Since November 2011, the website Canadian Writers Abroad has been promoting exactly that: Canadian writers who live and work abroad.

Before Canadian Literature got going in the 1960s, Canadians who wanted to publish sent their work to either the United Kingdom or the United States. Often they went too. Morley Callaghan, Mavis Gallant, Margaret Laurence, and Mordecai Richler wrote their early work from Europe. But Mavis Gallant was the only one to stay – she remained in Paris until her death in 2014. Until Gallant published a book of stories set in Canada, Home Truths, which won the Governor General’s Literary Award in 1981, she was relatively unknown in Canada. Out of sight out of mind.

Earlier this year, cinematographer Deena Morielli interviewed Donna Creighton at a rustic location in Ontario. The result is a 4-minute documentary about the Canadian backwoods story of her own childhood growing up a Northern Daughter: northerndaughter.ca/news 

Election day is less then a week away and as we have been mentioning in our Newsletter we asked the Conservatives; Liberals; New Democrats and the Greens two straightforward questions:

1. In your Parties’ view what value do Canadian Expat’s provide to Canada?
2. Is there value in encouraging Canadian Expats to vote in Canadian elections while they are living and working abroad?

As of this date, only the New Democrats and the Liberals have responded (Links to responses:  New Democrats  &  Liberals). The Conservatives and the Greens have declined to provide a response.

WHAT: The American Premiere of Northern Daughter, Co-written by Donna Creighton & Louise Fagan, Directed by Louise Fagan, Performed by Donna Creighton

1. Matrix-famous Keanu Reeves was born abroad, but became a naturalized Canadian citizen. He grew up, raised primarily by grandparents, in the Greater Toronto Area. Originally hoping to play Canada’s favourite sport, hockey, an early injury turned his attention to the big screen, and his film and acting career began in 1985. Many of his first stage and screen appearances were in Canada, including one role portraying a Quebecois goalie. He now owns a home in Hollywood and an apartment in Manhattan, New York.

A big part of the mandate of The Canadian Expat is to help Canadians living abroad succeed. Of the 2.8 million Canadians living outside of Canada's borders there are a significant number of musicians, writers, film makers, and other visual and performing artists.  We want to help you succeed both while abroad and back home.

In less than a month, the lawyers that will be bringing this case forward, Shaun O'Brien and Amanda Darrach (at the firm Cavalluzo) will file the paperwork that asks the Supreme Court of Canada to hear a challenge to the law that bars Canadians from voting after living outside of the country for more than five years. 

The BC Civil Liberties Association is taking on an initiative to let you know about a Charter challenge which they have just filed against Bill C-24, the so-called Strengthening Citizenship Act. This challenge might be of interest to anyone who maintains dual citizenship.