A former professor at Mount Royal University (MRU) is calling for an “open inquiry” into Canadian universities over concerns of speech censorship.
Frances Widdowson made the comments while accepting the George Jonas Freedom Award from the Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms (JCCF) during a ceremony on June 12 in Toronto.
The award is named after Hungarian-born Canadian journalist and writer George Jonas (1935-2016). JCCF created the award in his honour in 2018, saying it served to “carry on his legacy and to highlight the impact that one individual can make in defence of a free society.”
Widdowson, a former tenured professor at MRU, was removed from her job in 2021.
The removal came after Widdowson had spoken out against “wokeism” and identity politics on her website and on social media, often clashing online with colleagues.
In its decision, the university alleged that Widdowson had contributed to a “harassing and toxic workplace environment” and that she had violated the school’s code of conduct and personal harassment policy.
Widdowson had also been criticized by students and colleagues for comments about the residential school system, including saying it does not constitute genocide. She had also said in a media publication in 2020 that the Black Lives Matter movement had “destroyed” the culture at MRU. Following her statements, a petition was started to have her fired.
Widdowson filed a grievance following her termination. An arbitrator concluded in 2024 that although Widdowson’s actions were “just cause” for discipline, her termination was “disproportionate.” However, the arbitrator said it would not be appropriate to reinstate her to her job at the university given the level of conflict between her and others at the school, and she was instead awarded a monetary payment.
During her speech at the awards ceremony, Widdowson said that what happened to her was “not normal” and there needed to be an “open inquiry about universities” over academic freedom and censorship, citing complaints from professors at other Alberta universities.
“I know of many professors who had serious problems in their universities, but they just need to have the opening to come and talk about what terrible things have gone on at not just Mount Royal but a number of other institutions,” she said.
She said her firing was a “serious breach of what universities are supposed to be about.”
“The idea of pursuing truth at the university is completely destroyed. It does not exist anymore as a value in the universities,” she said.
Widdowson said that universities should act as a pillar of knowledge and influence, and if reliable knowledge is no longer being produced in the institutions there will be “all sorts of problems” because “people can be thinking something is true and it’s actually not true.”
Journalist Brian Lilley also spoke at the event, saying he had observed the values of truth and protection of free speech erode in the media during his career, which spans nearly three decades.
He said that in the Canadian media landscape there seems to be few journalists interested in defending free speech, but rather increasingly look to protect institutions or “whatever is handed down from COVID Police, whatever is handed down from the Supreme Court, or the organizations that they look to.”
“Unfortunately, it is just the way it is in my business, and it has for a long time,” he said.
JCCF president John Carpay said that in Canada there has always been those who fight for freedom and rights.
“It is a constant struggle. I have hope that there will be enough sensible people to continue doing that,” he said during a panel discussion at the awards ceremony.
Past recipients of the George Jonas Freedom Award include psychologist and public speaker Jordan Peterson, journalist Mark Steyn, Rebel News founder Ezra Levant, the late journalist Christie Blatchford, Freedom Convoy organizer Tamara Lich, and the Society for Academic Freedom and Scholarship.
Omid Ghoreishi contributed to this report.
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