James H. Bocking Memorial Award

Presentation by Robert A. Morin
Deputy Commissioner of Competition

for Jo'Anne Strekaf

CBA Annual Fall Conference

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It is my honour tonight to thank Jo'Anne Strekaf for the contribution she has made to the founding and the success of the James H. Bocking Memorial Award that is presented every year as part of the Annual Conference of the Competition Law Section of the Canadian Bar Association. The award is given annually for the best scholarly paper or article submitted to the Section on a subject relating to Canadian competition law or policy. It consists of a monetary prize in an amount based on the income and assets of the James H. Bocking Memorial Fund, as well as a complementary registration for the Section's Annual Conference at which the award will be presented.

Jim Bocking's contribution to the development of competition law and policy in Canada, as a long time member of the Competition Bureau, is well-known to many of us here tonight. Jim worked for the Bureau from 1972 until his untimely death in 1999. He is remembered for his tireless work in many areas, including the petroleum inquiry of the 1970s and 1980s, his contribution to the Services Branch and Resources Branch during those years, and finally for his dedicated leadership as an Assistant Deputy Director of Investigation and Research in the Mergers Branch in the latter part of his career.

Beyond his significant achievements as case officer, team leader, and manager during his career at the Bureau, Jim is fondly remembered for his gifts as a teacher and mentor to all Bureau staff who had the pleasure to work with him. Jim was a natural teacher, often taking up marker or chalk to work through problems and issues being discussed by case teams he worked on or led. His knowledge and patience engendered genuine respect and trust in those that had the privilege of working with him through the years.

It is a sign of the esteem in which Jim was, and is still, held, that immediately following his passing, members of the CBA Competition Law Section executive expressed the desire to create an award that would honour Jim's memory. Jo'Anne Strekaf, who served as chair of the Competition Law Section for 1998-1999, was instrumental in establishing the James H. Bocking Memorial Award. Jo'Anne worked closely with Jim when she acted as counsel for the Competition Bureau on the Superior/ICG propane merger. Earlier, she was counsel on the Gemini litigation and so knew Jim both as colleague and adversary. It was Jo'Anne who was responsible for creating and leading the selection process, working with the review panel each year and ultimately for the fact that today the Award is seen as an integral part of the Annual Conference.

I am pleased to offer, on behalf of all the Section members, this token of our appreciation for Jo'Anne's efforts in establishing and guiding the award through its formative years.