George Jonas Freedom Award

Date/Time
Date(s) - November 22, 2023
5:00 pm - 9:00 pm

Categories No Categories


Doors open:

  • VIP reception: 4:30PM
  • Regular: 5PM

This is an in-person event taking place in the municipality of Metro Vancouver. Ticketholders will receive location and parking information one week prior to the dinner. 

The George Jonas Freedom Award was created in 2018 to honour Canadians who have made a significant contribution to the defence of freedom in Canada. Prior recipients include Mark Steyn, Christie Blatchford, the Society for Academic Freedom and Scholarship, and Tamara Lich. The George Jonas Freedom Award recipient for 2023 is Dr. Jordan B. Peterson who accepted the award in Toronto on June 15th. Dr. Peterson is a firm advocate for personal responsibility, which is one of the pillars of the free society and is also committed to defending free expression. He has consistently displayed courage in the face of adversity, and perseverance in the face of ongoing unjustified attacks against his character and reputation.

George Jonas (1935-2016) came to Canada as a refugee from Communist Hungary in 1956. He and his family had also suffered under anti-Semitic persecution by a pro-Nazi regime in Hungary, prior to the communists taking over in 1945. Author, poet, and National Post columnist, George Jonas was a principled and articulate voice for freedom until his death in 2016.

As Dr. Peterson is unable to attend the Vancouver dinner in person, we are honoured to have special guests, Rav Arora, Andrew Lawton and Amy Hamm join as our guest speakers for the evening. 

Need accommodations?

Please book before October 23, 2023 for preferred rates at the Delta Burnaby by using this link.


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Rav Arora is a college student in Vancouver who found himself unexpectedly in the journalism industry as a way of “speaking truth to power and presenting radically novel perspectives and challenging institutional orthodoxy”. He has covered controversial topics like his experiences with racism, how identity politics are corrupting institutions and how the 2020 Black Lives Matter riots affected minority communities.  His work has been published in Maclean’s Magazine, The New York PostThe Globe and Mail and others and he has appeared on many popular podcasts including the Jordan B. Peterson Podcast. Rav recently joined forces with Dr. Jay Bhattacharya to produce The Illusion of Consensus series on Substack.
Amy Hamm is a nurse, Justice Centre client and contributing writer to The Post Millennial.  Amy became widely known for her involvement in a billboard displayed in Vancouver stating, “I Love JK Rowling”, in support of the famed Harry Potter author’s assertions that biological sex is real, and in defense of women’s rights. Amy was then subjected to a disciplinary hearing by the BC College of Nurses and Midwives after complaints were filed against her for her “gender critical” views.  She faces being permanently removed from her career in nursing for expressing her opinion on an important issue currently being debated in the public square.  The Justice Centre is defending Amy’s Charter right to freedom of expression.
Andrew Lawton serves as a journalism fellow at True North and hosts The Andrew Lawton Show on True North News. He previously hosted a daily talk show on Global News Radio and has published articles in the Washington Post, National Post, Toronto Sun and Global News. He was on the ground throughout the Freedom Convoy in Ottawa and authored The Freedom Convoy: The Inside Story of Three Weeks that Shook the World. 
We hope you will join us for an evening of lively discussion involving truth, freedom and justice!
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2023 Award Recipient: Dr. Jordan B. Peterson

Dr. Jordan B. Peterson is committed to defending free expression. In January 2023, he shared that the College of Psychologists of Ontario (CPO) has “demanded that [he] submit to mandatory social-media communication retraining,” or else face a disciplinary hearing. The CPO threatened his professional license because of his commitment to free speech.

Dr. Peterson is a firm advocate for personal responsibility-a pillar of a free society. He has consistently displayed courage in the face of adversity and perseverance in the face of ongoing unjustified attacks against his character and reputation.

Dr. Jordan B. Peterson is an author, psychologist, online educator, and Professor Emeritus at the University of Toronto. He has written three books, including “Maps of Meaning,” an academic work, presenting a scientifically-grounded theory of religious and political belief, the bestselling “12 Rules for Life,”and “Beyond Order,” which have sold more than seven million copies.

About George Jonas

George Jonas (1935-2016) was a stalwart Canadian who knew firsthand the dangers of totalitarianism, having lived under both fascism and communism. The ideals of liberty and the free society permeated his writings as an author, poet, and National Post columnist.  

A refugee who came to Canada from communist Hungary in 1956, George Jonas played a key role in assisting the Justice Centre through his service on the Board of Directors of the Aurea Foundation, which provided generous grants to the Justice Centre in its early years. 

This wonderful evening includes a reception, dinner, the award presentation, and keynote speeches.

https://www.showpass.com/vancouver-george-jonas-freedom-award-dinner/

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