FRUSTRATION WITH the Canadian government's lax attitude toward extradition of Nazi war criminals is what's spurring York history Professor Irving Abella to raise awareness of the issue by writing a book. "My sense of impatience got me started," he says. "I'm frustrated with the Canadian government's lack of will."

Fifty years ago, the government was more interested in communists coming into Canada than Nazis, he says. More recently, however, the tide has started to turn. In December, the federal government introduced a bill aimed at strengthening laws to keep out war criminals and extradite those discovered living here.

Abella hopes his book, expected to be published sometime this year, will focus public opinion on the government's apathy ­ although he admits it's probably too late to affect Nazi war criminals. "Many of them are in their 80s and 90s." However, his work may raise awareness about newer war criminals from Somalia and Bosnia.