Brian Dickson - Career

Career

Dickson was born to Thomas Dickson and Sarah Elizabeth Gibson, in Yorkton, Saskatchewan, in 1916. Thus his later childhood and young adulthood occurred during the Great Depression and the Dust Bowl years.

The family moved to Winnipeg, where Dickson attended the University of Manitoba. As a member of the Zeta Psi fraternity, he graduated with an LL.B in 1938. His first permanent job was with the Great-West Life Assurance Company.

Dickson was called to the bar in 1940, during the Second World War. He subsequently enlisted in the armed forces and served overseas. In August 1944, during a battle near Falaise, Dickson's right leg was hit by friendly fire and had to be amputated.

Upon his return to Winnipeg in 1945, Dickson joined the law firm of Aikins, Loftus, MacAulay, Turner, Thompson & Tritschler and became a successful corporate lawyer. He also lectured at the Faculty of Law of the University of Manitoba for six years, until 1954.

In 1963 he was appointed to the Court of Queen's Bench of Manitoba and in 1967 was elevated to the Manitoba Court of Appeal. He was appointed to the Supreme Court of Canada on March 26, 1973. On April 18, 1984, he was elevated to Chief Justice over the more senior Roland Ritchie. He served on the Supreme Court for 17 years before retiring on June 30, 1990. He died on October 17, 1998, at the age of 82.