars, which mark the trail to the reserves.

When corporations misbehave the consequences are devastating. The monetary costs of the 2008 financial crisis, a direct result of financial mismanagement, were in the trillions, and yet none of those responsible were held to account. The monetary costs of Criminal Code theft pale in comparison, and yet our prisons are filled with people who commit street theft. In order to understand why governments, regulators, unions, activists and community groups have such a difficult time preventing and sanctioning corporate criminals we must first recognize the vital role of corporate ecomic power.

Margaret Laurence remains one of Canada’s best-known and most beloved writers. Twice winner of the Governor General’s Award for fiction, she was, as the late William French wrote, “more profoundly admired than any other Canadian novelist of her generation.” Lyall Powers is both a respected scholar of literature and a lifelong friend of Laurence’s, having met her when they were students together at Winnipeg’s United College in the 1940s.

Over a two-year period, Katherine Martens interviewed twenty-six women from three generations about their experiences of motherhood and giving birth. While all had some connection to the Mennonite community, their stories reflect their diverse backgrounds - weaving through the narratives of life stories that include escaping the Russian Revolution, running farms, and working at such diverse occupations as sales clerks, nurses, professors, teachers, and poets.

Ukrainians first came to Canada a century ago, seeking a new life on the western prairies. They brought with them an ancient and rich cultural tradition, deeply rooted in Christianity. The most visible symbol of this tradition is the Ukrainian church with its distinctive cupolas. As soon as the settlers were established in the new land, they began to reshape their environment by building churches in the styles they remembered from their homeland.

Policing is a controversial subject, generating considerable debate. One issue of concern has been “racial profiling” by police, that is, the alleged practice of targeting individuals and groups on the basis of “race.” Racialized Policing argues that the debate has been limited by its individualized frame. As well, the concen- tration on police relations with people of colour means that Aboriginal people’s encounters with police receive far less scrutiny.