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The Distinguished Service Award

Call for Nominations for the 2026 Distinguished Service Award of the Manitoba Bar Association

This award is presented to a member of the Bench or Bar who exemplifies the ideals of service to the legal profession and the community. Members of the current Executive Committee of the Manitoba Bar Association are not eligible. 

The deadline for nominations is 4:00pm on Friday, September 26, 2025.  Nominations, which should include a copy of the candidate’s curriculum vitae and a cover letter outlining the reasons why the candidate should be selected, may be emailed to the MBA Office to the attention of Jessica Schofield at admin@cba-mb.ca.

An Ad Hoc Committee of MBA Past-Presidents will review the nominations received and make a recommendation to the MBA’s Executive Committee regarding the recipient of the 2026 Distinguished Service Award.

Past Recipients

2025 – Judge Mary Kate Harvie
2024 – Garth Smorang, K.C.
2023 – Grant Mitchell, K.C. 
2022 – Douglas Finkbeiner, K.C.
2021 – Donna Miller, K.C.
2020 – Chrys Pappas, K.C.
2019 – Justice Brenda Keyser
2018 – K. Eleanor Wiebe, K.C.
2017 – J. Guy Joubert
2016 – Justice Murray Sinclair
2015 – Justice Freda Steel
2014 – Alan Scarth, C.M., K.C.
2013 – Justice Marshall Rothstein
2012 – Judge John Guy
2011 – Roland Penner, C.M., K.C.
2010 – Justice Sylvia Guertin-Riley
2009 – Judge Ronald J. Meyers
2008 – David Matas
2007 – Professor D. Trevor Anderson, K.C.
2006 – Dr. Arthur Mauro, O.C., O.M., K.C.
2005 – The Honourable Alfred Monnin, O.C.
2004 – The Late Israel Harold Asper, O.C., K.C.
2003 – The Honourable Benjamin Hewak
2002 – Yude Henteleff, C.M., K.C.
2001 – Martin H. Freedman, K.C.
2000 – The Honourable Ruth Krindle
1999 – Chief Justice Richard J. Scott
1996 – The Honourable Charles R. Huband
1995 – Clifford H.C. Edwards, K.C.
1994 – Harold Buchwald, C.M., K.C.
1993 – J.F. Reeh Taylor, K.C.
1992 – A. Lorne Campbell, O.C., K.C.
1991 – Donald A. Thompson, K.C.
1990 – G. Campbell MacLean, K.C.
1989 – Frank O. Meighen, K.C.
1988 – To Ruth Matas in memory of the Honourable Roy Matas
1987 – The Honourable Frank Muldoon
1986 – The Honourable Samuel Freedman
1985 – Harry Walsh, K.C.
1984 – Judge Maxwell Cohen
1983 – Keith Turner, K.C.
1982 – The Honourable R.G.B. Dickson