FORSETH: Regrettably (Deliberate?) missing information makes judicial appointment of Leonard Marchand a political issue

 

Today, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau appointed the Honourable Leonard Marchand as the new Chief Justice of British Columbia and Chief Justice of the Court of Appeal of Yukon.

This, follows, his being appointed to the Supreme Court of British Columbia in 2017 and to the Court of Appeal for British Columbia in 2021.

What makes this announcement a point of interest is in the backgrounder, released with his notice of appointment:

He articled and practised at Fulton & Company LLP in Kamloops from 1994 to 2013. His practice focused on the liability of public authorities. He has appeared before all levels of court in British Columbia and many administrative tribunals.

Chief Justice Marchand has dedicated a substantial portion of his career to achieving reconciliation for Indigenous Peoples, including by advancing civil claims on behalf of residential school Survivors. In 2005, he helped negotiate and was a signatory to the Indian Residential Schools Settlement Agreement. He then served on the Oversight Committee for the Independent Assessment Process and the Selection Committee for the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.

Chief Justice Marchand is Syilx and a member of the Okanagan Indian Band. He grew up in Kamloops. After completing a Bachelor of Applied Science in Chemical Engineering at the University of British Columbia in 1986, he worked in the oil industry for several years. He then attended law school at the University of Victoria and graduated in 1994.

For many in this region, the first thing that comes to mind when hearing the Marchand name, is the late Leonard Marchand Senior who passed away in 2016. He was elected to the federal riding of Kamloops – Cariboo in 1968 and went on to serve as an MP and cabinet minister for over a decade until his defeat in 1979. He then was appointed to the Canadian Senate in 1984.

Why do I bring this up?

Regrettably by omitting the above background information, I have made note of it makes the judicial appointment of Lenard Marchand a political issue. His father ... the late Leonard Marchand Senior, was a LIBERAL MP, Cabinet Minister, and Senator.

Now before I get hammered for demeaning the character of the late Leonard Marchand Senior, let me just say most people I know are extremely proud of the fact that he was our MP (Kamloops-Cariboo) for many years and for his many accomplishments both in and out of politics, including being the first status Indigenous person elected to the federal government.

The fact that some will now question whether todays’ announcement was for  ‘political’ reasons, due to that deliberate(?) omission of facts, is a shame.

What should be a proud moment for the Marchand family, will start out with a grey cloud over it over it.

In Kamloops, I’m Alan Forseth.