Activist, Author. She was considered one of Canada's most famous social justice activists and often called "Canada's Conscience". She was instrumental in the creation of over 50 Canadian social action organizations such as Casey House, a hospice in Toronto for people with AIDS, youth hostel Yorkville Digger House, Nellie's Hostel for women, Jessie's House for teenagers, the Canadian Civil Liberties Association, and PEN Canada. Her many honors include all three ranks of the Order of Canada, the Order of Ontario, numerous humanitarian awards, as well as 17 honorary degrees from Canadian universities. Born in Chatham, Ontario, her early years in Belle River were marked by poverty and adversity. When her father left the family, June was forced to leave school at age 16 to work as a reporter for the Brantford Expositor. She later married journalist Trent Frayne with whom she had four children. Her journalism career included work for the Globe & Mail, Maclean's, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation and Vision TV. She was a sought-after ghostwriter, providing her talent on behalf of many celebrities, including Barbara Walters and Otto Preminger. Her own list of 30 published books include: "Canadian Women and the Law" (1973), "Portrait of Canada" (1981), "Emma: A True Story of Treason" (1984), Twelve Weeks in Spring" (1986), "Jim: A Life with AIDS" (1988), "The Sleepwalker" (1990), "June Callwood's National Treasures" (1994), "Trial Without End: A Shocking Story of Women and AIDS" (1995), and "The Man Who Lost Himself: The Terry Evanshen Story" (2000). "St. June" tirelessly campaigned against poverty, domestic violence and discrimination. She fervently believed that if one witnesses injustice, one must intervene. In a 2006 radio interview, she said, "Most people will do anything to help a child and that's the way the human race is meant to be. We're meant to be a tribe. And when it works, it just makes your heart leap." She passed away in Toronto at age 82 from a long battle with cancer.