The Union of Socialist Geographers (USG) was formed in Toronto in May of 1974. It was the third such group to form in North America following Antipode (in 1969) and the Socially and Ecologically Responsible Geographers (SERGE in 1971), all dedicated critical approaches to the discipline of socialist geography through an explicitly radical lens. The idea to form the USG grew largely from a group of graduate students from across North America and relied heavily on the support of Michael Eliot Hurst, the then-Chair of the Geography department at Simon Fraser University (SFU) in Burnaby, B.C.
The USG was in existence for approximately 7 years, with chapters (or collectives) in places like Toronto, Vancouver, and Minnesota (to name a few), as well as in Sydney, Australia and London, England. Internal politics led to an early demise for the USG, largely centered around the contested decision of some members to splinter off in 1979 and form a Socialist Geography Specialty Group under the umbrella of the American Association of Geographers. The result was a sharp decline in membership and participation in the USG, with it finally petering out of existence in 1981

Stanton Atkins & Dosil Publishers, also known as SA&D or SAD, was established in 2002 to focus on producing illustrated and detailed books that celebrate the history and people of Canada.
The founding members include: Mark Stanton, former publisher and co-founder of Raincoast Books; Don Atkins, with 50 years experience in the printing business; and Roberto Dosil, a graphic designer and retired Senior Lecturer in the Master of Publishing program at the Canadian Centre for Studies in Publishing, Simon Fraser University

Don Atkins passed away in 2010. Mark Stanton and Roberto Dosil continue to design and develop titles for the organization.

Jon Gates was a Canadian-based activist committed to raising awareness of the AIDS-crisis in sub-Saharan Africa. He was involved with the International Committee for AIDS and liaised with multiple international health organizations to promote equal access and treatment options.
He is most well-known for a keynote speech delivered at the Canadian AIDS Society meeting in 1992 shortly before his death. It is this speech and other resources that were compiled by Villon Films to create “The Legacy of Jon Gates” in 1993, which is at the heart of this collection. The film chronicles the last two years of Jon’s life and his fight for recognition that people in the developing world deserve equal care to those in 1st world countries.

Lucy Staples was born in Ontario, Canada, the daughter of Richard and Hannah Staples. She graduated from the University of Toronto in 1901 and the following year was certified to teach high school-level modern languages and history. In 1903 Lucy was engaged to long-time friend James Shaver Woodsworth; they married the following year.
Together Lucy and James had 6 children, with Lucy often managing the household during James’ frequent travels, first as a minister and then as a politician – helping him draft speeches and even delivering some of her own. She served as a delegate for the Women’s International League in 1923 and also found work as a nurse, providing end-of-life care for multiple family members. Throughout her life Lucy was an ardent communicator, producing an almost-daily output of letters with subjects ranging from family commentary to political observations.
Lucy Staples Woodsworth died on 01 March, 1976 at the age of 102