Senior Master Foster Rodger

Master Foster Rodger (1917-) traces his journey from a small Saskatchewan village to becoming Senior Master of the Ontario Supreme Court. Born in Admiral, Saskatchewan, to a postmaster father and trained nurse mother, Rodger came east in 1935 to attend McMaster University, taking history and political economy as preparation for law. He articled at Osgoode Hall from 1940-43 with Plaxton & Company, working part-time in their offices while attending lectures.

After his call to the bar in 1943, Rodger joined Frame & Wilson, eventually becoming a partner in Frame & Rodger. His practice evolved from general solicitor’s work to significant litigation, including appellate work before the Court of Appeal and several cases before the Supreme Court of Canada. Notable cases included Train Brothers v. TTC regarding subway construction damages and various transport licensing matters before the Ontario Highway Transport Board.

In 1959, Rodger accepted appointment as City Solicitor for Hamilton, handling major municipal matters including annexations, urban renewal projects, and highway development. His successful negotiation with the provincial government on the Chedoke Expressway (now Highway 403) helped secure his 1965 appointment as Senior Master. From 1976-1980, he served as vice-chairman of the Williston Committee, undertaking a comprehensive rewrite of Ontario’s rules of civil procedure, reducing nearly 800 rules to approximately 60 organized rules that came into effect in 1985.

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