Building Sanctuary by Jessica Squires, Hardcover | Indigo Chapters

Canada enjoys a reputation as a peaceable kingdom and a refuge frommilitarism. Yet Canadians during the Vietnam War era met American warresisters not with open arms but with political obstacles andresistance, and the border remained closed to what were then called“draft dodgers" and “deserters."Between 1965 and 1973, a small but active cadre of Canadian antiwargroups and peace activists launched campaigns to open the border. Jessica Squires tells their story, often in their own words. Drawing oninterviews and government documents, she reveals that although thesegroups’ efforts ultimately met with success and helped shapeddebates about nationalism and Canada’s relationship with theUnited States, they had to overcome state surveillance and resistancefrom police, politicians, and bureaucrats. The sixties live on in the memories of those who experienced themand in the imagination of a new generation seeking a deeper knowledgeof contemporary protest movements. By telling the story of the Canadianmovement to support Vietnam war resisters, Building Sanctuarynot only brings to light overlooked links between the anti-draftmovement and immigration policy – it challenges cherished notionsabout Canada in the 1960s and Canadian-American relations today. | Building Sanctuary by Jessica Squires, Hardcover | Indigo Chapters