On Campus

U.S. education professor refused entry to Canada

Dr. William Ayers was a founder of radical 1960s group “Weather Underground”

How ridiculous are the policies of the Canada Border Services Agency? This ridiculous:

An American education professor, one of the founders of a radical 1960s group known as the Weather Underground, which was responsible for a number of bombings in the United States in the early 1970s, was turned back at the Canadian border last night.

Dr. William Ayers, a professor of education at the University of Illinois-Chicago and a leader in educational reform, was scheduled to speak at the Centre for Urban Schooling at University of Toronto’s Ontario Institute for Studies in Education. But that appearance has now been temporarily cancelled.

In 2007, Canada refused to issue a work permit to a professor who was arrested at a union demonstration 26 years earlier (charges which were dropped). Back then, the Canadian Association of University Teachers wrote to the federal government expressing its concerns about academics experiencing difficulty entering Canada.

Looking for more?

Get the Best of Maclean's sent straight to your inbox. Sign up for news, commentary and analysis.
  • By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy. You may unsubscribe at any time.