Asa Milton Harradence - Portrait
- A-7124
- Item
- [between 1945 and 1949]
Head and shoulders image of Milt Harradence, Law student and member of the tennis and boxing teams.
Bio/Historical Note: The Honourable Asa Milton Harradence was born 23 April 1922 in Blaine Lake, Saskatchewan. He served as a Flight-Sergeant Pilot with the Royal Canadian Air Force in World War II, transferring to the Canadian Infantry in 1944. Between 1945 and 1950 he attended the University of Saskatchewan and received his BA in 1949 and his LLB in 1950. In 1950 he came to Alberta to article with the Calgary firm of Nolan Chambers (now Bennett Jones LLP) before being admitted to the Alberta bar on 16 August 1951. Harradence married Catherine Richardson in 1950 and together they had three children. Tragically, his sons predeceased him; Rod was killed in an airplane rescue mission (1986), and Bruce in a motorcycle accident (2003). In addition to his legal career, Harradence became involved in a number of civic activities, including politics. His first foray into this arena was a short stint in 1957. In 1962, an incursion into provincial politics saw Milt as leader of the Progressive Conservative party from 1962-1964 and as a candidate for Calgary West in the 1963 election. In 1964 Harradence resigned and was replaced by fellow Calgary lawyer Peter Lougheed. Starting in 1970 Harradence acted as Bencher for four terms at the Law Society of Alberta, an appointment which marked the first criminal lawyer elected to the position and signaling a move towards a more inclusive Bench. Yet another attempt at civic duty was taken when Harradence became chairman of the Calgary Convention Centre Authority. Scandal broke out in 1975 over the bugging of convention meetings and a tell-all documentary by reporter Ralph Klein. In the late 1970s Harradence became actively involved with the western rights movement, becoming spokesperson for a short time for the Independent Association of Alberta. While practising law Harradence primarily focused as a criminal lawyer and in 1975 was named one of the top ten criminal defence attorneys in Canada by "Canadian Magazine". Milt Harradence played a prominent role in the Laycraft inquiry into Royal American Shows, a case that made headlines across Alberta in 1975 (RCMP investigation on alleged kickback and bribery scheme involving the Royal American Shows carnival at the Edmonton Exhibition). Harradence was senior partner in the firm of Harradence and Company when he was appointed to the bench in 1979. He was named Queen’s Counsel 31 December 1969. On 9 February 1993 Harradence was appointed honourary colonel of the 416 Tactical Fighter Squadron in Cold Lake, Alberta. As a result of his background in criminal law Harradence was the only private individual in Alberta permitted to carry a concealed, restricted firearm. He retired as a Supernumerary Justice from the Court of Appeal in 1997. Milt Harradence died 28 February 2008 in Calgary.
