1970-1979
     
  • Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes.  In January 1970, the Cranbrook School Board banned this grade nine text from the curriculum and the school library, after a parent complained that it was "filthy and immoral." The president of the BC Teachers' Federation criticized the action.  This book was part of the BC Department of Education list of approved books for grade nine and was recommended by the BC Secondary Association of Teachers of English.  A month later the board reconsidered, and returned the book to the library; they did not, however, lift its ban from the curriculum. [Mind War: Book Censorship in English Canada, p. 37; Not in Our Schools?!!!, p. 9]
  • Do It by Jerry Ruben, Revolution for the Hell of It by Abbie Hoffman, The Making of a Counter Culture by Theodore Roszak, and My Lai 4 by Seymour Hersch.  In August 1970, Customs in Vancouver seized these books sent from a Seattle wholesaler due to "political" reasons; Do It and Revolution for the Hell of It were sent to Ottawa for officials to decide if they were treasonable or seditious. The Making of a Counter-Culture and My Lai-4 were released one month later. Revolution for the Hell of It and The Making of a Counter Culture were available at Vancouver Public Library and the University of British Columbia Bookstore, and were on reading lists for university courses. Do It had been available in Canada for months and was on recommended reading lists for courses at Simon Fraser University in Burnaby. [Books and Bookmen, The Vancouver Sun, 28 August 1970, p. 33; Mind War: Book Censorship in English Canada, p. 37]
  • In October 1970 in response to the implementation of the War Measures Act, the British Columbia government ordered school boards across the province to fire any teachers "advocating the policies of the F.L.Q. or the overthrow of the democratically elected government by violent means." The order was prompted by an incident in Dawson Creek in which high-school teacher Arthur Olsen was fired by his school board following complaints from students and parents that he expressed support for the F.L.Q. [FLQ Backers to Lose Jobs, Schools Agree, Vancouver Sun 24 October 1970, p. 31]
  • The Martlet.  In October 1970, RCMP ordered this University of Victoria student newspaper to censor a letter by Philosophy professor Dr. Ronal Kirby.  In this letter, Dr. Kirby said that since he supported the National Liberation Front in Vietnam, he must also support the F.L.Q. [Mind War: Book Censorship in English Canada, p. 39]
  • The Unholy Land by Rev. Dr. A.C. Forrest.  In 1971, this book was withdrawn from Coles bookstores throughout Canada.  This book was critical of Israeli policy towards Palestinian refugees, and Forrest accused the bookstore of  "bowing" to pressure from the Jewish community.  Coles claimed the book was removed because it had not been selling well; meanwhile, sales for this book increased at other stores.  Coles then considered ordering more copies.  [Mind War: Book Censorship in English Canada, p. 40]
  • In April 1971, "Women outraged by the (Georgia) Straight's Easter cover of Christ crucified on a female body seize the office the next day, bar all men, and put out a special feminist edition.  Publisher Dan McLeod is not allowed in, but he and the staff decide to pay the women $800 for the week."  [The Georgia Straight: What the Hell Happened?, p. 72]
  • Steal This Book by Abbie Hoffman.  Banned by Canada Customs in July 1971 for advocating criminal offences. [Mind War: Book Censorship in English Canada, p. 41]
  • The Classroom Orgy (author unknown).  In August 1971, the Vancouver Morality Squad seized 39 books from a Vancouver grocery store; this title was among them.  The grocery store owner was charged but was later acquitted on a technicality. [Mind War: Book Censorship in English Canada, p. 41]
  • The Vancouver Sun.  The 1971 Labour Day weekend issue was banned from the BC Ferry "Queen of Burnaby" because ferry workers felt it violated the provincial ban on liquor and tobacco advertising.  The paper contained an article on Canadian wine tasting, as well as an advertisement for the opening of a new branch of the Bank of Montreal, which showed a bottle with a "Canadian Champagne" label smashing against the wall of the new branch.  [Ferry, Censor Bans Sun, The Vancouver Sun 9 September 1971, p. 1]
  • Newsweek, TV Guide, Time.  In September 1971, Vancouver businessman Robert Malkin sought a Supreme Court injunction against the T. Eaton Company and its supplier, the Vancouver Magazine Service, to stop selling magazines that contained tobacco ads.  The provincial law banning alcohol and tobacco advertisements went into effect on September 1st, and this suit was intended to "test the law."  After the edict went into effect, Malkin purchased Newsweek, TV Guide and Time from Eaton's, all of which were found to contain tobacco advertising.  Supporters of the ban also considered charging a newsstand attendant for BC Ferries and the BC Ferries Corporation for selling magazines that contained these ads. [Magazine Injunction Decision Held Over, The Province 10 September 1971; Four Journals to Join Malkin in Court Fight Against Ad Ban, The Province 9 September 1971, p. 1,2]
  • BC Hansard, 1971.  In November 1971, this publication, also called Debates of the Legislative Assembly, was published with part of a debate missing.  The debate in question occurred on March 23 and involved a bill to amend the Assessment Equalization Act; Premier W.A.C. Bennett, Opposition leader Dave Barrett and Speaker William Murray were involved in the debate.  The deleted material involved a "heated exchange" between Bennett and Barrett; it was removed because it was "considered an interruption and not related to the bill under discussion."  An editor of the Hansard was questioned and claimed that staff in the Speaker's office reviewed the typescripts and "often deleted jibes passed across the floor by various members;" she further detailed that other words and phrases had been deleted by the Speaker's office.  [BC Hansard Censored and Late, The Vancouver Sun 17 November 1971, p. 1, 14]
  • The Long Arm of the Law. A story in the grade five reader Under Canadian Skies.  During the annual meeting of the Union of BC Indian Chiefs in November 1971, the wife of the Musqueam chief, Mrs. Bernard Charles, complained that this story about Almighty Voice belittled native culture.  In June 1972, Victoria School Trustee Walter Donald requested that the province drop this book as the required grade five reader, as the story was violent and felt to be "racially demeaning" to First Nation's people; another trustee felt it stereotyped them by using terms such as "heap big Indian" and "squaw". [Kill Indian Book, Says Trustee, The Vancouver Sun 13 June 1972; Mind War: Book Censorship in English Canada, p. 41-2]
  • Let's Visit Russia.  In October 1972, a teacher complained this grade six social studies textbook made questionable statements, blaming the USSR as solely responsible for wars in Vietnam, Korea, and the Middle East, among other things.  The Department of Education quickly withdrew the textbook.  [Mind War: Book Censorship in English Canada, p. 43]
  • Gourmet's Guide to Sex by Alex Comfort.  In March 1973, Customs prevented the book from entering Canada.  It was detained for three months. [Mind War: Book Censorship in English Canada, p. 44]
  • In April 1973, police raided the Georgia Straight office and seized several comic books.  The Crown stated the books were obscene "because of their undue emphasis on sex, crime, horror and violence", and four charges of possessing obscene materials for distribution and sale were laid.  [Judge Will Rule Dec. 3 In Obscene Comic Case, The Province 12 September 1973]
  • In 1974, the Church of Scientology launched a national campaign to have Scientology the Now Religion by George Malko, Inside Scientology: How I Joined Scientology and Became Superhuman by Robert Kaufman, The Mind Benders by Cyril Vosper and The Scandal of Scientology by Pauline Cooper removed from public libraries on the grounds that they were defamatory. Libraries in Prince Rupert, Victoria and Vancouver decided to retain the book, but elsewhere in the country it was removed.
    The Scientology case galvanized Canadian Library Association into action in 1974, at which time they collected data, consulted with association counsel, conducted a media campaign, and issued an advisory memorandum. According to Steven Horn, a former councillor to the CLA, it was "the removal of books by some librarians as a result of advice from their legal counsel that focused CLA's attention on the intellectual freedom issue."
    Nonetheless, CLA's involvement was not without controversy. Raymond Rockl of the Church of Scientology said that "it was the Canadian Library Association's inappropriate sense of guardianship of our society's freedom which caused this matter to be so blown out of proportion. The courts should be the body to judge if 'freedoms' are at stake." [The Colonist 8 October 1974, p. 31; The Vancouver Sun 6 November 1974, p. 5; Horn, Steven. "Intellectual Freedom and the Canadian Library Association" Canadian Library Journal 35 (June 1978), pp. 209-13]
  • The Joy of Sex by Alex Comfort.  In February 1974, Kelowna RCMP received a complaint about this book.  They asked Kelowna booksellers to stop selling it because they were concerned it might be considered obscene.  One book was seized and sent to the Attorney General's Department for a decision. [RCMP Question The Joy of Sex, The Province 24 February 1974; Mind War: Book Censorship in English Canada, p. 45]
  • In February 1974, issues of the Georgia Straight were distributed at the University of British Columbia, after an unsuccessful attempt by the student society to ban the paper.  Staff of the Ubyssey student paper immediately removed the copies. [The Georgia Straight: What the Hell Happened?, p. 120]
  • Who Has Seen the Wind by W.O. Mitchell.  In February 1975, a group of parents in Keremeos appealed to the Education Minister to remove this book from school bookshelves.  They claimed that the book, used in grade 10 English literature classes, taught their children "how to swear aloud in front of the class" and contained irreligious remarks.  The local school board members read the book and felt that there was nothing wrong with it; the English teacher stated, "Are there any parents so naïve they believe their Grade 10 children need yet to learn any of the words used in this book." The novel, originally published in 1947, is about life on the Prairies during the Depression. [Parents Say School Book Teaches Kids to Swear, The Vancouver Sun 6 February 1975, p. 41]
  • Show Me! by Will McBride.  In July 1975, copies of this children's sexual education book were seized at the border by Canada Customs, and deemed obscene.  Customs officials then went to seize the book at Duthies bookstore in Vancouver, but the book had already been sent back to their warehouse.  Macmillan's, the importer, appealed to the Deputy Minister of Revenue, and the books were allowed into Canada.  In October, Macmillan's and its president were charged with obscenity, but were later acquitted.  Customs declared that it was legal to import the book and Duthies returned it to their shelves. [The Province 26 August 1975; Mind War: Book Censorship in English Canada, p. 47]
  • U.S. Congressional Reports.  In the Fall of 1976, the Federal Cabinet passed a regulation that prevented distribution of any information about the uranium cartel without the permission of the Minister of Energy, Mines and Resources.  This was invoked to discourage public discussion regarding Canada's participation in the cartel.  This information was contained in the U.S. Congressional reports; if librarians produced these reports upon a patron's request, the librarian could face a $10,000 fine, five years in prison, or both. [Regulation Threatens Librarians' Integrity, Feliciter 24(3) February 1978, p. 12; Mind Bar: Book Censorship in English Canada, p. 48]
  • Go Ask Alice (anonymous), Lord of the Flies by William Golding, and In the Heat of the Night by John Ball.  In 1976, Richmond School Board trustees met to decide whether to ban the following books: In the Heat of the Night due to its sex, violence and racial hatred; Lord of the Flies due to its violence; and Go Ask Alice, a book about a teen drug addict, containing references to bestiality, oral sex, and homosexuality.  They voted to ban Go Ask Alice, and the eleven copies were removed from library shelves and placed in the care of the principals; they were later sent to Richmond Public Library for distribution.  The Richmond Teachers Association and some Richmond trustees protested the decision.  Richmond students sent a delegation to the Richmond School Board to reinstate the books, because they felt the book warned young people to stay away from drugs. The Langley School Board followed Richmond's decision; a committee of school librarians, parents and trustees recommended the book be moved to councilor's offices but the board decided to remove the book from the school entirely. [School Board Steams Over ëFilthy' Books, The Province 23 December 1977, p. 17; Parents Disagree Over Banning of Alice, The Vancouver Sun 27 January 1978, p. B5; Banned Alice Hot Seller, The Province 12 January 1978, p. 10; Controversial Books Simply Reflect the Real World, The Vancouver Sun 6 January 1978, p. A5; Alice Again, The Province 8 February 1978, p. 13; Mind War: Book Censorship in English Canada, p. 53; Not in Our Schools?!!!, p. 10]
  • This Perfect Day by Ira Levin.  In February 1977, the Kelowna School Board voted to remove this science-fiction novel from the grade 12 course.  A parent had complained that this book was not suitable, as it contained descriptions of sexual encounters. [Mind War: Book Censorship in English Canada, p. 51]
  • How to Kill by John Minnery.  Canada Customs banned its importation in September of 1977 on the grounds that it counsels persons to "commit an indictable offense." [Mind War: Book Censorship in English Canada, p. 52]
  • Penthouse.  The May 1977 issue was seized by Customs, and released after ten pages had been removed.  Penthouse readers signed a petition to protest this action.  [Mind War: Book Censorship in English Canada, p. 52]
  • Incentives (author unknown), and Strawberries and Other Secrets, ed. by James A. McNeil.  In 1978, the BC Ministry of Education withdrew these books from the grade eight and nine curriculum after students and adults complained the books were violent and contained racial and sexual stereotyping.  Altogether, 85,000 copies were withdrawn throughout the province at a total cost of $127,000. [Not in Our Schools?!!!, p. 2]
  • In the Realm of the Senses directed by Nagisa Oshima. Because the film contained "explicit sex scenes and a mutilation sequence," B.C.'s film classification director Mary-Louise McCausland issued a special certificate permitting two public screenings only during the Varsity Theatre's 1978 Festival of International Films. The film's first showing was on the evening of Saturday, August 19th, and it played to a full house. On Monday morning The Province ran an article on the film entitled "Pornography Debuts Legally in B.C." As a result of the article, members of the Vancouver police vice squad visited the theatre to discuss the matter. Following a special viewing at the film classifications office, Crown counsel advised Odeon Theatres that if the film were shown again, he would lay charges under Section 159, the Criminal Code's obscenity statute. The next public showing of the film in Vancouver did not occur until 1989. [Pornography Debuts Legally in B.C., The Province 21 August 1978; In the Realm of the Senses No Longer Stirs up Censors, The Province 24 November 1989, p. 13]
  • Playboy.  In February of 1979, a motion was introduced at a Fraser Valley Regional Library board meeting to remove Playboy and other magazines that contained "evocative pictorial display of male and/or female nudity or near nudity" from the library system because such materials were "offensive to public decency and were exploiting human dignity." The motion was again introduced in early 1980 by the Abbotsford representative, Dr. Dean Downey.  The Board decided not to ban the magazine.  [Playboy Given Green Light for Fraser Valley Libraries, The Vancouver Sun, 27 March 1980, p. A3]
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Last Updated July 2003