Profiles

Though Don chose his priorities well, retiring from active practice in 1986 to spend time with his one true love and lifetime partner, Enid, he remained in touch with many of his classmates and colleagues, continued to participate in various functions with Boughton (formerly Boughton Peterson Yang Anderson), the firm which he managed and led for 20-plus years, and always found time to connect with colleagues…

“A life spent loving … is a life spent well.”

Of the some 130 members of the class of 1949, four were women: Joan Hall, Virigina Galloway, Helen McCoy and Valerie Manning. Valerie Taggart (née Manning) was born in 1926 in Cranbrook, and into a family with strong legal ties – one of her family members had articled with Sir John A. MacDonald. In 1934 her older brother decided to attend UBC, and the family came to the Coast with him and settled in West Point Grey.

Garde Basil Gardom, in the eyes of many of the bright eyed, young lawyers practicing today, is old-fashioned. He believes in “putting breach on the water” – not overcharging the client; he believes good manners and courtesy are important; he makes judgments of other people’s character on the basis of whether or not they would “pull someone out of the water,” if they were in difficulty …

According to Malcolm G. King, he never seriously considered a legal career until his father suggested that he go to work in the family sawmill. At that point, he says, he ran for cover and after having consulted a career psychologist who thought he had some latent potential for the law he decided to enroll in law school at UBC rather than continue with an arts program - which he admits he would have preferred.

Ray Herbert has arrived at the office of Treasurer by a different route than his colleagues. His background has been the Faculty of Law at U.B.C., almost from its start. Ray was born in Calgary, Alberta. Although “warlike” is the last adjective which could be chosen to describe him, he joined the 14th Calgary Regiment (Cavalry) at the tender age of seventeen and then joined the R.C.A.F. as soon as he was able; shipping over to England, and flew many missions in Halifaxes ...

It is no small challenge to capture, in a few short pages, the essential details of the professional and personal lives of those distinguished folk who appear on the front cover of the Advocate. The challenge is particularly daunting with a subject like William C. McConnell—“Bill” to his friends. A prominent and successful barrister for 34 years, a distinguished writer and editor—there is so much to say and so little space in which to say it …

Montague Lawrence Tyrwhitt-Drake came from a family line closely associated with the legal profession. His grandfather (also Montague Tyrwhitt-Drake) came to Canada from England with dreams of making it rich in the gold rush. He didn't, but instead had settled in Victoria by 1863. He quickly became established in the community, representing British Columbia in the Legislative Council from 1868-1870…

Leslie Peterson grew up on a farm outside Viking, Alberta, and recognized the value of education at an early age. At fourteen, he moved away from the family farm to go to school, and paid for a small housekeeping room by doing part-time janitorial work.

Mr. Peterson served in the Canadian Artillery during the Second World War, and graduated from law school at UBC in 1949 alongside many other veterans.

On November 14, 1993, the kindly face that graces the front cover of this edition of the Advocate completed a quarter of a century of useful service on the Court of Appeal of British Columbia. He joins a select group of only five Justices of Appeal who have served that long …

The luxury setting is spartan yet sensual, with none of the almost mandatory indiscretions of taste one commonly finds in business offices (polished floors, thick carpets, and substantial furniture awaiting the arrival of the stars of Dallas or Dynasty). The place is the 15th floor executive offices of Westcoast Transmission and John Anderson, President and Chief Executive Officer, comfortably dominates his surroundings. His windows command an exhilarating view of Vancouver's mountain-rimmed harbour; he can look down to the moorage of his 34 ft.

Robert Delorme Plommer grew up in Vancouver, attended Magee high school and fell in love with golf as a junior at the old Shaughnessy Golf Club. While he was attending UBC, the Second World War broke out. After Germany attacked Russia in July 1941, Bob, at 19, decided that he had better enlist because the war might end before his draft number came up. He joined the air force where he became a navigator. He completed 27 bombing missions over Germany and Occupied France with RCAF 432 Squadron under Bomber Command.

UBC alumnus Douglas McK. Brown was a true son of British Columbia having been born, educated and practiced here. He cared passionately about this place and his vocation. Brown’s profound respect for the courts was exceeded only by his higher regard for the profession.

Brown was born in Vancouver in 1912 and was educated at UBC (Bachelor of Arts, 1933) and Cambridge. At UBC he was a keen rugby player and a member of the Campus Players Club where he developed his talent for oratory which many felt directed him towards the profession of law.

Robert William Bonner, Q.C., B.A., L.L.B., C.D., a native son of Vancouver, British Columbia, has distinguished himself in a varied and interesting career. His early education took place at Hastings School, Templeton Junior High School and he later attended Britannia High School and the University of British Columbia. While at the University, he became an accomplished debater and won the McGown cup, returning it to the University after a lapse of many years ... 

In 1948, Dr. Malcolm MacIntyre, a Harvard graduate, joined the UBC Faculty of Law. He was well-loved and greatly respected by his students. Dean George Curtis would later describe Dr. MacIntyre as the critical nexus between students and the faculty. 

“Seventy-eight of us rose from the ash cans of war—76 men and two women—and descended on the campus looking for the law school,” McKenzie recalls. “It existed only in the abstract, as there was no building. We found it embodied in the person of Dean George Curtis.” With two years of Arts courses at Victoria College and an honours degree in English and Philosophy from UBC, McKenzie had joined the Army and was posted to Europe.

When David Tupper takes office as Treasurer of The Law Society of British Columbia in January, 1987, he will be following in the footsteps of his father, Reginald Hibbert Tupper, Q.C. who was Treasurer for two years from 1949 to 1951, and his grandfather, Sir Charles Hibbert Tupper, Q.C., who was Treasurer in the nineteen twenties. David's great-grandfather, also Sir Charles Tupper, being a physician rather than a lawyer, was not eligible to be Treasurer and so contented himself by serving as a Founder of Confederation and as Prime Minister of Canada…

Edward Thomas Cantell, QC (1918 – 2007) was always very proud of his West Coast roots. Born in New Westminster, BC, Mr. Cantell naturally entered UBC after graduating high school. However, the young man’s studies were interrupted by World War II, whereupon he enlisted in the Royal Canadian Air Force, trained as a navigator and completed numerous tours of duty over Europe. Upon his safe return, Mr. Cantell applied and was admitted into the newly created Faculty of Law at UBC.

Gordon Martin graduated as a member of the first class of the law school at UBC, completed his articles and appeared to fulfill all of the requirements for admission to the bar of British Columbia. His application was controversially rejected by the Law Society of British Columbia “based on the finding that [he was] a communist and an adherent to and a supporter of communist doctrines and teachings..." This ostensibly violated the requirement of being "a person of good repute within the meaning of the Legal Professions Act, R.S.B.C. 1936, c. 149".

“I was born in 1922, when you had to have cranks to start the cars - some of us have remained cranky ever since. I was born in Saskatchewan in a snow storm ... My father was a general manager there. He remained in the prairies until about 1925. Immediately prior to his departure from Saskatchewan, he was involved in the bank hold up," begins Blair Baillie ...