BarTalk April 1999
Volume 11, Number 2

At age 39, Bill Bennett returned to law school. He and Beth, his wife, left behind their fly fishing business in Northern Manitoba and the Northwest Territories to move to Ontario. Bill grad-uated from Queens in 1992, articled for Larson Baron, and then practiced in Kelowna. In 1994, he joined Steidl, Kambeitz in Cranbrook.

Cranbrook, and in particular the Cranbrook Chamber of Commerce, was waiting for someone just like Bill. Karin Penner, Chamber of Commerce Manager says Bill, “took the Chamber of Commerce to new heights through his leadership.” He also joined the Rotary Club and the Cranbrook and District Chamber of Commerce. In 1997, he was elected president of the Chamber and was re-elected for a second term in 1998. He was chosen as “Businessman of the Year” both years.

Bill has been involved in several projects through the Chamber of Commerce. He acted as a liaison between the City of Cranbrook and the Ministry of Transportation and Highways, when there was a proposed major realignment of Highway 3 through Cranbrook. Another big Cranbrook project is the proposed multi purpose recreation complex. This project had been discussed for a number of years. “The Project Society (a group of volunteers meeting about the new facility for a number of years) and the city were miles apart,” said Karin. “Bill brought them together, which made the city’s referendum possible.” The complex is scheduled for completion in 2000.

Bill is presently Executive at Large of the BC Chamber of Commerce, and is incoming Vice-Chair. John Winter, President of the BC Chamber of Commerce believes that in two years when Bill becomes Chair of the BC Chamber of Commerce “we will have an exemplary professional as chairman of the largest business organization in the province.” If Bill’s work on a provincial level is anything like his work in Cranbrook, BC will have great things to look forward to. “I could never begin--ever, ever--to imagine how many hours that man has spent volunteering for the community,” says Karin.

This article was published in the April 1999 issue of BarTalk and is subject to the copyright by the British Columbia Branch of the Canadian Bar Association, 2005, all rights reserved.