Richard GATHERCOLE

With sadness we announce the passing of Dick on June 15, 2024 from cancer. Survived by sister Carol Heeney (John), brother Bill Gathercole (Hope), nieces Sue Harrison (Mike), Carey Heeney (Patrick Parenteau), Heather Jolivette (Eric), Christopher Gathercole (Veronica), and Dawn Munro (Christopher) and 10 great-nieces and nephews. He will be greatly missed by his family and especially Gerry Thorne and Julia Hall - loyal and caring friends of many years. He was born in Montreal April 25, 1940 but grew up in La Tuque, Quebec. Some of his academic accomplishments were Tricolour Award and gold metal for Politics at Queen's University and gold metal at U of T law school. He was always a scholar, intellect and voracious reader interested in politics, sports, economics, and other topics. His legal journey included a Bay St. law firm, Executive Director of Parkdale Legal Services, and Counsel to the Deputy Attorney General for the Province of Ontario. He was also a Professor at U of T Law School and Director of the Clinical Law program. In 1981, he moved to Vancouver being recruited to be the new Executive Director of the BC Public Advocacy Centre and was there for many years. During this time, he worked hard doing what we would call" poverty law," advocating to stop reductions in welfare rates and pushing against increases in hydro and other regulatory matters for which he became well-known. He was Chair and CEO of the BC Energy Council under the then NDP government. In1986, he ran unsuccessfully for the NDP in Vancouver Point Grey. He was appointed as Consumer Director and Commissioner of the federal complaints against telecommunications in Ottawa which he enjoyed for several years. He was an adjunct Professor of Law at University of Victoria, a guest lecturer at Simon Fraser University and Chair of the Administrative Law Section of the BC branch of the Canadian Bar Association. He was an also Director of the Vancouver Dance Centre. Cremation has taken place. If desired, a donation in Dick's memory to Doctors Without Borders would be appreciated.