Identity area
Type of entity
Authorized form of name
Alberta Civil Liberties Research Centre
Parallel form(s) of name
Standardized form(s) of name according to other rules
Other form(s) of name
Identifiers for corporate bodies
Description area
Dates of existence
History
The Calgary Civil Liberties Association was founded in 1975 by a group of interested Calgarians including lawyers Sheldon Chumir and Gary Dickson, who served as the first president. Both Chumir and Dickson served as Liberal Party Members of the Legislature of Alberta and were well known for their various social causes as well as championing civil liberties. The CCLA was affiliated with the Canadian Civil Liberties Association and originally known as the Calgary chapter of the latter organization. The Calgary group performed both an educational and activist function, sponsoring talks, seminars, and conferences on issues of interest to civil libertarians, especially the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, but also presenting public positions on specific issues or events, and providing research support and arranging legal advice for individuals the organization felt had suffered infringement of their rights. Much of the legal work was done by Chumir pro bono. The CCLA was a volunteer organization. In 1982, Chumir incorporated the Alberta Civil Liberties Research Centre as a separate but affiliated entity, dedicated to research and education, and in 1984 the Calgary Civil Liberties Association changed its name to the Alberta Civil Liberties Association. For a more detailed history see the HISTORY database.