Merv Leitch, QC, Memorial Lecture

The Merv Leitch, QC, Memorial Lecture was established in honor of C. Mervin Leitch, BA, LLB, QC, who passed away in 1990. Mr. Leitch served in the Royal Canadian Navy and was a member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta from 1971 to 1982, during which he served as Attorney General, Provincial Treasurer, and Minister of Energy and Natural Resources. Outside of his time in politics Mr. Leitch was a partner with Macleod Dixon (now Norton Rose Fulbright Canada LLP) in Calgary, served as President of the Calgary Bar Association and as a Bencher of the Law Society of Alberta. In addition to acting as a director for several Canadian corporations, he was also on the Board of the Canadian Institute of Resources Law at the University of Calgary.

The Merv Leitch QC Memorial Lecture series was established by the late Peter Lougheed and other friends and associates of Mr. Leitch to honor the significant contributions he made while serving his fellow Albertans. This lecture is funded through an endowment established by friends and associates of Mr. Leitch. The endowment allows for lectures to be held on topics of public importance. Since 1991, lectures have been delivered by the following distinguished speakers:

  • 1991 The Honorable E. Peter Lougheed, PC, CC, QC
  • 1992 The Honorable Allen E. Blakeney, PC, OC, QC
  • 1993 The Right Honorable Brian Dickson, PC, CC, CD
  • 1994 The Honorable Mr. Willard Z. Estey, CC, QC
  • 1995 Mr. Ronald D. Southern, CBE, CC
  • 1996 The Honorable Marc Lalonde, PC, OC, KC
  • 1999 The Honorable Madam Justice Rosalie Silberman Abella
  • 2002 Dr. Harry Arthurs, OC, OO, FRSC
  • 2003 Professor Donald McRae, FRSC
  • 2004 The Honorable Mr. Justice Gérard La Forest, PC, OC, KC
  • 2005 Mr. Pierre Marc Johnson, GOQ, FRSC
  • 2006 Professor Mayo Moran
  • 2007 Professor Stephen McCaffrey
  • 2008 The Honorable E. Peter Lougheed, PC, CC, QC
  • 2009 Mr. Richard Stallman
  • 2010 Ms. Meg Kinnear
  • 2011 The Honorable Mr. Justice Thomas Albert Cromwell
  • 2012 Mr. Joseph J. Arvay, QC
  • 2013 Ms. Chrystia Freeland, Editor, Thomson Reuters Digital
  • 2014 Mr. Andrew Coyne, columnist, Post Media News
  • 2015 Mr. David Loukidelis, KC, Information and Privacy Commissioner
  • 2016 Mr. Gordon D. Giffin, Chair of the Public Policy and Regulation Department of Denton’s U.S. LLP
  • 2017 Mr. Nik Nanos, Chairman, Nanos Research Corporation Research
  • 2018 Mr. Warren Kinsella, KC, President of The Daisy Group
  • 2019 Mr. Richard Painter, Professor at the University of Minnesota Law School
  • 2021 Ms. Vassy Kapelos, host of Power and Politics, CBC Ottawa
  • 2022 Ms. Paula Simons, Senator of Canada
  • 2023 Ian Hanomansing, Canadian Journalist and Host of CBC’s The National