Brian Vallée
Brian Michael Vallée (1940–2011) was a Canadian author, journalist, documentary film producer, screenwriter, and public speaker. He is best known for his work reflecting on domestic violence and his role with CBC's award-winning documentary program "The Fifth Estate". His first non-fiction book, "Life With Billy" focused on the life of Jane Hurshman, an abused wife whose legal case resulted in battered wife syndrome becoming a legal defense in Canadian courts. Life and career. Brian Michael Vallée was born in Sault Ste Marie Ontario in 1940. In 1967 he graduated from Michigan State University with a  B.A. in journalism. In 1970 he began work as a reporter for the Windsor Star. In 1974 he moved to Toronto and began working at the Toronto Sun where he was employed for 14 months. As a journalist he worked on newspapers in England, the United States, and Canada. In 1978 he went on to work for ten years with the CBC's documentary program the fifth estate. He died on July 22, 2011 in St. Michael's Hospital, Toronto. Awards and honours. Vallée's work has received considerable critical acclaim. A television movie based on his Life With Billy  book won three Gemini Awards in 1995. Two of his CBC documentaries won Actra Awards for the fifth estate and he was an associate producer for the one-hour documentary Cruel Camera, which won an Audubon Society award. In 2012 he was inducted into the Sault Ste Marie, Ontario Walk of Fame. Advocacy. Brian Vallée was a long time advocate for awareness around domestic violence. Some of his most notable works including "Life with Billy", "Life After Billy", and "The War on Women" all focus on bringing the issue of domestic abuse and battered women to the forefront of Canadian  consciousness. Many of Vallée's speaking engagements, conference talks, and documentary projects focused on battered women and the need for increased public awareness about the lives of women living with abuse.