Canadian Bar Association, British Columbia
Joseph J. Arvay, Q.C. with the Victoria/Vancouver firm Arvay, Finlay is the recipient of this award, which celebrates the accomplishments of a lawyer who has succeeded in advancing equality in the legal profession or generally in B.C. The award recognizes significant contributions to improving the status of women, people with disabilities, people of colour, Aboriginal people or peoples, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgendered or two-spirited people, or people who are members of historically marginalized communities.

John Dixon, Vice President of the B.C. Civil Liberties Association, summarizes Arvay’s contributions by saying, “I can think of very few (people) who, while not themselves a member of an equality-seeking group, have worked more ably, tenaciously, and selflessly for the equality and diversity rights of Canadians than has Joseph Arvay.”