Canada's 1960s: The Ironies of Identity in a Rebellious Era
How has the legacy of 1960s rebellion contributed to contemporary notions of Canadian identity? Were the radical protests of that time more than just a collective growing phase? What is the significance of “The Battle in Toronto”, a legendary boxing match between local hero George Chuvalo and Muhammed Ali? At the launch of his new book, Canada’s 1960s: The Ironies of Identity in a Rebellious Era (UTP Press), author and academic Bryan D. Palmer will address such longstanding debates with novelist, critic and playwright Rick Salutin. Clips from the NFB documentary about “The Battle in Toronto” will punctuate their conversation. Marc Glassman, Executive Director of This Is Not A Reading Series and Proprietor of Pages Books & Magazines will host the evening.
Rebellious youth, the Cold War, New Left radicalism, Pierre Trudeau, Red Power, Quebec’s call for Revolution, Marshall McLuhan – these are just some of the major forces and figures that come to mind at the slightest mention of the 1960s in Canada. Focusing on the major movements and personalities of the time, as well as the lasting influence of the period, Canada’s 1960s examines the legacy of this rebellious decade’s impact on contemporary notions of Canadian identity. Bryan D. Palmer demonstrates how after massive postwar immigration, new political movements, and at times violent protest, Canada could no longer be viewed in the old ways. National identity, long rooted in notions of Canada as a white settler Dominion of the North, marked profoundly by its origins as part of the British Empire, had become unsettled. Concerned with how Canadians entered the Sixties relatively secure in their national identities, Palmer explores the forces that contributed to the post-1970 uncertainty about what it is to be Canadian. Tracing the significance of dissent and upheaval among youth, trade unionists, university students, Native peoples, and Québécois, Palmer shows how the Sixties ended the entrenched, nineteenth-century notions of Canada. The irony of this rebellious era, however, was that while it promised so much in the way of change, it failed to provide a new understanding of Canadian national identity. A compelling and highly accessible work of interpretive history, Canada's Sixties is the book of the decade about an era many regard as the most turbulent and significant since the years of the Great Depression and World War II.
Bryan D. Palmer is a Professor and Canada Research Chair in the Department of Canadian Studies at Trent University. Editor of Labour/Le Travail, Professor Palmer is interested in the Canadian radical tradition, the study of the working class and social movements of opposition, and the relation of history and theory. He is currently working on a number of projects, including a history of Canada in the 1960s. His writing appears in Canadian and international journals, and has been translated into Chinese, Korean, Italian, Portuguese, and Spanish.
Rick Salutin is a Canadian novelist, playwright and critic. He is a strong advocate of left wing causes and writes a regular column in the Globe and Mail. He teaches a course on Canadian media at the University of Toronto.
