Andrew Lawton: I don't entirely understand what happened at that book fair, either

Author Andrew Lawton describes being the subject of a 'community alert', and being out $700 after a strange Ottawa book fair went awry

By: Andrew Lawton

I’ve always enjoyed public speaking engagements, but one last week cost me $700 and placed me in a “community alert” warning people to stay away. The Line has asked to explain what happened at the Ottawa International Food and Book Expo— which has since been dubbed in the media as an “alt right” event.

To be honest, I’m still trying to figure that out.

In hindsight, describing the weekend now sounds like a strange dream. There were booths dedicated to Scientology, new age spirituality, and Costco; a speakers’ line up included Maxime Bernier, a United Church minister, and a Trudeau-appointed senator debating the “elusiveness of a just society.” Romance was also in the air, with singles events dedicated to matching up “cougars” with younger men; and “cannabis slow dating,” which might well have been more pleasant than my session.

The drama started Mar. 20, when I received an invitation from a man named “Peter Tremblay” to appear on a panel titled “Free Speech, Ethics, and Democracy in Canada.”

I hadn’t heard of the expo before, but the topics were in my wheelhouse and, with a book coming out this month, the opportunity to get in front of a crowd of book-lovers was enticing. I confess I wasn’t as inquisitive as I ought to have been. I didn’t ask who else would be on the panel. When I looked at the expo website, I saw writer and self-described socialist Nora Loreto was emceeing, so I assumed I would be the conservative foil at a typical leftie arts event. It was an amusing enough scenario that I accepted the invitation.

I didn’t ask for an honourarium, just travel expenses. Tremblay agreed, with the caveat that I promote my presence on social media. It was a tacky ask, but I understand community events aren’t exactly rolling in dough. I generally promote events I’m speaking at anyway, so I agreed.

When the panel’s Eventbrite page went online a few days later, I learned that, far from being the token conservative, I’d be joined by former Ontario MPP Randy Hillier, Freedom Convoy participant Tom Quiggin, and Julie Ponesse, an author and ethics professor who lost her job over her school’s vaccine mandate.

It wasn’t ideal. My most recent interaction with Hillier was him calling me a “CPC cuck” after I criticized PPC Leader Maxime Bernier’s position on Israel.

It was clearly an odd line-up for a literary festival, but that was on me for not asking more questions. I shrugged it off and didn’t think anything of it until I got to Ottawa the evening before my panel.

Then, someone forwarded me a hilarious “community alert” issued by a left-wing group called Community Solidarity Ottawa, warning Ottawans of the presence “far-right politicians and media personalities.” Naturally, I was one of them.

The alert was expounded on by Press Progress, a left-wing activist outlet that I generally have little regard for, but has since done some legitimate journalism on the weirdness of the Ottawa International Food and Book Expo.

From Press Progress, I found out that some of the listed sponsors had never agreed to support the event. Further, Press Progress queried whether one of the people supposedly running it, “John Stokes,” might be an alias for Ray Samuels, who’s actually in charge. (Stokes' profile photo appears to be a stock image.)

I wondered, at this point, whether the Ottawa International Food and Book Expo was even real, but I found posts on X that the first day’s events had taken place. So, the next morning, I Ubered over to the Horticulture Building at Ottawa’s Lansdowne Park as scheduled.

Then things got weird.

When I arrived, no one on-site had heard of “Peter Tremblay” (except for Ponesse, who’d also been corresponding with him). I later learned the photo associated with his email address is a stock image. Ponesse and Hillier were already there, but Quiggin wasn’t. He later claimed on X that he was never supposed to be.

The Ottawa International Food and Book Expo was sparsely populated, with little in the way of either food or books. I couldn’t even find coffee. No one seemed to be in charge. Even the only verifiably real person involved, Ray Samuels, was missing in action.

I was chatting offstage with Ponesse when Loreto came over to say that she and her co-emcee, former MuchMusic VJ Bill Welychka, wouldn’t moderate our panel. Loreto said she just couldn’t knowing she’d disagree with everything we were going to say. I told her I’d actually prefer the contrast and pushback, but it was clear she and Welychka had made up their minds. Through later conversation with her, I learned she had been just as in the dark as I about much of this event, despite being one of the masters of ceremonies.

I contemplated pulling out, but ultimately didn’t because there were people in the audience of several dozen who’d bought tickets, presumably on the expectation I’d be there. Welychka agreed to introduce the panel. He gave a brief preamble about free speech and respect without mentioning anyone’s names or bios. So much for my last remaining hope of at least promoting my book.

Ponesse, Hillier, and I introduced ourselves, spoke for a bit, then took audience questions.

An hour and a quarter into the 90-minute panel, a random guy joined us on stage, introducing himself as the “impromptu moderator.” It was the mysterious Ray Samuels, who said he’d been delayed because he was dealing with the attacks on his event all morning. After a few more minutes, the three panelists gave a wrap-up and I bolted.

I was flying back home that afternoon. I quickly got my expenses together — totalling $705.76 — and sent an invoice off to “Peter Tremblay.”

Tremblay never replied, Samuels emailed me the next day saying he was “investigating potentially inappropriate behaviour by our moderators,” whom he expected would have “conducted themselves with professionalism.”

I responded by sending him my invoice directly. His reply to that message suggests I shouldn’t hold my breath:

“We’ll need some time to deal with this because the panel caused my account (to) go on limited status due to refund demands associated with the fraudulent ‘Community Alert’ that you and other panelists represented ‘far right extremists’ which would cause mass protests and a danger to the community,” he wrote.

The position held by Community Solidarity Ottawa and Press Progress is that the event was problematic because it “platformed” the “far-right.” Ascribing a political agenda to the Ottawa International Food and Book Expo gives it far too much credit: in my opinion, it was just a weird event run by someone chasing down crazy ideas.

Press Progress ran a follow-up to its original story, titled “Angry Vendors Say They Were Deceived By Ottawa Book Festival Featuring Far-Right Convoy Speakers.”

It’s strange framing. People who Press Progress dislikes are supposedly part of the problem, while everyone else is some hapless victim of the far-right. (Loreto didn’t even get a mention in either story, despite having more of a role than I). Knowing what I know now, I’d have deplatformed myself if I could.

Andrew Lawton is the managing editor of True North and publisher of the uncreatively titled Andrew Lawton Substack. His next book, Pierre Poilievre: A Political Life (Sutherland House) comes out May 28 and is available for preorder.

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