National Network for Equitable Library Service

In 1971, Harry Bruce, recognized as one of Canada's top non-fiction writers, lost his mind-according to his peers-when he left bustling, lucrative Toronto and moved his family to the tough little seaport of Halifax. Harry was already acquainted with Halifax; at eighteen, he lived at HMCS Stadacona as an officer-cadet in the Royal Canadian Navy. He joined the navy chiefly to lose his virginity.

Born into a dark, unhappy childhood and battling severe mental and physical health issues all through her adulthood, Lucy Maud Montgomery had a challenging private life. But she gave the world Anne Shirley - the freckle-faced, fiercely independent redhead as representative of Canada as the maple leaf. Anne of Green Gables is considered one of the greatest works in Canadian literature. Available in thirty-two editions, it continues to be immortalized on television, film and stage.

P.K. Subban is a remarkable athlete and role model. A talent on the ice, playing for some of the best teams in the NHL, P.K. has set records and won the Norris Trophy, the highest honor in hockey for a defenseman. Often the center of controversy, he is the pride of many fans and a hero to young athletes of color. His stand against racism relies more on actions to support others than on relating his own experiences.

A shocking, first-person account of a Mountie who went from small-town Newfoundland to undercover drug work in Toronto to guarding prime ministers and presidents. All along, the racism he encountered from the public was easier to handle than the racism of fellow police officers - and the RCMP hierarchy.

As a judge, Beverley McLachlin is known for her unique ability to stand up for the values and beliefs that reflect the best of Canada and Canadians. As chief justice, she led the way to assisted suicide legislation, greater recognition of aboriginal rights and title, safe injection sites for drug users and many other changes that have had a dramatic impact on Canadian life. Less well known is how she encouraged collegiality within the Supreme Court and led Canadian judges to pay closer attention to real-world information about the issues they are considering.

In a winning new book, Pearleen Oliver: Canada's Black Crusader for Civil Rights brings to life a compassionate and passionate African Nova Scotian, the story of her growth and activism - a book that shows how one woman's voice changed the course of Nova Scotia's history. Pearleen Oliver pushed open doors that blocked Black girls from nurses' training. She kicked Little Black Sambo out of public schools. She was spokesperson for Viola Desmond's appeal of her 1946 conviction for challenging racist customs.

This eclectic collection of stories shares with readers many other aspects of Robert's professional and personal experience. He tells a chilling story of being the first RCMP officer at the crash site of Air Canada Flight 621 in 1970, arriving to find the DC-8 and all of its 109 passengers and crew disintegrated beyond recognition. Another tale reveals Robert's long-time association with Frenchie, a Mi'kmaw man who gives him, and readers, an up-close-and-personal lesson in Mi'kmaw traditions and legends.

Robert Mercer's life could have been very different. He was born with very low vision and, as a youngster, struggled in school. But through the intervention of a caring teacher and the support of his family, he found his way to the Halifax School for the Blind and into the classroom of Mrs. Beaton. It was there that he discovered his voice, a voice he uses to recount his remarkable journey from a shy little boy to a community leader.

Millions of people are displaced each year by war, persecution, and famine and the global refugee population continues to grow. Canada has often been regarded as a benevolent country, welcoming refugees from around the globe. However, refugees have encountered varying kinds of reception in Canada. Finding Refuge in Canada: Narratives of Dislocation is a collection of personal narratives about the refugee experience in Canada. It includes critical perspectives from authors from diverse backgrounds, including refugees, advocates, front-line workers, private sponsors, and civil servants.

From all four parts of Kurdistan and across the diaspora, Kurdish women from different geographical, political, and educational backgrounds pick up a pen, reflect, and remember. Going beyond exoticising stereotypes and patriarchal representations, Kurdish Women's Stories gives 25 women authorial freedom to write about their own lived experiences.