Harry Leslie Smith: The Canada We're Losing, and How To Get it Back

A provocative evening of discussion about where Canada is headed, and the dark history we may be unknowingly repeating. The evening started with a rousing speech by 92-year old anti-austerity campaigner and occasional Guardian columnist Harry Leslie Smith, and continued with a conversation with The Tyee’s lead sustainability reporter, 29-year old Geoff Dembicki.

For decades, Canada and other countries have been chipping away at their social safety nets, removing many services and safeguards for citizens. Where will this path to austerity bring us? Harry Leslie Smith, recently on tour with the Labour Party in the run-up to the UK’s election, had a stern warning for younger Canadians. A survivor of the Great Depression, the Second World War, and an immigrant to Canada, Smith has experienced world history for almost a hundred years and is now on a personal mission to share his story with Canadians ahead of the next federal election.

The evening featured a speech from Harry Leslie Smith, a reading from his book Harry’s Last Stand, and a conversation with Geoff Dembicki.