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PAGE 4 NEWS JuLy 13/20, 2009 • Law Times OBA mourns loss of Heather McArthur BY ROBERT TODD Law Times the director of continuing legal T he Ontario Bar Associa- tion is mourning the loss of Heather McArthur, education credited for helping the association develop a suite of top-notch CLE programs. "She was the heart and soul of CLE at the OBA through- out all these years," says Missis- sauga lawyer Peter Wilson, who worked closely with McArthur as an active contributor to the OBA's CLE programming, at one time acting as chairman of the association's committee on that file. "She made us better than we When it comes to IP in Canada, We're Well Read Ridout & Maybee LLP: Editors of the Canadian Patent Reporter it all starts somewhere www.ridoutmaybee.com were. She really did. She made sure that the programs that were delivered and the performance by the speakers, con- tent of those pro- grams, how they were presented, the quality of the bro- chures, how they were explained . . . that was Heather. The lawyers didn't sit around editing that stuff. She's the one who took the time." McArthur, who was 58, died adds that she was a stickler for details with all of the OBA's CLE offerings. "She read every- Heather McArthur was the 'heart and soul of CLE at the OBA.' thing," he says. "She read all the brochure copy, she read all the program notes, she read the descriptions. And she edited them fiercely, to make sure they said what they should say." He adds that McArthur always following a battle with cancer. She arrived at the OBA in Feb- ruary 1990, and over the years acted as director of CLE, director of technology, and acting execu- tive director. Before arriving at the OBA, she worked at the Art Gal- lery of Ontario, where she is cred- ited with the installation of the Henry Moore Collection. Wilson was introduced to McArthur in the early 1990s, when he got involved in continuing legal education at the OBA. He recalls being very impressed by McArthur at the time, and adds that, "I've been impressed by her ever since." Says Wilson, "She was an ex- tremely engaged, enthusiastic, and knowledgeable CLE special- ist, and was a tremendous help for me. I leaned on her greatly to know the ins and outs, and the ropes, if you will, in terms of de- veloping a CLE program." He considered McArthur "a tower of strength in CLE." McArthur's work ethic stood out, says Wilson, as she often worked long days out of passion for the job she was doing. He Ridout_LT_Feb9-16_09.indd 1 ANNOUNCEMENT Indian Residential Schools Adjudication Secretariat Secrétariat d'adjudication des pensionnats indiens seeks applicants for the contract position of DEPUTY-CHIEF ADJUDICATOR The Indian Residential Schools Adjudication Secretariat is seeking to engage the services of a Deputy-Chief Adjudicator to assist the Chief Adjudicator with the adjudication of claims in French and to monitor the work completed by French speaking and bilingual adjudicators. The "Request for Proposals (RFP)" will be available through the Government's electronic tendering service (GETS). The RFP is open to all qualified firms and/or individuals. Information on the IAP model is set out in the Settlement Agreement, which can be found on-line at: www.residentialschoolsettlement.ca How to Apply: Individuals and firms wishing to propose their services can obtain all relevant details and related Request for Proposal documents from the Government's electronic tendering service (GETS) - MERX website. The RFPs will be posted between June 30th and August 11th 2009. To obtain access to GETS bulletin board, individuals and firms must register on-line at www.merx.com. Registered users can then search for a Request for Proposal documents under solicitation number: 20-09-0034 - Deputy Chief Adjudication Services. There is a service fee to download the documentation from MERX. Please address any questions to Vera Olivier at 613-949-9985 or olivierv@ainc-inac.gc.ca. 2/5/09 10:52:55 AM kept her cool on the job, even though "lawyers can sometimes be difficult to work with — I don't think I'm speaking out of school saying that. You know, on occa- sion, we have exaggerated egos." Says Wilson, "No matter what crisis or problem that might arise, she was always the centre for calm and reason. And that affected her staff; her staff approached it the way she approached it." He notes that the chairpersons of the OBA's various sections are always quick to praise staff for their efforts at the OBA's annual Institute Conference. "That starts with Heather, because she was their guiding light — the one who they looked up to." OBA past president Erica James credits McArthur for pulling the association together. "She was one of the people who really made the association such a family of hard workers," she says. "She was one of the tre- mendous stars that we have there. But she did stand out because she pulled everyone together and she was calm in the face of crisis. "She was thoughtful. In my case, she would call me up before out-of-town meetings and would say, 'Do you need a ride out there?' She went above and be- yond with that kind of personal caring — a part of what makes, I think, the OBA such a family for all of those who have been so fortunate to have been involved with the bar association on a long-term and intimate basis." McArthur also spearheaded the association's efforts in expanding its use of technology, says Wilson. "She realized how important technology was to delivering ser- vices to members," he says. "She really took the lead at the OBA at organizing the OBA to deliver its services, and most particularly the CLE, on the web . . . I think she realized early on that it was important, and she drove it." McArthur leaves behind her spouse Paul Truster; son Colm Oswell; and siblings Barbara and Peter Howatt, Mac McArthur, and Doug McMahon. LT Correction The June 29/July 6 issue of Law Times included a story called, Gag on SCC law clerks has 'chilling effect.' It was incorrectly re- The United Church of Canada The Anglican Church of Canada The Presbyterian Church in Canada Fifty Roman Catholic Entities Inuvialuit Regional Corporation Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated Makivik Corporation Untitled-8 1 www.lawtimesnews.com ported that Indiana Univer- sity professor David We- iden co-authored the book The Brethren. Weiden and Artemus Ward in fact co- authored The Sorcerers' Ap- prentices: 100 Years of Law Clerks at the United States Supreme Court. Law Times apologizes for the error. 7/8/09 3:36:11 PM