Judge Gerald Morin (File Photo/paNOW Staff)

By paNOW Staff

ORDER OF CANADA

Prince Albert judge among 99 named to the Order of Canada

Dec 29, 2022 | 11:46 AM

A man who once sat as judge in the Provincial Court of Saskatchewan from Prince Albert has been named to the Order of Canada.

Gerald M. Morin was born and raised in Cumberland House, Sask., is a member of the Peter Ballantyne Cree Nation, and would become Saskatchewan’s First Indigenous and Cree-speaking judge.

After obtaining his Law Degree from the University of Saskatchewan, he was appointed to the Provincial Court in 2001 and retired in 2019.

Morin completed a one-year social work certificate in 1973, from Saskatchewan Polytechnic and went on to work as a probation officer in Northern Saskatchewan.

He received his certificate in social work from the University of Regina in 1978 and his Bachelor of Social Work degree in 1979.

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After graduating, he practiced law in Prince Albert at the Pandila-Morin Law Office, appearing in all levels of court including the Supreme Court of Canada.

As a speaker of three Cree dialects, Morin was often asked to be an interpreter to clients in the courtroom.

Gov. Gen. Mary Simon announced Thursday that Morin and 98 others are being appointed to the Order of Canada.

Among the heavy hitters of academia, science, medicine, law and the arts are hockey star Sidney Crosby, currently the captain of the NHL’s Pittsburgh Penguins, famed Hollywood impressionist Rich Little and esteemed Quebec actor Michel Côté.

Two existing appointees are being promoted to become companions to the order, the honour roll’s highest status — beloved actor Eugene Levy and Nova Scotia businessman John Bragg.

Another new officer in the order is Harry LaForme, who became Canada’s first Indigenous appellate court judge in 2004.

LaForme and Juanita Westmoreland-Traoré delivered a report to the federal justice minister in late 2021 that envisions an independent commission to consider wrongful conviction applications. And he is taking on cases related to the over-incarceration of Indigenous Peoples in his role as senior counsel at Olthuis Kleer Townshend LLP.

The Governor General will offer the awardees their Order of Canada insignia at an investiture ceremony, with the details yet to be announced.

–With files from The Canadian Press and the University of Saskatchewan