RSS FeedIacobucci: Recognizing History of Residential Schools a “Necessary Step”
Notes from a keynote speech by Justice Iacobucci at the Federation of Asian Canadian Lawyers (FACL) Fall Conference.
Grew up in the East End of Vancouver, where there was lots of diversity of people from many backgrounds. Justice Iacobucci noted that he entered the law exactly 50 years ago, in 1959, when he graduated from UBC. There wasn’t a lot of visible minorities in the profession back then. There also wasn’t a lot of “funny names” in it back then. He recalls that when he told by one of his undergraduate professors that he wanted to do law that he shouldn’t go, “You don’t have the right name for it.” But another told him that he should, because “Canada is changing.”
Canada is changing, and the proof is the numbers of visible minorities that are entering law, a profession that historically has not been welcoming to women or minorities. But there is more to do with inclusiveness, and creating strength in diversity.
He started by reminding us all that everyone in Canada can be put into two groups – native Americans, and the rest of us are immigrants. It’s just a question of timing. We’re all immigrants. Many come with values, and not much else going for them. But those values, with an opportunity, can accomplish a lot.
Not all of us have had those opportunities. The focus of Justice Iacobucci’s talk was on the Aboriginal Residential School file, one of the most challenging files he was exposed to. The talk was not about the legal aspects, but rather how a country deals with its past in a way that is fair and honourable.
