In 2005 a Harvard conference honoured Paul Weiler, originally from Thunder Bay, Ontario, who drafted the Notwithstanding Clause of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms and created the Canada Program at Harvard University. Weiler's Notwithstanding Clause saved the floundering constitutional talks that eventually rebuilt Canada upon the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. In Part One of this book, Weiler lucidly describes his very Canadian legal philosophy, spelling out his original intent in drafting the clause. Joining Harvard in 1979, he set up a Canada Program that has provided the image of Canada held by many future leaders. He reenergized the languishing Mackenzie King Endowment for Canadian Studies and soon Mackenzie King visiting professors were teaching everything from Canadian economics to Canadian aboriginal history. After Weiler's address at the 2005 conference, past Mackenzie King professors spoke on Canada; the second part of this book contains their essays. Many discuss constitutional law or politics but discussions range from economic nationalism to water rights. Readers interested in what Harvard students learn about Canada will find these essays intriguing.
Weiler's Canada Program is expansively multidisciplinary and this book is a respectful tribute to both Weiler and to Canada. The contributors include: Thomas S. Axworthy (Queen's University), Albert Breton, Alan Cairns, John C. Courtney, Angela Fraschini, John F. Helliwell, Haifang Huang, Richard Johnston, Elena Kagan (Dean of Harvard Law School), Randall Morck (University of Alberta), Joy Parr, Anthony Scott, Laurier Turgeon, and Paul Weiler.