Canadian Lawyer

College of Law, University of Saskatchewan Standing near the display case, Hannay painted a graphic picture of how as a 15-year-old farm boy he saw the neighbours free Harris. How in pouring rain, wind, and lightning Harris' tractor was jacked up and the injured farmer then put in the back of a car that Hannay, who was on a tractor, had to tow to the main road because of the deep mud on the concession roads. Harris never mentioned the will but a neighbour found it soon after Harris died and the rest, it can honestly be said, is history. After Hannay's presentation, law students, faculty, and members of the public lined up to get Hannay's autograph on a copy of the Harris will. The modest retired farmer from Rosetown, Sask., enjoyed signing the souvenirs, Cecil George Harris scratched his will out on this tractor fender. getting his picture taken, and chatting with the crowd. He remarked that as a 15-year-old boy he had no idea that night he was becoming part of history. College of Law dean Rajeev Anand said, "Law is about very human stories and the story behind this will is about a community coming together." Professor Doug Surtees said every year he brings his wills and estates students down to the display to see one of the great examples of a holograph will. "It is symbolic of Prairie practicality and an example of the utility of holograph wills in times of danger or poverty," Surtees said. The public is welcome to visit the display during library hours and the librarians say it is not unusual for curious visitors from around the world to ask to see the Harris will. — Geoff Ellwand writerlaw@gmail.com West Calgary courthouse to boost security L ast July at around 3:30 a.m. one morning, a 29-yearold man "well known to police" according to Calgary Police inspector Guy Baker, crashed a pickup truck into the front lobby window of the downtown steeland-glass Calgary Courts Centre. The driver succeeded in smashing into the building in spite of dozens of post-Sept. 11 bollards and planters strategically positioned to protect the courts from just such an attack. It appears the man managed to find a way through the maze of obstacles by driving almost a full block along a city sidewalk. A security review was led by Alberta Justice. Observers were left wondering how the experts who designed the system could have failed to detect the now-obvious chink in the building's armour. In this case the court lobby was penetrated by one man armed with nothing more than a Ford pickup, but the potential for something significantly more dangerous to happen is now plainly obvious. "We want to address any existing problems," said Ian Roddick of Alberta's Justice and Solicitor General Ministry. "We take these kinds of incidents very seriously . . . we are considering all options . . . including potentially adding additional impediments to the courthouse exterior." Roddick offered no timelines on when the work might be done and he pointed out any sidewalk changes may take city involvement. This has not been the only recent incident at the downtown building. Less than a year ago there was a bomb scare when a man carrying a suspicious package was stopped by sheriff 's officers going through the courthouse's airport-style screening. Officers regularly detect dozens of weapons and potential weapons. While acknowledging a safe courthouse is essential to the orderly conduct of trials, D'arcy DePoe, past president of Alberta's Criminal Trial Lawyers Association, says most criminal lawyers are not concerned about security. "Our members don't feel insecure," he told Canadian Lawyer from his downtown Edmonton law office. But DePoe did concede that the recent spate of incidents at the Calgary Courts Centre has "set off some alarm bells" in the profession. — GE www.CANADIAN L a w ye r m a g . c o m Jan uary 2014 11

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