The fonds consists of records created or accumulated by Francis Andrew Brewin during his career as a lawyer and politician. These records are divided into eight series as follows: External Affairs series; Subject series; Publications series; Immigration series; Consituency correspondence; National Defense and miscellaneous papers, which includes information on legal cases, immigration law and labour law; Personal and Pre-Parliamentary papers; and Legal papers.
The fonds also includes photographs related to the work of the Subcommittee on International Development Assistance; the Canadian Parliamentary Delegation; photos of Indira Gandhi and the evacuee camp in East Bengal; United States-Canada Inter Parliamentary Meetings; receptions and other functions; and a portrait of Francis Andrew Brewin.
Brewin, Andrew, 1907-1983 : Francis Andrew Brewin was born on September 3 in England, the son of Canon Frank Henry Brewin and Amea Fenerty Blair. After attending Radley College, Berkeshire, England and Osgoode Hall, Toronto, he was called to the Ontario bar in 1930 and established a law practice in Toronto. He was vice-chairman of the Toronto Welfare Council in 1938, and Executive Promoter, Toronto Civil Liberties Association in 1941. In 1948 he was appointed Kings Council. He was a delegate to the British Commonwealth Relations Conference 1950, 1955 and an executive member of the Canadian Institute of International Affairs, 1963.
He was active in the C.C.F. as Ontario President 1946-1949 and in the New Democratic Party as a member of the founding Committee, Executive Council. He first stood as a candidate in the Ontario election in 1943 for Toronto-St. George but was defeated. He unsuccessfully contested the next five federal general elections: those of 1945, 1949, and 1953 for St. Paul's, Toronto, and 1957 and 1958 for Davenport, Toronto.
Mr. Brewin was elected to the House of Commons in the five successive general elections from 1962 to 1974 for Greenwood, Toronto. Mr. Brewin was not a candidate in 1979. Before becoming a Member of Parliament he gained prominence as a civil liberties lawyer defending the labor movement and minority groups. Mr. Brewin was the author of Stand on Guard: In Search of a Canadian Defence Policy, and, with David MacDonald, Canada and the Biafra Tragedy.
