The Ku Klux Klan in Canada: A Century of Promoting Racism and Hate in the Peaceable Kingdom

by Allan Bartley Formac Publishing, 319 pages, $24.95

Given the recent and disturbing rise in extremist ideologies in the United States, a new book on the history of the Ku Klux Klan in Canada is a timely reminder that our country was not, and is not, immune to similar virulent racist ideals.

Author Allan Bartley, a former intelligence analyst in the Canadian security community and an adjunct professor in the Department of Political Science at Carleton University in Ottawa, explores how the Klan moved northward in the early 1920s and, like a weed, took root in several provinces across the country. From its national headquarters in Toronto, the Klan encouraged and incited hatred of several minority groups — in particular, Jewish, Chinese, and Black Canadians.

The Ku Klux Clan in Canada is a startling exploration of a dark period in Canadian history during which racism was ingrained in all segments of society. The book’s small photographic section — featuring several images of white-hooded Klan members parading through Canadian streets — drives home the need to be vigilant regarding racism in Canada today.