Dickson, Brian, 1916-1998 : Brian Dickson, son of Thomas and Sarah (Gibson) Dickson, was born in Yorkton, Saskatchewan in 1916. He was educated at the Regina Collegiate Institute and the University of Manitoba, whence he received an LLB in 1938. Although Dickson was called to the bar in 1940, the Second World War intervened. He served in the Royal Canadian Artillery from 1940 to 1945. He was severely wounded in the battle on August 26, 1944 and lost one leg. He married Barbara Sellars in 1943.
From 1945 to 1963, Dickson practised law in Winnipeg with Akins, MacAulay, Moffat, Dickson, Hinch and McGavin; he also lectured at the University of Manitoba from 1948 to 1954. He was appointed a judge on the Manitoba Court of Queen's Bench in 1963, and he served as judge on the Manitoba Court of Appeal from 1967 to 1973. Dickson was named a puisne judge of the Supreme Court of Canada in 1973, and from 1984 to 1990 he served as Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Canada.
His community involvements included service as Chancellor of the Anglican Church's Diocese of Rupert's Land, 1960-1971, and as Chairman of the University of Manitoba's Board of Governors from 1971-1973. After retiring from the Supreme Court in 1990 he made significant contributions in many areas including justice for aboriginal peoples, civil justice reform, military justice, and international law. In 1991, Dickson was asked by the Prime Minister to determine the composition and mandate for the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples. In 1994, he was appointed as one of Canada's representatives to the Extraordinary Challenge Committee, a binational committee set up under NAFTA to review trade disputes. In 1995, he chaired the Special Commission on the Restructuring of the Reserves and later the Special Advirory Group on Military Justice and Military Police Investigation Services. In 1995, he served as Honorary Chair of the Systems of Civil Justice Task Force from 1996 to 1997 and of the Implementation Committee from 1997 to 1998.
In recognition for Brian Dickson's substantial contribution to Canadian society, he was appointed Companion of the Order of Canada October 25, 1990. He has received numerous other awards for his humanitarian work and service to the Government of Canada. They include the Royal Bank Award, the Vimy Award and, posthumously, the Canadian Forces Medallion for Distinguish Service. Mr. Dickson died on October 17, 1998. He was 82.
