ContOiSGOODEn HALL LAW SCHOuOL OF YORK UNIVuERSITY ALUMNI Mm AGAZINE WINTER 2003 Ontario’s Front Line A look at Osgoode alumni in Ontario’s highest political and judicial offices Osgoode’s High-Tech Revolution, Page 12 • Teaching in China, Page 17 • A Native Powerhouse, Page 20 ( think big ) Make a Commitment And plant the seeds. We’ve established the Osgoode Hall Every gift is important because every dollar donated to the Law School Fund – an annual fund intended to generate a Osgoode Hall Law School Fund is put to work right away: dependable source of yearly income for the School – because to recruit top quality faculty, to develop new curriculum, to we’re committed to continuing the Law School’s proud tradi - offer financial assistance and scholarships, and to integrate tion of academic leadership and excellence in legal education. new technology into the classroom. We need your financial support to help ensure that At Osgoode Hall Law School we’re thinking big, and with Osgoode Hall Law School graduates have the skills to take your help and commitment we will plant the seeds to grow their place on the leading edge of the profession, and as the Osgoode Hall Law School Fund. they have for decades, play their part in shaping the legal system in Canada. To make your Osgoode Hall Law School Fund donation contact: Advancement Office, Osgoode Hall Law School, York University, 4700 Keele Street, Toronto, ON M3J 1P3 416-736-5638 Online donations: www.osgoodealumni.ca CONTENTS Continu um Osgoode Hall Law School Alumni Magazine Winter 2003 Volume XXV Number 3 FE7 AOTntarUio’s FRront ELine S EDITOR Ten Osgoode alumni, including Ontario Premier Ernie Eves, Virginia Corner (416) 736-5820 have risen to Ontario’s highest political and judicial posts. [email protected] MANAGING EDITOR 12 Osgoode’s High-Tech Revolution Gillian McCullough Making the best use of information technology enhances CONTRIBUTORS Osgoode education. The Honourable Madam Justice Sandra Chapnik ‘76 17 Teaching in China Virginia Corner Anita Herrmann A teach-abroad partnership with our sister-school in Dean Peter W. Hogg Chongqing, China provides unique teaching and learning Dean Jobb opportunities for Osgoode students. Gillian McCullough Rebecca Segal Andrew Stelmacovich 20 A Hero to his Native People Phil Surguy Bernd Christmas ‘91, Chief Executive Officer of Cape Breton’s Martha Tancock Christine Ward Membertou First Nation, is using his corporate-law savvy to help a lot of people. DESIGN AND PRODUCTION Wright Ideas Inc. RJM Print Group PHOTOGRAPHY Babak Michael Creagen DE2 PMeAssageR fromT thMe Dean ENTS John Dawson Nik Sarros Continuum is published once a year by 3 Message from the Alumni Osgoode Hall Law School of York Association President University for alumni and friends. Ideas and opinions expressed in Continuum do not necessarily reflect those of the 4 Alumni Gold Key Awards editors, Osgoode Hall Law School or York University. 5 In Brief We invite your letters and comments, and hope that you will keep us posted on where you are and what you’re doing. 22 Staff News Please use the enclosed reply card or send correspondence to: 24 Faculty News Continuum Advancement Office 25 Fund Raising Osgoode Hall Law School of York University 4700 Keele Street 27 In Memoriam Toronto, On M3J 1P3 Telephone (416) 736-5638 28 Homecoming and Reunions Fax (416) 736-5629 E-mail: [email protected] 30 New Books Osgoode Web Site: www.osgoodealumni.yorku.ca 32 Class Notes Printed in Canada ISSN 0318-1295 MESSAGE FROM THE DEAN The March of Excellence This will be my last message in Continuum , because this academic year is the last of my five-year term as Dean, and a year later (having turned 65) I will retire from the University. I love writing and teaching, and I hate daytime TV, so I expect to continue my normal academic activities in the future, albeit at a somewhat less busy pace. In the first two years of the Deanship, I developed a Plan for the Law School, which has guided our development over the ensuing years. Following Dean Peter W. Hogg the Plan, we have developed the use of information technology in our teach - ing, our administration, and in our communications. We have expanded small-group teaching in first year, introduced more systematic teaching of pro - fessional responsibility in first year and in upper years, introduced a writing requirement into upper years, introduced more structure and better progres - I love writing and sion (in the form of curricular streams) in the upper years, and greatly expand - ed opportunities for our students to take a semester of study abroad. teaching, and I hate The research-stream graduate program has grown to 60 students, about half of them pursuing doctorates. Our coursework LLM, now taught from our daytime TV, so I new Professional Development Centre in downtown Toronto, has nearly 400 part-time students pursuing 12 different specialties. We are starting to use expect to continue video-conferencing and Internet technologies to offer these programs in cen - tres outside Toronto. During the fall term (with my colleague Patrick my normal Monahan), I taught a constitutional law LLM class that met on Wednesday nights in Toronto, Ottawa and Regina – a wonderful experience for Patrick academic activities and me, and I hope for the students. We have improved services for our students, including a financial assis - in the future. tance officer, who administers a huge program of financial aid to students who now struggle with high tuition. We have two career services professionals, who provide the information and help with the skills necessary to find summer and articling jobs (and who will help alumni with career moves as well). Academic support for students in difficulty, and administrative support for study abroad programs have also been enhanced. We have a strong advancement team of four professionals who help with fund raising, alumni relations and communications, and I hope that readers of Continuum have noticed that these functions are more effective than ever before. At the last two Convocations, the graduating students astonished me (and everyone else) by giving me a standing ovation when I got up to deliver the Dean’s address. Those were moving experiences. Working with the students (who continue to be very active in Law School affairs) has been one of the great joys of being Dean. I think that the students, the faculty and the alum - ni share my sense that Osgoode is the best place to be, and that we must keep on working to make it even better. = 2 Continuum 2003 MESSAGE FROM THE ALUMNI ASSOCIATION PRESIDENT Excitement About the Possibilities Still to Come Madam Justice Sandra Chapnik, It has been such a busy year for the ed to young alumni. And that’s just Alumni Association President Law School , the Alumni Association to name a few initiatives. and the Advancement team that I As we look ahead to 2003, I am hardly know where to begin. excited about the possibilities still to To start, I would like to offer come. With the guidance of Gillian greetings to fellow alumni from the McCullough, the Alumni Association 2002-2003 Osgoode Alumni Alumni Association and my fellow will become more actively involved in Association Board of Directors Board members. I would also like to the strategic planning process, engage express our appreciation to two long- alumni in campus life and look for President standing Board members who have innovative ways to increase commu - The Hon. Madam Justice Sandra Chapnik ‘76 retired this year: Ian Beverley and nications with all alumni. Chair Rhonda Cohen. We thank each of I am looking forward to one Thomas Bastedo, Q.C. ‘69 them for their significant contribu - event, in particular. The Award of Vice-President tion to the Board of Directors and the Excellence Dinner will take place on Atul Tiwari ‘87 Law School. With the two vacancies Thursday, February 20, 2003 at Dean comes change and two new Board which time the Law School will Peter W. Hogg members – Elizabeth Goldberg ‘74 bestow its highest honour, the and Yair Szlak ‘00 – to whom we Robinette Medal, upon three distin - Assistant Dean (Advancement) Andrew F. Stelmacovich extend a warm welcome. guished alumni: Austin M. Cooper, Since this magazine was last pub - Q.C. (‘53), the Hon. Hilda M. Executive Director McKinley (‘66) and Arthur R.A. Gillian McCullough lished, we have welcomed a new Director of Alumni Relations, Gillian Scace, Q.C. (‘65). It promises to be a Directors McCullough; celebrated the Class of glorious evening, showcasing three of Calvin Barry ‘86, Hon. Judge Reuben Bromstein ‘69 2002 Convocation; established the our most illustrious graduates. I hope Penny Cader ‘91, Caroline Clark ‘97 Dean’s Newsletter; completed an many of you will join us on this spe - Andrew Evangelista ‘92, Verlyn Francis ‘95 alumni survey; and launched a new cial occasion. Elizabeth Goldberg ‘74, Sally L. Hannon ‘86 Web site (www.osgoodealumni.ca). As you can tell, there are many Hon. Mr. Justice Harry LaForme ‘77 In addition, we have celebrated nine opportunities for Osgoode alumni Timothy M. Lowman ‘78, Philip B. McMullen ‘93 class reunions; awarded the Alumni involvement. On behalf of the Board of Loretta P. Merritt ‘85, Peter J. Osborne ‘90 Gold Key Award to nine of our Directors of the Alumni Association, Nicholas P. Paul, Q.C. ‘60, David G. Purvis, Q.C. ‘70 most outstanding alumni; held a suc - we welcome your active participation Mohan Sharma ‘97, Gilbert Sharpe ‘72 cessful Homecoming weekend fea - in alumni affairs. Whether it is cele - Peter Straszynski ‘91, Yair Szlak ‘00 turing guest speaker Madam Justice brating a class reunion, homecoming, Bonnie A.