Mirrors of a Generation: The Company of Young Canadians, Youth Activism, and Community Development, 1965-1976

The 1960s saw Lester B. Pearson launch a war on poverty and Pierre Trudeau promise a just society.Central to both visions was the Company of Young Canadians (CYC), a community development program sponsored by the federal government that attempted to mobilize the restless energy of Canadian youth.From 1965 until its closure in 1976, CYC volunteers marched into neighbourhoods across the nation to help locals develop community-based solutions to poverty and disenfranchisement. Reflecting the perspectives of these young volunteers and the communities who embraced their assistance, Mirrors of a Generation tells the story of the CYC as a unique quasi-state institution dedicated to promoting grassroots social justice initiatives.It seeks to better understand why governments and social activists of the period believed that decentralized community develop ment delivered by inexperienced young people could end poverty, promote democracy, and foster more equitable economic development.What emerge