We are particularly pleased to see a few familiar faces who have been a part of or played a key role in the BCLI over the past years and would like to give them special acknowledgement:

• Tom Spraggs (Former BCLI Director & Chair)
• Jacqueline G. McQueen, QC (Member, Pension Division Reform Project Committee)
• Katrina Harry (Co-Chair, Child Protection Project Committee).

BCLI also wishes to congratulate the Indigenous lawyers who were successfully elected as benchers: Brian Dybwad, Lindsay LeBlanc, Kelly Russ, Katrina Harry, and Georges Rivard. We look forward to supporting the integration of Indigenous perspectives throughout our profession and our laws.

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On 15 November 2019, the Law Society of BC announced that Thomas L. Spraggs, Chair of BCLI’s Board of Directors, was among the candidates elected as Benchers. He will serve as a Bencher for New Westminster County for the 2020-2021 term.

Tom Spraggs has been a member of our Board since 2012, and the Chair since late 2018. He practices civil litigation and is the principal of Spraggs Law in Coquitlam. In addition to his role on the executive of BCLI / CCEL, he is Chair of the Tri-Cities / New Westminster Civil Litigation Section of the Canadian Bar Association, BC Branch and past Vice-Chair of Douglas College Board. Tom is a qualified arbitrator with ADRBC, a member of the Law Societies of BC, Alberta and the Yukon, and the co-founder of Qase.ca, a digital platform aimed at increasing access to justice.

Tom will undoubtedly carry forward into his new role in the governing body of the BC legal profession the same exceptional energy, enthusiasm and dedication he has always brought to the table during his long association with our organization. The directors and staff of BCLI join in congratulating him on his election.

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• Thomas L. Spraggs, Chair
• Mathew P. Good, Vice Chair
• Margaret H. Mason, Q.C., Treasurer
• Oliver A. Fleck, Secretary
• Lisa A. Peters, Q.C.
• Emily L. Clough
• Kathleen Cunningham, Executive Director, Ex Officio Committee Member

BCLI welcomes the following new Board Members:

• James Deitch (Member at Large): James practiced as a sole practitioner in Toronto before accepting a management position with the BC Legal Services Society in 1998. He has worked for the Criminal Justice Reform Secretariat, the Justice Services Branch of the Ministry of Justice in Victoria and was appointed to the Forensic Psychiatric Services Commission. Since retirement, James has performed voluntary board activity, done consulting work and was appointed the Alternate Chair of the BC Review Board in June 2019.
• Michelle LeBaron: Michelle is the appointee of the Dean of the Peter A. Allard School of Law, University of British Columbia, Michelle is a conflict transformation scholar/practitioner and a tenured Professor of Law at the Allard School of Law who has done seminal work in many types of conflict engagement. Her current research focuses on dialogic approaches to political and religious conflict, and on how the arts help shift intractable conflicts.
• Dylan Merrick (Member at Large): Dylan works primarily in the enterprise software industry, developing web applications for large scale business use. In 2010, he worked in the Arbitrage division of BNP Paribas in Paris, France, developing derivative pricing and trading applications and has also co-founded a patient-focused application startup for the healthcare sector. Dylan is currently working for Salesforce in Vancouver.
• Timothy Outerbridge (Member at Large): Tim has served as the Registrar of the BC Court of Appeal since 2014 performing judicial and quasi-judicial functions, including conducting registrar’s hearings, assessments and other matters set out by Statute or the Rules of Court or as referred by an appellate judge. He manages the Office of the Registrar providing legal, technical and procedural direction to the Registry and its staff in addition to overseeing the Court’s case management system and the development of new technologies.

• Leanne Rebantad: Leanne is the appointee of the Society of Notaries Public of British Columbia. A Notary Public for thirty years, Leanne is currently the Society’s Staff Notary, Practice Advisor and Deputy Secretary. She is an experienced Arbitrator and Mediator and a member of ADRBC.

BCLI expresses its sincere gratitude to those whose terms have come to an end:

• Susan Mercer: Susan served as a Director and was a Member of the Program Committee and Strata Property Project Advisory Committee.
• Dylan T. Mazur: Dylan served as a Director and was a Member of the Audit, Finance and Risk Committee, and Nominating Committee.
• Brent B. Olthuis: Served as a Director and was a Member of the Audit, Finance and Risk Committee, and Program Committee. Brent’s term ended October 3^rd.  
• Janis Sarra: Janis served as a Director and Program Committee Member.

BCLI would especially like to thank Andrea L. Rolls for her many years of service as Board Director. During her tenure she served as Vice Chair and served on the Nominating Committee; Strategic Planning Committee; Audit, Finance and Risk Committee, and Executive Committee. She also served as Chair of the Older Women’s Dialogue Project Advisory Committee.

“I am pleased to welcome our new members and the board thanks outgoing directors for their many years of service, valuable contributions and wise guidance,” says Board Chair, Thomas Spraggs.

In delivering his annual report to members, Chair Thomas Spraggs noted “it is important to pause at least once per year to be proud of the past, confident in the present and hopeful for the future.” Some highlights of the past year included 3 completed projects, 2 new projects, 4 continuing projects and 9 publications.

Within community, highlights include attendance at the Law Foundation of BC’s 50^th Anniversary and the Uniform Law Conference of Canada’s annual meeting, where BCLI’s Executive Director, Kathleen Cunningham, was appointed Chair of the civil section for the upcoming year.

The British Columbia Law Institute is the successor to BC’s Law Reform Commission. Established in 1997, the BCLI is an independent, non-partisan law reform agency and registered charity. In 2018, BCLI celebrated the 15^th anniversary of the Canadian Centre for Elder Law (CCEL).

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• Thomas L. Spraggs, Chair
• Andrea Rolls, Vice Chair
• Margaret H. Mason Q.C., Treasurer
• Oliver Fleck, Secretary
• Lisa A. Peters Q.C., Past Chair

BCLI is pleased to welcome to the Board Dr Elizabeth Adjin-Tettey, the appointee of the Dean of the Faculty of Law at the University of Victoria.  BCLI also welcomes back to the board as a member at large, the Honourable Marion J. Allan. Ms Allan has a long history with the BCLI and CCEL. Members also extended the appointment of member at large Andrea Rolls to September 2019.  Ms Rolls chaired the CCEL’s advisory committee for the Older Women’s Dialogue Project, a multi-year project that sought to identify law and social policy issues that impact older women.  “The commitment and support to the CCEL from both Ms Allan and Ms Rolls over the past decade have been a source of inspiration for staff and volunteers” says BCLI’s Executive Director, Kathleen Cunningham. “Their experiences and expertise continue to inform our work”.

The board also saw a number of changes this past month.  BCLI expresses its sincerest gratitude to those whose terms have come to an end:

• Rosario (Tino) Di Bella: Tino’s contributions to BCLI over the past 10 years are too numerous to list. During his tenure as the appointee of the CBA BC and then the Attorney General for BC, he served as Treasurer, Chair, and Past Chair and sat on the Executive Committee, Audit Risk and Finance Committee and Strategic Planning Committee.  He also also a member of three project committees: The Wills, Estates and Succession project, the Common Law Tests of Capacity project and Probate Rules Reform.  
• Prof. Robert G Howell:  Professor Howell was appointed by the Dean of the Faculty of Law at the University of Victoria from 2008 to 2018. In addition to serving on two project committees, Real Property Law Reform and Employment Standards Act Reform, he was a member of the Audit, Risk and Finance Committee and the Program Committee.
• Hon. Kenneth C. Mackenzie, Q.C., S.J.D.:   Justice Mackenzie is a retired Justice of the Court of Appeal, British Columbia. Mr. MacKenzie was appointed as a member at large to the BCLI Board in 2012.  During his term he served on the Nominating Committee and Chaired the Program Committee. 

“All three of these members contributed many years of sage advice and support to the work of the BCLI and CCEL” notes Executive Director, Kathleen Cunningham.

Finally, the BCLI announces the appointments of Professor Joost Blom Q.C. and Professor Robert G. Howell as members emeritus.  In these non-voting roles, each will continue to provide guidance and assistance to BCLI and its committees. 

In her annual report to members, Ms. Peters highlighted the many milestones of the past year including: 5 completed projects, 4 projects commenced, 4 publications, 1 National Elder Law conference and attendance at the 100^th Anniversary Annual meeting of the Uniform Law Conference of Canada.

“I wish to thank Lisa A. Peters Q.C. for her dedication and commitment to the board during her tenure as Board Chair over the past two years” says Incoming Chair Thomas L. Spraggs. “I look forward to working with the staff and board as BCLI and CCEL continue their important work in legal research and law reform.”

BCLI is the successor to BC’s Law Reform Commission.  Established in 1997, the BCLI celebrated its 20^th anniversary as an independent, non-partisan law reform agency and registered charity.  In 2018 the BCLI is celebrating the 15^th anniversary of the Canadian Centre for Elder Law (CCEL)

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