Vancouver Sun Journalist Kim Bolan Wins 2009 Award for Advancement of Intellectual Freedom in Canada

(Ottawa, April 28, 2009) -- The Advisory Committee on Intellectual Freedom of the Canadian Library Association is pleased to announce that Kim Bolan, longtime reporter for the Vancouver Sun, is the winner of the Association’s 2009 Award for the Advancement of Intellectual Freedom in Canada.

Since 1988, the Award has recognized the outstanding contributions to intellectual freedom of individuals and groups, both in and outside the library community. Library and information studies professor Dr. Alvin M. Schrader, Canadian Journalists for Free Expression and the Little Sister's Book and Art Emporium and are among previous winners.

Ms. Bolan is perhaps best known for her courageous and tenacious reporting of the 1985 Air India bombing and legal case, which is the basis of her book, Loss of Faith: How the Air-India Bombers Got Away with Murder (McClelland & Stewart). The book won the 2005 Dafoe Book Prize, one of the biggest annual, non-fiction book awards in Canada.

“Ms. Bolan’s enduring commitment to intellectual freedom in this country, as evidenced by twenty-five years of renowned reportage on minority, women’s, education and social services issues, sometimes in the face of death threats, makes her a most deserving recipient of this award,” said Committee chair Kenneth D. Gariepy. “As a Committee, we are proud to honour the ways in which she and her work help to ensure that Canadian readers have the most accurate and unbiased information possible about the events and issues that matter to them.”

The Award is given from time-to-time, not necessarily on an annual basis, and there may be more than one recipient in any given year. For more information and to access a complete list of previous winners, go to the awards section of the CLA/ACB website at: http://www.cla.ca/awards/intfreedom.htm.

The Canadian Library Association/Association canadienne des bibliothèques is Canada’s largest national and broad-based library association, representing the interests of public, academic, school and special libraries, professional librarians and library workers and all those concerned about enhancing the quality of life of Canadians through information and literacy.

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Media Contact: Kenneth D. Gariepy, chair, Advisory Committee on Intellectual Freedom: kenneth.gariepy@ualberta.ca