Upcoming Event March 23, 2026

Freedom of Expression, Public Education, and Democracy

Date
-

Add to calendar

Location
Online

At a time when expressive freedom is under vigorous attack worldwide, James L. Turk will give a talk on the fundamental importance of freedom of expression for equity, social justice and democracy. His talk will be followed by panelists Karla Palichuk, Director of Yellowhead Regional Library, Jodi Schwartz, an Alberta teacher, and her students Muen Li and Tim Chi discussing the impact of Alberta Minister of Education’s Order resulting in the most extensive censorship of school library books in Canadian history.  A Q&A with the audience will follow.

Co-Sponsored by: the University of Alberta’s School of Library and Information Studies, its Centre for Research for Teacher Education and Development, and by the Centre for Free Expression at Toronto Metropolitan University

Presentation: James L. Turk, Director, Centre for Free Expression, Toronto Metropolitan University

Panel:

  • Tim Chi, an IB Diploma student in the Edmonton Public School Board
  • Muen Li, a student in the Edmonton Public School Board who enjoys exploring the intersection of social advocacy and biological research
  • Karla Palichuk, Director of Yellowhead Regional Library
  • Jodi Schwartz, a secondary school English teacher in Edmonton who is simultaneously completing her Ph.D. at the University of Alberta

Zoom link to event torontomu.zoom.us/j/91941276567

This is a free event and no registration is required.

Please contact cfe@torontomu.ca if you require accommodation to ensure inclusion in this event.

Related

Blog February 3, 2026

Celebrating the People and Practices That Sustain Intellectual Freedom

Freedom to Read Week 2026 (February 22–28) is an occasion for reflection and for recognition at a time of increased demands for censorship. Across Canada, library leadership, librarians, paraprofessional staff, and library trustees have spent the past year doing the essential work that intellectual freedom depends on—often under scrutiny, and always in service of the public good.
Toni Samek
Intellectual Freedom
Blog January 13, 2026

When Ministerial Orders Shape What Students Can Read

In May 2025, Alberta’s Minister of Education issued Ministerial Order 030/2025, setting province-wide rules governing access to literary materials in K–12 schools. While presented as a child-protection measure, a subsequent clarification made clear that the order applies not only to school libraries, but to entire school environments—including classrooms, supplementary reading, and voluntary access spaces.
Toni Samek
Intellectual Freedom, Censorship