Ottawa, September 1, 2026 – Loreley Chekay, K.C., begins her year at the helm of the Canadian Bar Association (CBA) intent on uniting Canada’s legal community around fundamental values. While Canadian legal professionals have varied backgrounds, roles, and perspectives, the Association’s incoming president sees opportunities for cooperation in pursuit of shared goals, such as securing adequate resources for the courts and defending the independence of the bench and bar.
Loreley Chekay is herself an example of the diverse routes one can take to the law. After studying biomechanics in her native Australia, where she both played on the University of Canberra women’s soccer team and coached the men’s, she completed her law degree with an exchange year at the University of Saskatchewan – and never looked back.
For much of the next two decades, she was a Senior Crown Prosecutor in Saskatchewan, before spending several years as General Counsel and Executive Vice President with Saskatchewan Government Insurance. Throughout, she has been a tireless volunteer with numerous sports and community organizations, notably receiving a Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee Medal for her volunteer work in 2023.
In nearly 25 years as a CBA member, Loreley has chaired the Saskatchewan Branch’s Young Lawyers Section and Criminal South Section and was Branch president in 2019-2020. At the national level, she has likewise been active in the Young Lawyers and Criminal Justice sections and has served on the National Sections Executive Committee.
Seconding Loreley as CBA Vice President for the coming year is Robyn Trask of British Columbia, who will also continue representing National Sections on the Board of Directors. Other returning board members include Nerissa Young of Alberta; Ian Scarth of Manitoba; Kelly McDermott of Ontario; Suzie Lanthier of Quebec; M. Kathleen McManus, K.C., of Nova Scotia; Tamzin Gillis of PEI; Greg French of Newfoundland and Labrador; Stephen Mansell of Nunavut; Heidi Scheidler of Nova Scotia, who represents CBA In-House Lawyers; and Ryan Dawodharry of British Columbia, who represents equity-deserving members.
The CBA welcomes the following new board members: Patricia Blair of British Columbia; Reché McKeague, K.C., of Saskatchewan; Laura K. Cutler of New Brunswick; Stefanie Nicole Laurella of the Northwest Territories; Stacey Soldier of Manitoba, who will serve as the Indigenous representative; and Emma M. MacIntosh of Nova Scotia, who will represent the Young Lawyers Section.
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“Over more than twenty years with the CBA, I’ve gotten to know members with a wide range of views, backgrounds, and practice areas. We’re different in many ways, but we’re united by a shared belief in the need for a well-resourced, independent justice system based on the rule of law. That’s what I plan to focus on as President, in collaboration with CBA sections and branches, the broader legal community, and partners throughout Canadian society.”
- Loreley Chekay, K.C.
Quick Facts:
- Loreley earned her Bachelor of Laws (with Honours) from the University of Canberra, while spending the final year of her studies at the University of Saskatchewan.
- CBA Vice President (2025-2026)
- Chair of the CBA National Finance Committee (2024-2025)
- President of the CBA Saskatchewan Branch (2019-2020)
- Was the CBA’s nominee on the Judicial Advisory Committee for Saskatchewan from 2022 to 2024
- Has a Bachelor of Applied Science (with Honours) in biomechanics from the University of Canberra, and did postgraduate studies in biomechanics with the Australian Institute of Sport
- Has been a board member for various Saskatchewan sports organizations, including Ringette Saskatchewan, the University of Regina Rams Football Club, and FC Regina
- Volunteers as a student mentor at the University of Saskatchewan College of Law
- Board member of Own the Podium, an organization that supports Canadian Olympic and Paralympic athletes
Related links:
The Canadian Bar Association
CBA Board of Directors
About the Canadian Bar Association
The CBA champions Canada’s legal profession and the rule of law in Canada. Its members include some 40,000 lawyers, judges, notaries, academics and students.