Looking back, we had a fantastic year serving our local bar and community and much was accomplished!
Throughout 2018-19, the SBA continued offering opportunities for lawyers, judges and articled students to connect by facilitating a number of well attended social events, including our appy evenings, golf tournament and dinner with the bar associations of Westminster County (where money was raised for the CBA Lawyer's Benevolent Fund - $5,000 over the last 2 years) and, of course, our Annual Bench & Bar Dinners which were held in Oct 2018 and April 2019.
Our latest Bench and Bar Dinner was a sold out affair and a resounding success as we welcomed four of our own local lawyers as new Provincial Court Judges, to Surrey, three of whom were SBA members: Judge Craig Sicotte (our former President), Judge Georgia Docolas and Judge David Albert. Also, the Honourable Madam Justice Palbinder Shergill, a former member of our executive, was appointed to the Supreme Court of British Columbia.
Other highlights of 2018-19 included:
- offering free and/or low cost CPDs;
- informing on and providing a voice to Surrey lawyers regarding issues impacting our local legal community;
- sponsoring Access Pro Bono's "Pro Bono Going Public Event here in Surrey as an "Appeal Court Sponsor";
- sponsoring the CBABC Women Lawyer's Forum;
- our SBA young lawyers connecting socially with their CPABC counterparts;
- maintaining a presence on the Surrey Provincial Court Users Committee and providing input as the renovations at Surrey Court proceeded;
- speaking at the formal welcoming ceremonies for new judges appointed in Surrey;
- continuing to offer coffee/tea/water and photocopy services in the Barrister's Lounge at the Surrey Courthouse;
- participating in the CBA local bar associations President's breakfast;
- planning for the future of the SBA; and
- continuing to develop and improve our new website to manage our members and events, and offer news and updates via email for local lawyers.
All of this would not have been possible without your involvement as members and the hard work of an amazing SBA Executive!
Personally, I have enjoyed my involvement with the SBA immensely this past year and look forward what lies ahead over the next year!
Gordon K. Kabanuk
SBA President
