Mr. Barry Pepper

Barry Pepper, one of the original members of The Advocates’ Society formed in 1966, provides a detailed account of the organization’s early years and his pivotal role as president from 1974-1976. He discusses the Society’s founding by prominent barristers including Joseph Sedgwick, Isadore Levinter, and David Walker, who were concerned about educating young barristers in advocacy skills that the Law Society’s courses did not adequately address.

The interview extensively covers the ambitious but financially perilous Campbell House project initiated by Walter Williston. This involved purchasing and moving the 1822 Georgian house from Cabbagetown to University Avenue in 1972, at enormous cost including $100,000 to American house movers from Yonkers. Pepper describes the complex negotiations with Canada Life for the site, Heritage Canada funding difficulties, and the dramatic house move through downtown Toronto on Good Friday 1972.

Pepper’s presidency coincided with the Society’s most financially precarious period, when debts approached $400,000. He details his successful fundraising efforts, including securing $100,000 from the Sam McLaughlin Foundation through connections made in Bermuda, organizing the famous gold plate raffle donated by Joseph Tannenbaum, and the Queen Mother’s opening of Campbell House in 1974. His leadership helped reduce the debt to manageable levels and established the Society’s educational programs and international conferences, beginning with trips to Ireland in 1970 and England in 1972.

This description was written by AI and may contain some inaccuracies.