Law Times

PAGE 2 Ontario lawyers journey to North Pole NEWS A BY ROBERT TODD Law Times Th under Bay lawyer recently added to his long list of contribu- tions for persons with a dis- ability, becoming the fi rst in- dividual with quadriplegia to reach the North Pole. David Shannon, who has quadriplegia due to a spinal cord injury suff ered when he was 18, says his feat was personally grati- fying. But he adds, "Th e greater gratifi cation has been to feel like I'm contributing to the greater awareness people with disabilities." He also is happy to be part of the worldwide eff ort to include all peoples, pointing to the re- cent United Nations Conven- tion on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities as an example of progress on the issue. "Th is is just part of a much bigger international movement that's really starting to mature," he says. "To be part of a con- tribution to that larger human rights movement is probably the most satisfying." Fellow Th under Bay lawyer Christopher Watkins — who suff ers from a signifi cant form of of the potential of some way to northern Canada." But it wasn't David Shannon arthritis — joined Shannon for the journey to the North Pole. "It was an extremely gratify- ing experience to be there when David reached the North Pole. Th ere's no dream too big to dream, there's no dream too big to realize," Watkins says. Shannon says his prepara- tion for the adventure began in 1997, when he wheeled across Canada in support of greater so- cial inclusion. Th at 9,000-kilo- metre journey took 197 days to fi nish and involved some 5,000 volunteers and participants. "Th e idea has really been with 2003 that the pair got into more substantial discussions of the journey. Th ey embarked on "se- rious planning" starting in 2006, says Shannon. Th ey have been working on it on a "full-time" basis for the six months before their departure, he says. "I've been very busy with that the past six months — plus my practice," he says, adding that the pair met on weekends and evenings to prepare everything from travel logistics to learning arctic survival techniques. Th e physical training also added up — although Shannon is re- stricted in the types of exercises he can do, he did a signifi cant amount of aerobic and resis- tance training. Th ermal retention problems until around also forced them to source out the best gear possible to make sure Shannon was protected from the elements, while re- maining mobile. "Th ere's good stress and bad me ever since then," he says. "I felt, having gone from coast to coast, I still wanted to point northward, and still reach out in may 4, 2009 • Law Times stress — this truly was a joy . . . It was hard work, but also a lot of fun," he says. About a dozen volunteers helped Shannon throughout his preparation, with at least Thunder Bay lawyers David Shannon (left) and Christopher Watkins travelled to the North Pole. Shannon is the first indi- vidual with quadriplegia to accomplish the feat. three dozen total participating in various stages. He says all of the help came from inside the Th under Bay community. Shannon says "it was most surreal" when he reached the North Pole, noting that an in- fection he suff ered just before leaving for the journey had led to questions whether he would even be able to attempt the feat. "It was such a massive un- dertaking that it still didn't quite seem like it was happen- ing," he says. While he didn't suff er any for a long time, and I'm just very proud of being able to put that symbol somewhere it's never been before." Th e journey also raised Shannon's interest in circum- polar law, he says. "I'm getting the sense that it specifi c injuries, Shannon says the cold defi nitely took a toll after his adrenaline dropped. "About a day after I got back, I felt like a truck hit me," he says. "Shoulders were sore, arms were sore — it just felt like I had gone 12 rounds and had just been pounded out." He took a few days off after returning to rest up before re- suming his practice. Watkins, however, suff ered some frostbite to his hands, but is expected to fully recover, says Shannon. Shannon says that perhaps No, we don't really think of ourselves as superheroes (although, we do regularly appear just in time to save the day) E-discovery requires expertise, strategic understanding, diligence and a uniquely collaborative approach. Fortunately, we have access to the most talented litigation support experts through our broad network of industry leaders and our ever-expanding database of over 30,000 legal professionals. Keep your e-discovery requirements in-house by recruiting our e-discovery experts. For seamless integration with the shortest possible search time – whatever your needs … whether it be one expert, a team, direct hire, temporary or contract. Just call us. We'll be there! • Phone: (416) 363-7227 • Fax: (416) 363-6125 • kentlegal.com • www.lawtimesnews.com the most satisfying moment for him happened when he placed a wheelchair accessible parking sign on the North Pole. When he reached that point, he said, "Th is sign represents all peoples who have faced challenges or adversity in their lives and have dreamed of overcoming them. If we as people work together in our homes, our cities, our countries, and in our global village, there is no dream that cannot be realized," according to a statement on his web site for the trek. "Th at wasn't so much about me," Shannon tells Law Times. "It was quite symbolic of the disability community's eff ort to remove barriers for the past 40 years," he says. "Th at uni- versal symbol has been around certainly is a fi le for the Cana- dian government that is grow- ing ever larger and ever more important . . . Having been that close to it, I have a sense that it's going to be, for the next couple of decades, incredibly impor- tant to Canada," he says. Watkins practises criminal, real estate, civil, and criminal injuries compensation law. Shannon received his law degree from Dalhousie Law School in Halifax, and later at- tended the London School of Economics for LLM studies. While there, he focused on the advancement of second-gener- ation human rights norms. He has received various hon- ours throughout his life, includ- ing the Queen's Jubilee Medal for his work on human rights and community service. He was the founding chairman of the Accessibility Advisory Council of Ontario, and a member of the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario. He currently sits on the boards of the Canadian As- sociation of Independent Liv- ing Centres, the Council of Canadians and the Tetra Society of On- tario. He also represented the Canadian Association of Inde- pendent Living Centres in Au- gust 2006 at United Nations talks at the Convention on the Rights and Dignity of Persons With a Disability. His law practice is concen- trated mainly on the areas of human rights and health law. While a new challenge has yet to be planned, Shannon says he "has the bug" to embark on an- other adventure. with Disabilities, LT

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