The Honourable Asa Milton Harradence was born in Blaine Lake, Saskatchewan, on April 23, 1922. 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 B.A. in 1949 and his LL.B. 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 August 10, 1951. Harradence married Catherine Richardson in 1950 and together they had three children Rod, Bruce and Catherine. Tragically, his sons predeceased him, one was killed in an airplane rescue mission, the other in a motorcycle accident. 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. For the under-funded party, his flying abilities came in handy as the campaign was reduced to Harradence flying solo in his Mustang plane around the province as he campaigned during the election. In 1964 Harradence resigned and was replaced by fellow Calgary lawyer Peter Lougheed. <p>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. However, 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. <p>While practising law Milt Harradence primarily focussed 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). <p>Harradence was senior partner in the firm of Harradence and Company when he was appointed to the bench in 1979. He was named QC on December 31, 1969. On February 9, 1993, Harradence was appointed Honorary 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. A retirement dinner was held in his honour at the Fairmont Palliser Hotel. On February 28, 2008, at the age of 82 Milt Harradence passed away. Alberta newspapers decreed the loss of "Legal Eagle" who had enchanted the legal community with his unique style and cultivated the rights of citizens throughout Canada.</p>
