ARCTIC OBITER

CBA-NT BAR NOTES
his month’s theme of comings and goings feels
T particularly fitting as this is my last column as
President of the Northwest Territories
branch of the Canadian Bar
Association. My term ends this month
and I am pleased to say that it has
been a fun and exciting year.
Since my last column, we hosted CBA
National President Robert Brun on
his first trip to the Northwest
Territories. While Robert was here he
had an opportunity to meet local
members at our annual family BBQ as
well as through a number of firm
visits. Robert and I also has
p r o d u c t i v e m e e t i n g s w i t h
representatives from the NWT
Department of Justice, and both the
Supreme and Territorial Courts of the
Northwest Territories.
Glen W. Rutland
Through the great work of Ramona Sladic,
Yellowknife played host to the CBA’s National
Environmental, Energy and Resources Law National
Section Meeting and Conference. This well-attended
event was a great success and an excellent opportunity
to showcase the exciting things happening in the
Northwest Territories. Thank you to Karin Taylor,
Tricia Ralph, and our Young Lawyers’ Division for
hosting the welcome event for the conference.
Law Society will expire next spring.
Nationally, the new membership fee
structure is being rolled out, and
those with September renewals will
have already received the new
renewal package. I’m pleased that the
spirit of cooperation continues and
both BC and Alberta will continue to
offer a free membership in one of
their sections for NWT CBA members
as part of the new membership fee
structure.
In closing, I would like to offer my
thanks and appreciation to my fellow
Executive members, Malinda Kellett,
Sandra MacKenzie and Karin Taylor
for all their work and support this
past year. I would also like to thank
all those who volunteered at various
CBA events and activities, and a special thank you to
the staff at the Law Society, Linda Whitford, Liz
Jackson, Ben Russo and Nancy Zimmerman for all the
work they do and have done in support of the CBA.
As always, if you have any questions about the CBA,
please feel free to contact me at any time at 867-669-
5535 or grutland@lawsonlundell.com.
I am also pleased to welcome Tricia Ralph to the local
CBA Executive. In September, Tricia will be our new
Secretary-Treasurer, which is a ladder position that
leads to branch President.
Looking ahead at the year to come, it will continue to
be another busy year. In addition to continuing to offer
the widest range of in-person and online continuing
professional development in the Northwest
Territories, there are other challenges ahead. Linda
Whitford’s pending retirement will bring transitional
and corporate knowledge issues to the fore and our
current administrative services agreement with the
C.B.A. V.P. Sandra Mackenzie & Outgoing President
Glen Rutland CBA BBQ, summer 2013
4 ■ AUGUST 2013 ARCTIC OBITER