The Writers’ Union of Canada (TWUC) and the Writers’ Guild of Alberta (WGA) say they are “shocked and disappointed” after a contracted venue cancelled their joint Freedom to Read Week event about censorship and book banning.
The event was scheduled for Feb. 23 at Calgary Legion #264, and included local writers who would read from banned books alongside a discussion on the recent rise of censorship in North America. Organizers say the Legion pulled the booking just over one week before the event, despite a signed contract and a deposit paid in mid-January.
In the cancellation notice, the Legion said “aspects of the event conflict with Legion policy, which requires alignment with current government regulations and guidelines.”
Kim Fahner, TWUC chair, says the reason given appears to reference Alberta’s recent restrictions on school library materials.
“The Union has been outspokenly critical of the Alberta school bans since they were first announced,” Fahner said in a press release.
“This feels like punishment for having an opinion.”
TWUC CHAIR, KIM FAHNER
TWUC CEO John Degen said it’s “pretty clear that’s what it’s about right now.”
“I’ve been at the Union for 14 years, I’ve never seen anything like that happen. It’s kind of surreal, actually,” he said. “This kind of thing should never happen, not in Canada.”
Alberta book ban
The cancellation comes amid ongoing debate over a provincial ministerial order introduced by the governing UCP in July 2025, which required K-12 school boards to update library standards to remove what it describes as “sexual content.”
After a widespread backlash, including criticism from famed Canadian writer Margaret Atwood, over the policy’s broad wording and threat of censorship, the province revised the order in October 2025.
The Canadian Civil Libraries Association (CCLA) is among the groups that have criticized the policy, noting that many affected titles are LGBTQI2S-themed.
“The government is not protecting students,” said executive director Howard Sapers in a press release. “Rather, it is depriving them of the opportunity to learn, think critically, and engage with literature that reflects important social and political realities.”
At least one of the planned readings for the Freedom to Read Week event touches on similar themes. University of Calgary writer-in-residence, Tracy Dawson, was scheduled to read from her book Let Me Be Frank: A Book About Women Who Dressed Like Men to Do Shit They Weren’t Supposed to Do.
In its cancellation note, Legion #264 suggested that the organizers seek an alternative venue at Calgary’s Centre for Sexuality, saying that the organization “aligns closely with advocacy initiatives similar to yours.”
Degen notes the irony, stating that “the Legion is there because we fought wars to be a freely democratic nation.”
However, Degen said he does not believe the decision reflects the Legion’s values as a whole.
“I don’t believe that the Legion actually has a problem with people talking about censorship in their venues… but maybe the people who run this local Legion got a little nervous,” he said. “That’s what happens when the government takes a heavy hand on these things.”
Call for answers
WGA President Anne Bailey calls recent events troubling.
“This shocking decision from the Legion reinforces just how important it is to celebrate Freedom to Read Week and to hold events such as ours,” Bailey said in a statement.
Freedom to Read Week runs from Feb. 22 to 28 and is a national initiative encouraging Canadians to reflect on and reaffirm their commitment to intellectual freedom.
“Freedom of expression is a fundamental democratic right, and the purpose of events like these is to remind all of us to be vigilant and to stand up against censorship whenever it happens,” she said.
The annual event is marked by libraries, bookstores and public discussions across the country and is led by national cultural and library organizations.
“It’s really just a great sort of week for focusing on the power of literature and our Charter rights to free speech, freedom to read,” Degen said.
Organizers say they have reached out to both the local Legion branch and the Royal Canadian Legion’s provincial command for clarification, but have not received a response.
For its part, the Canadian Legion told the Calgary Herald that the veterans’ organization concluded that attendees would be encouraged to contact Alberta lawmakers to reverse the governing UCP’s book policy.
“As an apolitical organization that does not host petitions or political actions of this nature, the branch cancelled the booking,” said Philip Petty, general manager of the local Legion branch, in a statement to the Herald.
In the meantime, cSpace Marda Loop has offered to host the event, allowing it to proceed as planned.
“In the end, it’s a good news story, because we have another venue, and the event is going to go on,” said Degen. “We’re really grateful to cSpace for stepping up like that. That is such good citizenship, and really sets a great example.”
The panel and open mic will take place from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Feb. 23 at the Treehouse. It is open to the public and free to attend. More information can be found here.
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