Fort William First Nation Catherine Banning makes history as second Indigenous lay bencher of the Law Society of Ontario

By Rick Garrick

WARE TOWNSHIP — Fort William’s Catherine Banning was recently appointed as the second Indigenous lay bencher in the about 224-year history of the Law Society of Ontario. The Law Society of Ontario is governed by a board of directors, known as benchers, which includes 20 lawyers from Toronto, 20 lawyers from the rest of Ontario, five paralegals, and eight lay benchers. The lay benchers, who are non-lawyers and non-paralegals, are appointed by the Lieutenant Governor-in-Council.

“I was really excited and honoured to be asked — to me, the legal system in Ontario has a long history with Indigenous people and not always an amicable or a good history,” says Banning, general manager at Maawandoon Inc. “To some degree, it’s a lack of understanding and a lack of knowledge on both parts.”

Banning says it was important to get involved to “bring the Indigenous perspective to the Law Society.”

“And as a layperson, as a non-lawyer, to bring also the general population perspective,” Banning says. “So I’m an Indigenous layperson, that to me is what the Law Society could use, and they are committed to reconciliation and to diversity and inclusivity. So it was mutually a good fit.”

Banning says she attended her first meeting via the Zoom platform in early March after being appointed on Feb. 18.

“It was a nice awakening to what it’s all about — for the first meeting, I had 1,300 pages of reading to prepare for it, so it’s a lot of work,” Banning says. “It’s exciting work — I’m interested in the law. I’m not a lawyer and I didn’t take law in school although I did take it as an elective in one of my college years, so it’s just something that’s always been of interest to me.”

Banning says the benchers normally meet at Osgoode Hall in Toronto.

“I’m looking forward to face-to-face meetings and getting to meet people, not just face-to-face but also to have a tour of Osgoode Hall because it’s such a historic building,” Banning says. “But right now, everything is by Zoom and I have no idea how long it’s going to last.”

Banning says she has received “really positive feedback” since she was appointed as a lay bencher.

“The Ontario Native Women’s Association sent me congratulations,” Banning says. “I’ve been receiving a lot of positive feedback from within my community — they’re very proud, of course, to have a Fort William First Nation representative on the Law Society. That’s a first for them.”

Banning says she has received support from Indigenous benchers Etienne Esquega, principal lawyer at Esquega Law Office and Biinjitiwaabik Zaaging Anishinaabek citizen, and Dianne Corbiere, managing partner at Nahwegahbow Corbiere – Genoodmagejig and M’Chigeeng citizen.

“They’ve been good mentors since I joined the Law Society,” Banning says. “I’ve been on Zooms with them and they’ve been sort of coaching me and giving me advice. But there’s only the three of us.”

Banning says she feels that she thrives more when she has “a lot on my plate as opposed to very little to do.”

“I’m one of those kind of people that if I have lots to do I just get into mode and go for it,” Banning says. “I enjoy being really busy. I like reading, so the fact of the meetings having volumes of documents to read, that’s right up my alley as well.”

Banning previously worked with a credit union in Thunder Bay for 27 years, including as chief credit officer, before working with Nokiiwin Tribal Council and Anishinaabek North Ltd.