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To read about the history of our firm and its lawyers, click here.
Website Firm History revision date 10 Aug/15 History of Helson Kogon Ashbee Schaljo & Assoc. Here is a history of our current law firm coming to you by way of modern technology which was not in anyone’s contemplation when the firm was taking root well over one hundred and thirty years ago. Much of the material comes from sources such as the local newspapers, Law Society of Upper Canada records, Georgetown Hospital records, all of which give a flavour of the early Village, later the Town of Georgetown and are of considerable historical and social interest. Links to the source documents are being provided so that you can see the original source for yourself. To assist you, I should explain how the newspaper resources work. If you click on a link, it will take you to the resource page in the archived newspaper. However you may not see very much. If you look towards the bottom right side of the page you will see a green cross. If you click on this, it will open a box that will allow you to view a portion of the page. However, life is not always so easy in the computer world. I have found that for some reason, the page will not always load as expected even though you can see that the entire page is there. I have found (through trial and error) that if you move the viewing box to different parts of the page (the lower right seemed to work best for me), it would assist in loading the entire page and then you can move the viewing box to the area of interest. Skim through the newspapers and see the changes that journalism has taken over the years. The Georgetown Herald and the Acton Free Press started as very gossipy local papers. Have a look at the ads for the harness makers and the various vendors and the personal columns. Wander around and enjoy the archival resources that are now available. Our thanks go to the Halton Peel Branch of the Ontario Genealogical Society for making these digital resources available. The main sources of information are the Georgetown Herald newspaper (1867 1992) and the Acton Free Press (1875 1984) and OurOntario.ca government resource. Allan Kogon Here we go. 1 Overview 1.1 The first root 1.2 the second root 1.3 the amalgamation 2 The Shilton, Allan, Baird, Winnett, Wallbridge, Stone, Dale, Bennett, Latimer, Baines root of the Firm 3 The Dale and Bennett firm 4 Andy Dale and Sybil Bennett and our Community 5 Douglas Latimer Firm 6 Doug Latimer and our Community 7 The Arrival of Terry Baines 1 8 The Kenneth M. Langdon Root of the firm 9 Kenneth Murney Langdon and the community 10 George Hewson and John Ord 11 Fred Helson starts his legal career 12 Kenneth Aylesworth Langdon 13 The Combined Firm 14 John (Jack) Belleghem 15 Ray Steele 16 The Firm’s commitment to the community 17 The modern Firm grows with Johan McMillan and Allan Kogon 18 The modern Firm Evolves David Ashbee and John Schaljo 19 Other law students of note 20 The addition of Mark Rush 21 The addition of Steven Kogon 22 The Future 23 The Modern Firm’s Commitment to the Community 1 Overview Helson Kogon Ashbee Schaljo & Associates LLP is the oldest and largest firm in Georgetown (now Halton Hills). The firm is able to trace its roots for 130 years, beginning with an advertisement in the Acton Free Press on October 15, 1885. The current firm arose from the amalgamation of two firms, Latimer and Baines and the firm of Helson and Langdon. These firms merged on January 1, 1969 and became the unified firm of Helson Baines and Langdon which then evolved into the firm that it is today. 1.1 The first root The story of the current firm has two beginnings. There is the one root of the firm that starts with a lawyer named Mr. John Shilton which evolved into firms with the following main lawyers: Dale, Bennett, Latimer, & Baines. 1.2 the second root The second root starts with Kenneth Murney Langdon (KM Langdon) in which the following main lawyers served Georgetown: Aylesworth, Hewson, Ord, Helson & Kenneth Aylesworth Langdon (K.A. Langdon). 1.3 the amalgamation These two branches merged when Doug Latimer of the first firm became a full time crown attorney leaving Terry Baines alone and the second firm of Hewson Ord and Helson dissolved (and later John Ord became a judge) leaving Fred Helson alone. Helson and Baines then amalgamated and the firm of Helson and Baines came into existence. This firm went on to be 2 associated with K.A. Langdon, John (Jack) Belleghem, Ray Steele, Johan McMillan, Allan Kogon, David Ashbee and John Schaljo. I hope that you enjoy the story. 2 The Shilton, Allan, Baird, Winnett, Wallbridge, Stone, Dale, Bennett, Latimer, Baines root of the Firm On October 15 1885 the Acton Free Press advertised a Georgetown law firm of Shilton Allan & Baird with an office in the Creelman Block in Georgetown (the branch office) and an office at 86 King St. E. in Toronto. The first seeds of this firm were John Shilton (“Shilton”), William Torrance Allan (Allan”) and James Baird (“Baird”). Shilton was admitted in 1882 and called to the bar in 1885 and he died in 1927. Allan was admitted to the Bar in 1879 and he originally practiced in Collingwood, then in Cromarty and then in Georgetown before going to Toronto. Baird was admitted in 1882, called to the bar in 1885 and appears to have started to practice in 3 Georgetown before going to Toronto with Allan. There seems to have been considerable flexibility in partnerships at that time. Shilton, a Georgetown resident, left the Georgetown office around November of 1890 to practice solely out of his Toronto office with a new partner William Halloway Wallbridge (“Wallbridge”). Wallbridge was admitted in 1883 and called to the bar in 1888 and from 1890 until 1920 he practiced in Toronto until he died in February of 1946. Another lawyer named Hiram Erskin Stone joined this Toronto practice by 6 Nov 1890 upon his admission to the bar. Stone died in June 1944. Following Shilton to Toronto in 1890, Allan and Baird also returned to Toronto and started their own firm. It seems that Shilton later returned to the Georgetown office using the names of his new partners. The Georgetown firm was now renamed Shilton Walbridge and Stone . This firm maintained their office in the Creelman Block (see below) on the Main St. of Georgetown along with two Toronto locations. Two lawyers ( Wallbridge and Stone) were in Toronto offices and John Shilton staffed the Georgetown location . The Toronto offices were located at 65 Yonge St. and 1285 Queen St. Toronto. In December of 1891 in the Georgetown Herald newspaper, in addition to the Shilton Wallbridge and Stone firm, there was also a Georgetown firm that advertised as J. Shilton and J. W. Winnett. . John William Winnett was admitted in 1887 and was called to the bar in 1892. While his name is on a Georgetown law firm, it seems that he practiced in London until 1947 and he subsequently died in 1956. Georgetown must have been a branch office for him. Of historical interest is that the Creelman Block (destroyed by fire in 1967) was named after a sewing machine company that sold sewing machines internationally and had its head office at that location. The Creelman Block was in the location of the current Canada Trust building and stretched to where the Curves business is now located (currently two separate buildings). Village of Georgetown c.1900 Osgoode Hall can trace its roots back to the 1820’s. In 1889 it was reorganized and the Law Society of Upper Canada established a permanent law school on the site. Every lawyer entitled to practice law in Ontario has to graduate from Osgoode Hall in Toronto. When lawyers open a practice, they must be a member in good standing with the Law Society of Upper Canada (LSUC). Below is a picture of Osgoode Hall in 1914 on Queen St. in Toronto. Normally a student would take two years of lectures, one year of articles and then a fourth year 4 of half day lectures and articling with in a downtown Toronto law office. The LSUC “unenthusiastically” changed its original rules to permit women to enter law school. In 1897 Clara Brett graduated and became the first female lawyer in the British Commonwealth. Osgoode Hall c1914 The Addition of LeRoy (Andy) Dale On May 7, 1914 LeRoy (Andy) Dale graduated and started his practice of law in Georgetown. Here he is in his first year law school photo and his 1914 Graduation photo from Osgoode Hall; By October 1914 the firm of Shilton Wallbridge & Assoc. was advertising that LeRoy Dale was in charge of the Georgetown office which had now moved to the Kennedy Block. The locals knew LeRoy as Andy Dale. By June of 1915 Dale became a partner in the new firm of Shilton Wallbridge and Dale . 3 The Dale and Bennett firm Dale (1889 1956) was an athlete and interested in community politics. In Sept 10,1919 he won the Canadian lawn bowling championship. In 1919 he was elected as a councillor for the Village of Georgetown and in January of 1920 he became the Reeve of the Village of Georgetown and later that month he married Ella Glassey . With the growth of the Village, it was decided in 1922 to incorporate the village into the Town of Georgetown. Andy Dale became the first mayor of the Town of Georgetown. This is a picture from the Town archives with the years that Dale was mayor. This same picture was used by the Lions Club to document 5 the year he was president of that organization. He was both a practicing lawyer and the mayor and he was a busy man that needed help. On February 9, 1927 he formed a shortlived partnership with John A. Thompson. Thompson had helped Dale for about 5 years and the partnership worked from the King Building on Mill St. (the current firm is still located on Mill St.).But by July 18 1928 this partnership is dissolve. Possibly because Dale was reputed to have an alcohol problem and he was involved in several car accidents as a result. For example on July 14, he was in a car accident that caused him to be in the Guelph hospital until December 29 when he was escorted home by a nurse for further convalescence. During his 5 month stay in hospital and his subsequent recovery, T.A. Hutchinson of Milton and D.O. Cameron of Toronto, tried to keep his law practice going. On another occasion, his car ended up in a ditch. Upon police investigation, he is alleged to have told the officer that he hit something on the road and lost control. The office investigated and found a large boulder on the road. Later, Dale was later overheard to say something to the effect that it “damn well was a big rock. He knew because he carried it all the way there from the ditch.” In 1930 (Marian) Sybil Bennett (1904 1956) graduated from Osgoode. Here is her graduation picture from Osgoode Hall. After graduation, Sybil practiced law for the Agricultural Board in Toronto for about five years before entering private practice. In 1934 Andy Dale was appointed as a King’s Counse l ( an honour that was given out by the government in power on January 1rst of each year) and he moved his office to the Gregory Theatre building on Mill St. in Georgetown where Bennett joined his practice . In 1945 Bennett was also appointed a K.C. . She was only the fourth woman in the British Commonwealth to receive the “K.C.” designation. In 1936 the firm became the partnership of Dale and Bennett . Dale served as solicitor for the Town of Georgetown (it is unclear if he was mayor at the same time) and he was also the solicitor for the Township of Esquesing. He was also an ardent Liberal and Bennett was an ardent Conservative. 4 Andy Dale and Sybil Bennett and our Community With his responsibilities as mayor, Dale was involved with many municipal events over the years. In 1936 he took part in opening the first post office located on Mill St., built at a cost of $40,000. This is the fieldstone building beside the current Salvation Army store. In 1940, at the beginning of the Second World War, he became the Chief Registrar for the National Registration for Halton . He also donated the memorial stained glass windows on the east side of St. John’s United Church. He also served a term as president of the Georgetown Lions Club. 6 As a woman lawyer, Bennett, was also the first female lawyer to join the Peel County Law Association. On Sept 27, 1939 the Town of Brampton’s lawyer, Roy Lent, signed up for military service. He was replaced by Peel’s first woman lawyer Sybil Bennett. The Georgetown firm of Dale & Bennett acted as the lawyers for the Town of Brampton. Sybil was very interested in women’s issues and the legal system. She gave talks to many women’s groups. In May 15, 1940 Bennett addressed the Anglican women on “ matters of law that pertain to women ”. Through her legal contribution and her public speaking and as chairman of the Provincial Progressive Conservative Party, she was personally honoured with the title of King’s Council in September 1945. In accepting this title she said that it was a tribute to female lawyers and did not take it as a personal accomplishment although many would argue with her and prophetically suggested that she should run for office. This led her into politics. In 1950 she was elected president of the National Woman’s PC Party. As an early woman politician she was elected as a Conservative to the Federal Parliament. Her Wikipedia biography is as follows: Sybil Bennett (February 7, 1904 – November 12, 1956) was a Canadian politician.She represented the electoral district of Halton in the House of Commons from 1953 until her death. A member of the Progressive Conservative Party , Bennett first ran for election in the 1949 election , but was defeated by Liberal incumbent Hughes Cleaver . Cleaver did not run again in 1953 , and Bennett won the riding over new Liberal candidate Murray McPhail. Along with Margaret Aitken , Ellen Fairclough and Ann Shipley , she was one of four women elected to the House of Commons in 1953, only the second election in Canadian history in which more than one woman was elected to Parliament. Bennett died at her home on November 12, 1956. She was the first female MP in Canada ever to die in office. No byelection was held following her death; she was succeeded by Charles Alexander Best in the 1957 election . Here is Sybil’s photo when she entered parliament and here is a link to her official parliamentary election record : The Wikipedia article does not mention that she was the second cousin of R.B.Bennett, a Prime Minister of Canada, and that when she sat in Ottawa, she occupied the same seat that R.B.Bennett sat in. Since Bennett spent a lot of time in Ottawa, Dale brought in Tom Van Sickler for a period of time to assist him with the workload. It is coincidental that in November 1956 both Andy Dale K.C. and his long time law partner, Sybil Bennett K.C., died in the same week. Dale died in the Guelph hospital and Sybil died at her home near Churchville. There are photos of the two of them and some highlights of their careers in their obituary columns. For Dale see http://news.haltonhills.halinet.on.ca/91343/page/1 7 http://news.haltonhills.halinet.on.ca/91343/page/6?n= For Bennett see http://news.haltonhills.halinet.on.ca/91343/page/1 Sybil died at age 52 just three years after she was elected to parliament. It is interesting to note that Charles Alexander “Sandy” Best (son of Charles Herbert Best of the famous team of Banting and Best who were the codiscoverers of insulin) was a summer resident in Georgetown on a property owned by his parents .. Best ran for parliament and he was elected in 1957 to the Conservative seat in Halton left vacant by the death of Sybil Bennett. Charles Herbert Best, CC, CH, CBE, MD, FRS, FRSC, FRCP Date of birth February 27, 1899 Date of death March 31, 1978 CoDiscoverer of insulin Charles Best died 6 days after the death of his son Sandy who died on March 25, 1978. Both parents, Sandy and his brother Henry Best are all buried in a plot in section 29 of the Mt. Pleasant Cemetery in Toronto. Tom Van Sickler went on to start his own practice and the Dale and Bennett law practice was purchased by Douglas V. Latimer in July of 1957. Latimer initially carried on the practice as Dale Bennett and Latimer . 5 Douglas Latimer Firm Latimer was a local Georgetown boy. He was born in Georgetown and to show you the gossip in the local newspapers, he graduated from grade 6 to 7 with honours in 1941. Latimer’s father became the local fire chief in 1944 (with the salary of $75/yr). In October of that same year, his mother passed away. Further tragedy occurred when his brother George was killed in Italy in 1945 in the final weeks of World War Two. Notwithstanding the personal tragedies in his life, he completed his first year of Arts at the University of Toronto in 1949. For the summer he joined the naval reserve and was sent to Halifax . They say that a man in uniform is hard to resist so it was destined that he met his future wife, Katherine, there and they later married in Halifax .. During that summer he made the local news when he was involved in the rescue at sea of a Panamanian freighter that became adrift at sea. In 1951 he spent his summer in Esquimault B.C. with the Navy. In May 1952, after completing his 3rd yr. at U of T., he went to New Liskeard Nova Scotia with the naval reserve. In the spring of 1953 Latimer graduated from U of T and the papers put his photo in the newspaper and Latimer indicated that he was interested in studying the law. See Latimer’s University of Toronto graduation photo . 8 In September 1953 Latimer started at Osgoode and he married Katherine . More personal tragedy struck when Latimer’s father died in June 1955. Latimer returned to Osgoode where one of his classmates was Frederick Arthur Helson, who you will hear more about later. After his second year in law, Latimer returned to the Navy reserve and spent his summer in Cornwallis. At the same time his classmate, Fred Helson worked for the Georgetown law firm of Hewson and Ord . In 1957 both Latimer and Helson graduate from Osgoode Hall. Latimer returned to Georgetown and took over the firm of Dale and Bennett . Meanwhile Helson returned to be part of the law firm of Hewson Ord and Helson the second root of the current firm . The front page of the Georgetown Herald of July 3, 1957 has stories about both Latimer and Helson starting to practice law in Georgetown. You can see the professional ads of both these lawyers and some of the other lawyers of the day (Maurice Manderson (1912 1972)who was born in Dresden Ontario and was called to the bar in 1936 starting practice in Timmins and then Georgetown (His son William (Bill) Manderson practiced in Georgetown until 2013), Tom Van Sickler and other professionals) are also at this link: Maurice Manderson 6 Doug Latimer and our Community Being a local boy, Latimer was very involved with the local community. Here is a list of his more significant contributions: ● In 1959 when the North Halton School Board. became 3 separate boards, the county of Halton appointed Latimer to the first Georgetown HIgh School board ● He was also treasurer of the St. John’s Church to which Andy Dale had donated the Memorial stained glass window in the east wall of the church. ● In June 1961 The new Georgetown hospital was opened and Latimer and Terry Baines (who you will hear about later) joined members of parliament to inspect the new hospital (picture is poor quality) ● 1961 Latimer was a Mason in Credit Lodge 219 see pictures of Latimer & some members, ● 1962 Latimer was involved in the campaign to bring a YMCA to town, ● 1962 DecThe LIons Club wanted Santa to arrive in a helicopter. All the lawyers and businesses in town contributed to the cost,. ● 1962 Latimer was reappointed to the High School Board of education and in 1963 he 9 became the Chairman, ● 1963 Latimer was elected president of the PC Party for Georgetown (picture of the executive including Mrs. Terry Baines and George Hewson) & in 1964 he was elected VP of the H alton County Conservative party, ● 1965 Latimer was solicitor for the Georgetown Hospital Board. , ● 1967 Latimer was president of the Halton East PC Association , ● 1967 Latimer was a member of the Halton Chapter of the Royal Arch Masons , ● 1967 Latimer is elected principal of the Royal Arch Masons on Mill St. Georgetown. In the newspaper account Latimer ● is described as being the principal of ``Georgetown’s oldest law firm``A title that continues to this date. On a more personal note his son David was born in September 1963 and a daughter was born in November 1966. 7 The Arrival of Terry Baines But we digress from the firm’s history so let us return. While in the navy, Latimer met another young person named Terence (Terry) Frederick Baines. Baines was also a law school graduate who was called to the bar in 1964.Overburdened with the work inherited from Dale and Bennett and his community activities outlined above, Latimer invited Baines to join his practice in Georgetown. On Mar 7, 1968 the firm became Latimer and Baines with a law office at 3 Mill St. Georgetown. But it wasn’t going to last very long. In November of that year (1968) Latimer was appointed as a full time Crown Attorney for Halton. See the following links for a photo and article outlining more of Latimer`s accomplishments : With Latimer being a full time Crown, Terry Baines was in the familiar position of being a single lawyer with too much on his plate. Since there was another firm in town where lawyers had also left the practice leaving a shortage of lawyers to do the work, the natural path was the amalgamation of the two firms. So the firm of Latimer and Baines merged with the firm of Helson and Langdon (if you are still with me, I will trace the ancestry of the Helson Langdon firm shortly). This merger occurred effective January 1, 1969 and initially the firm was called Helson Latimer Baines and Langdon .This is the merger of the two roots that evolved into the firm as it exists today the oldest and largest firm in Georgetown. 10 The Langdon(Langdon Sr.), Aylesworth, Hewson, Ord, Helson & Langdon(K.A. Langdon) root of the current firm 8 The Kenneth M. Langdon Root of the firm Kenneth Murney Langdon (Langdon Sr.) came from Brighton Ontario. He graduated from Osgoode in the spring of 1930. On October 8, 1930 he put his first professional ad into the Georgetown Herald advertising his new law firm located on Mill St. As a new lawyer in Town in the 1930’s he worked three days in Georgetown and he opened an Acton office above Seynuck’s cafe where he worked on Tuesdays and Thursdays. In 1940 the town had people in arrears of paying their water rates and taxes. The Town appointed Langdon Sr.(for the sum of $500/yr) to be the tax collector . ( see a 1947 tax notice ) . By April 1944 Langdon Sr. was appointed as a part time magistrate hearing various types of offences in Court. With his new responsibilities Langdon Sr. needed some help to run his practice. His brotherinlaw was R. McIntyre (Mac) Aylesworth. Mac was a navigator in the air force and had been shot down over Europe and became a prisoner of war. After his repatriation he joined Langdon so the firm became Langdon & Aylesworth . Mac was to man the Acton office while Ken continued in the Gregory Theatre building on Mill St in Georgetown. Mac’s obituary in 2005 tells about the extremes in life that Mac experienced. He must have been quite a character to know. While in Acton, Mac took an interest in local politics and in January 1947 Mac Aylesworth was elected to the Acton town council in his first try for municipal office. At some point, Mac left this area and Langdon Sr. returned to being a sole practitioner in Georgetown and also being a part time magistrate. There was another new law firm in Georgetown called Hewson and Glancy . George Hewson’s father was a sales engineer with the Beardmore Company in Acton. Kenneth Glancy’s father was a prominent Doctor in Toronto who passed away in 1953. Langdon Sr. became a full time magistrate and sold his practice in July 1953 to Hewson and Glancy. With Langdon Senior’s retirement, there were only 3 lawyers in Georgetown. 9 Kenneth Murney Langdon and the community Langdon Sr. was very active in the community. Soon after he arrived in Town he joined the Lions Club and was helping to maintain a garden in the vicinity of Main St. and Church St. He was the precursor of the Downtown business association. On Aug 25 1932 Langdon Sr. married Laura Patricia (Pat) Aylesworth of Trenton. Her brother R.M. Aylesworth was Langdon Sr.’s best man and later became his law partner as described above. In 1938 Kenneth (Ken) Aylesworth Langdon ( K.A. Langdon ) was born (he is now a retired Judge from the Ontario Superior Court of 11 Justice) and a second son, John Brian Langdon was born and on 19 Nov 1945. In addition to raising a young family, Langdon Sr. was athletic. There was a successful real estate broker in Town by the name of J. H. Willoughby. He had a house property on which he had a 9 hole golf course. In 1938 J. A. Willoughby was the president of the Cedar Crest Golf Club . Langdon Sr. was on the membership committee which was putting on a membership drive in Acton to entice beginners to take up golf. Langdon Sr. must have been a reasonable golfer since he had the best qualifying round (shot 79 we must assume they did the course twice) for the “ Coffin Cup ” in 1939. Ken’s wife, Pat, was also a golfer. In a tournament 3 couples finished in a tie and had to play the first hole again to break the tie. She and her partner won the grand prize of two chickens. I wonder if the chickens were alive or ready for roasting. When Ken was not playing golf, he indulged in bridge . During the war, LeRoy Dale (Honorary Chairman) and Langdon Sr. sold Victory Bonds to support the war effort. Langdon Sr. also developed various parcels of land around Town . He also served on the library board in 1949. On the home front his son K.A. Langdon demonstrated that he would be a superior student. He passed from grade one to grade two with honours . This was the beginning of his auspicious academic career. Later K.A. Langdon would be an outstanding student at Upper Canada College In the late 1940s and early 50s the family would enjoy their cottage at Wasaga Beach and camps in Fenlon Falls . One of Langdon Sr.’s most lasting projects involved J. Willoughby’s golf course. In 1953 Mr. Willoughby wanted to sell the course. In September 1953 Ken implemented his love of golf by consummating the purchase of the golf course (the former Cedar Crest Golf Club) from J. A. Willoughby with the intention of turning the course over to a golf club owned by the local people. In April 1954 the golf course was opened, Langdon Sr. was its first president and in May the Club had its first tournament . Taking advantage of the new golf club’s facility, Langdon Sr. held a surprise 16th birthday party there for his eldest son, K. A. Langdon. This Club evolved over the years into the current Club at North Halton. Langdon Sr.’s family was also interesting. His mother passed away in January 1954 in Brighton leaving her lawyer husband and her 4 lawyer sons.The 4 sons were magistrate William Langdon, Charles Langdon Q.C., magistrate K. A. Langdon (of this firm) and T. Rutherford Langdon. Coincidentally in 1959 K. A. Langdon’s brother Rutherford received a Q.C. designation at the same time as another local lawyer, Maurice Edwin Manderson . Langdon Sr. celebrated his 90th birthday in 1958 with his sons in attendance and he died in Acton at age 92. 10 George C. Hewson and John Ord Langdon Sr. sold his practice in 1953 to Hewson and Glancy. George C. Hewson was in the Army and the R.C.A.F. He graduated from University of Toronto and then Osgoode. Initially he practiced in Toronto and arrived in Georgetown with Kenneth Glancy in 1953. But shortly thereafter, Glancy returned to Toronto and formed the firm of Glancy and McLaren so Hewson needed help. 12 Hewson 1965 Early in the WW2 John Dolwood Ord (9 May 1921 27 Nov 2012) went to Montreal and worked for DeHaviland Aircraft where he developed a love for planes. Feeling that he could make a greater contribution to the war effort, in 1942 he joined the R.C.A.F . He became a fighter pilot and in the war flying Hurricanes and Spitfires, crashing twice. While based in Rednell England, he met June. They married and they had 3 sons. Upon demobilization, he returned to Ontario, studied law and he graduated from Osgoode Hall in 1951. He briefly practiced with G. Arthur Martin, a prominent criminal lawyer in Toronto, then he practiced with Croll Borins and Shiff (one partner was to become senator David Croll). But on December 8, 1954 Ord moved to Georgetown and joined Hewson in the new firm of Hewson and Ord . Their office was on Mill St. Georgetown. Shortly after coming to Georgetown, he was appointed a Queen’s Counsel. Subsequently he became a magistrate and then a provincial court judge for 33 years before retiring. He passed away in Elora on November 27, 2012. 11 Fred Helson starts his legal career Helson saw a lot of Canada in his early life. He was born in Peterborough and then he lived with his family in Vancouver, then Sarnia, Toronto and later the family lived in Paris (ON) at which time Helson went to the Guelph Agricultural College. At that time the Guelph Agricultural College was not part of the University of Guelph. At GAC he studied chemistry. In the war he served in the navy off Canada’s east coast. After the war, he got a job with an American medical supply company, Baxter Laboratories which had its head office in Chicago. This company set up a plant in Acton and Helson was the chief chemist and plant manager. So Helson moved to Acton and later he moved to Georgetown where his wife , Margaret , was born and raised. After working in the medical supply industry for 8 years (making sterile saline solutions), Helson decided to go to Osgoode Hall to study law . He was the first person to be admitted to Osgoode with a degree from the Guelph Agricultural College. Helson was an outstanding student and was class president in his graduating year (1957) from law school. Prior to graduating, he worked in the summers for the firm of Hewson and Ord in Georgetown. As part of his law studies he articled with the Hewson and Ord and with a Toronto firm then called McCarthy and McCarthy and now known as McCarthy Tetrault. Upon his call to the bar , he returned to Georgetown and became a partner in the new firm of Hewson Ord and Helson. ( This link has the announcement of the new firm and a picture of all three lawyers . Unfortunately the quality of the picture is very poor). This is the first three man law firm in Town By August 1962 the firm of Hewson Ord and Helson had disbanded but Hewson continued on as solicitor for the Town of Georgetown and Helson carried on practice as a sole practitioner 13 while looking for someone to help with his client load. In August of 1963 after being the Town solicitor for 10 years, George Hewson resigned and Helson was appointed in his place. 12 Kenneth Aylesworth Langdon In October 1966 Helson found a new partner . The son of Kenneth Murney Langdon graduated from Osgoode Hall Law school. 13 The Combined Firm K. A. Langdon got his LLB degree in 1961 and was called to the bar in 1963 . Initially he practiced law in Toronto with the firm of MacMillan, Rooke, MacLennan Avery & Langdon. In October 1966 he joined Fred Helson here in Georgetown to form Helson and Langdon . K. A. Langdon came easily to the law. His grandfather was a K. M. Langdon, a lawyer in Brighton. This man had four sons and all of them became lawyers, including his name sake, Kenneth Murney Langdon who was the father of K. A. Langdon. K. A. Langdon’s grandfather lived to his 92nd year and resided in Acton at the time of his death. In all there were 6 lawyers in the family some of whom, became magistrates. Soon after starting work with Helson, in January of 1968 K. A. Langdon became a director of the Halton County Law Association along with Doug Latimer. In January of 1969 K. A. Langdon was elected president of the Halton County Law association consisting of 50 lawyers. On January 1, 1969 the firms of Latimer and Baines and Helson and Langdon amalgamate to form the direct line to today”s firm. The firm briefly becomes Helson Latimer Baines and Langdon with the office at 3 Mill St. Georgetown. It wasn’t long before Latimer’s name was deleted to make the firm Helson Baines and Langdon . While lawyers in small firms tend to do a general practice, K. A. Langdon developed an interest in family law. Family law saw a substantial change in policy in 1968, when the government liberalized the law of divorce. K. A. Langdon heartily endorsed the newly liberalized divorce laws and in July 1968 he obtained the first Halton divorce under the new legislation . (photo of K. A. Langdon) one day after the legislation was passed. 14 John (Jack) Ross Belleghem In January 1969 Jack Belleghem (see his photo) joined ( expanded ) the firm of Helson, Latimer Baines, Langdon. He previously practiced in Toronto with the firm of MacMillan Rooke MacLennan & Avery. This is the firm which K. A. Langdon left to return to Georgetown. 14 Meanwhile in April 1969, K. A. Langdon’s father, Langdon Sr., celebrated his 25th year as a magistrate in Halton. 15 Ray Steele The following year (1970), Raymond L. Steele graduated from Osgoode. In addition to welcoming the birth of a daughter Jana (who is now a lawyer in Toronto with Goodmans LLP), he had the opportunity to clerk for the Chief Justice of Ontario. Upon completion of his clerkship, he and his family moved to Georgetown where he joined the firm. In 1971 his son David was born and in November of 1972 he became a partner in the firm to be known as Helson Baines Langdon Belleghem & Steele(photo) . By 1973 Steele was appointed as solicitor for the Town of Georgetown . This continued the firm’s representation of the Town since the days of Andy Dale in the early 1900s. 16 The Firm’s commitment to the community The firm had always been deeply involved in the founding and continued operation of the local hospital. Various members of the firm served as chairmen of the Georgetown Hospital. These plaques indicate the years in which members of the firm served as chairman of the Georgetown hospital. In April 1973 the Georgetown hospital had its first meeting where there were more nominees for directors than available positions. K. A. Langdon was in charge of the nominations and Terry Baines was the Chairman. Currently, Allan Kogon, who joined the firm in 1973 is the Chairman of the Georgetown Hospital Foundation. The tradition of contributing to the hospital community continues. In 1974 Ray Steele was president of the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce (photo), a member of the Optimist Club and a member of North Halton Golf Club which also has curling. As an avid sportsman, RLS and 3 other left handers came 2nd in the North American Bonspiel 15 held in Oakville in 1974. The following year Steele was elected the Secretary/Treasurer of the golf club which at that time was adding two tennis courts. And the same year, Steele welcomed his successor president of the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce (photo). The evolution of the firm continued. Like his father, Kenneth Murney Langdon, Kenneth Aylesworth Langdon was appointed as a judge in November of 1974. They became one of the few father and son combinations sitting as judges in Ontario. This necessitated K. A. Langdon’s retiring from the firm. The following year, in September 1975, K. A. Langdon was able to organize a retirement party for his father when Langdon Sr. retired from the bench. Fred Helson was a patron of the arts , a contributor to charities and an active member of the Liberal Association (photo). In January of 1975, like so many predecessors in the firm, Helson was appointed (photo) as a Queen’s Counsel. 17 The modern Firm grows with Johan McMillan and Allan Kogon Since the days of Sybil Bennett, there were few women lawyers in Ontario and very few outside of Toronto. The firm felt a need to have a female lawyer who might have a different perspective that some clients might find that they preferred. In 1973 the firm recruited, as described by the local newspaper, “ a very beautiful young woman ” Johan Ruth McMillan, a recent graduate, to join the firm. She was interested in feminist issues and gave many talks to the community. In October, she gave a talk on crimes against women to a woman’s group. In 1973 the firm hired another Osgoode Graduate, Allan Kogon, as an articling student. Upon his call to the Ontario Bar in 1975 he joined the firm as an associate. He is now the senior partner. In Aug 1978 Jack Belleghem had a thriving criminal and personal injury practice within the firm. He decided to practice as a sole practitioner. The firm was then renamed as Helson Baines & Steele . But in April 1979 Johan McMillan and Allan Kogon, became partners to form Helson Baines Steele McMillan and Kogon and a lady lawyer, Katherine Jarvis was hired as an associate. Terry Baines left for the Ontario Municipal Board. Baines practiced in Georgetown for 20 years and then was at the Muncipal Board for 16 years, rising to the position of vicechair before he retired and subsequently died in 1998. Ray Steele went to practice corporate law in Niagara Falls. Johan McMillan opened a family law practice in the City of St. Catharines. By 1980 the firm became Helson Kogon. 18 The modern Firm EvolvesDavid Ashbee and John Schaljo Following its tradition of hiring articling students and giving them a career path, the firm hired David James Ashbee. Ashbee was raised in 16 Woodbridge and graduated in law from the University of Windsor. He articled with the firm and then graduated from Osgoode Hall. After being called to the bar, he returned as a lawyer to work with the firm. In June 1984 Ashbee Schaljo, Helson and Ashbee on Fred’s 93 birthday (photo by Kogon) becomes a partne r. At the same time another articling student (1982) for the firm, Next, John Edward Schaljo, with an undergraduate degree in history and an LLB from the University of Windsor,was hired back as a lawyer. In 1986 Schaljo became a partner. Since Andy Dale in the early 1920s the firm has represented the village of Georgetown and later the Town of Georgetown and presently the Town of Halton Hills. Now, John Schaljo becomes the solicitor for the Town and advises it on the many varied issues experienced by a growing municipality. Within the firm he is now the managing partner. The photo shows Schaljo, Helson and Ashbee celebrating Helson’s 93 Birthday by going out to lunch and enjoying a Stratford play. 19 Other law students and lawyers of note Over the years the firm had a number of interesting and varied people pass through its doors. In 1986, it hired another woman articling student. This lady was from Kenya and she had a Kenyan law degree. Shellah Nimjee added diversity as a woman and a person with international experience. Now she has two law degrees and she is currently practicing in Brampton. There was Terrance (Terry) Dowd, a retired Air Canada pilot whose thirst for education had him sign up for law school as he was retiring from Air Canada. As a pilot, he flew to Windsor for schooling and commuted back and forth. Upon his graduation he articled with the firm and then was hired back as a lawyer (and his wife Jean acted as our conveyancer). He and another local lawyer, Steven Foster, briefly joined the firm in May of 1987 before moving on. Another articling student, Paul Millman, graduated from law and was hired back as a lawyer. Subsequently he left the firm to practice on his own for many years before retiring in 2014. Another interesting articling student was also a local boy, Randal (Randy) Smith. Randy had been part of the Canadian Officer Training Corps as he went through university. After articling with the firm, he became part of the Judge Advocate General office in the Canadian military. He served in many parts of the world but while serving in Afganistan he acknowledged the training that he received in Georgetown. Another student named Susan Tanner was very interested in social issues. With the assistance of the firm, she communicated with Legal Aid Ontario and was responsible for establishing the Georgetown Legal Aid clinic to assist in access to justice for people without the means to hire a private lawyer. Our current lawyer, Steven Kogon, now sits on the Board for this organization. The honourable Jane Kerrigan Brownridge who sits in the Superior Court of Justice in Brampton articled with this firm. She trained as a social worker and had a high sense of social justice. Now she is able to more directly impact the lives of people who are immersed in the legal system to dispense justice and 17 restore social order as well as the law is able to contribute to this goal. Nancy Carnwath was a partner with the major Toronto law firm of McMillan Binch (now McMillan) where she specialized in commercial real estate. When she reached that firm’s mandatory retirement age, she joined this firm at the end of 1994 as counsel to continue her commercial real estate practise while eliminating the daily commute to Toronto. She retired at the end of 2013 to assist her husband John (the brother of the now retired Judge James Carnwath). She was among the ranks of women lawyers who have practised law with this firm from its earliest beginningsthe numbers and timing of which throughout the history of this small firm is unique among similar small firms and unusual among all firms. 20 The addition of Mark Rush Mark Rush spent his formative years growing up in Georgetown. After studying law at the University of Western Ontario he was called to the Ontario Bar in 1982 and practiced law in Brampton for six years. In August of 1988 he added his considerable talents to the firm. He practices family law, civil litigation and corporate law. He raised his family in Georgetown and continues to run marathons in his spare time. The photo shows Helson and Rush at our annual Seasonal Celebration at the Glen Cairn Golf Club. 21The addition of Steven Kogon Looking to the future, the firm continues to nurture and hire young lawyers. Steven Kogon, the son of Allan Kogon, graduated with honours with a Juris Doctoris degree from Bond University in Australia. He was called to the Ontario Bar in 2013 and has been doing family law, real estate and civil litigation. Having been born and raised in Georgetown, his roots are already deep in the community. With a first degree in Criminal Justice and Public Policy, he is now a director of the Halton Legal Aid clinic. This photo shows Steve on his call to the Bar with his father. 22 The Future Still looking ahead, the firm currently has two articling students. Both Caley Power and Jessica George were nurtured in Georgetown. Currently they have completed their Barrister and Solicitor exams for the Law Society of Upper Canada. Upon completion 18 of their articling term, they will be admitted to the Bar in June 2015. They are a resource for the lawyers within the firm and getting a wide variety of experience to enhance their background knowledge and skills. Undoubtedly, they will go on to have long and successful careers as female lawyers. Here they are on the firm’s “mental health day event” hiking in Silver Creek. On June 26, they were called to the Ontario Bar and and we can proudly add that they have returned to the firm to start their legal careers. 23 The Modern Firm’s Commitment to the Community For many years the firm had supported the activities of various service clubs. The Kiwanis Club was one of these local clubs. In May 1983 the Kiwanis club had its 5th anniversary and now Kiwanis has been in our community for over 37 years. In June 2001 Ashbee became president of the Kiwanis Club ( photo at Lobsterfest ). He is also an avid curler and golfer. In 1996 he won (photo) the local cancer golf tournament. He has also served on the North Halton Golf club’s board of directors. In recognition of his generous support of the arts, Fred and Margaret Helson were given an award to recognize them as being Patrons of the Arts in 2006. Helson’s leadership and guidance is appreciated by Randy Smith , a lieutenant colonel and the senior legal officer in Afghanistan and a former articling student with Helson Kogon Ashbee Schaljo 19 In his retirement years, after the passing of his wife in June of 2011, Helson made a tangible commitment to the hospital by donating a million (photo) dollars to the Georgetown Hospital Foundation. In recognition of his generosity to the community over many years, in June 2012 he received the Queens Diamond Jubilee medal. Not satisfied with his generosity to the hospital, Helson then donated the majority of his personal art collection to the Town of Halton Hills. In 2015, the Lions Club acknowledged Helson as Citizen of the Year . In July 2011, Allan Kogon was appointed to the Georgetown Hospital Foundation Board where Helson had contributed his skills for many years.Currently (2015) he is Chairman of the Georgetown Hospital Foundation. The firm of Helson Kogon Ashbee Schaljo & Assoc. still continues its long history of supporting the Town and its local groups and causes. They include the Civic Centre to the Gellert recreation Centre to the library among many other local causes. The firm has been a member of the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce since the organization started and beyond the organization’s current records which go back to 1978. Gellert Recreation Center in Georgetown South 20 Gellert Recreation Centre The Georgetown Library 21 The saga of the Firm continues in a symbiotic relationship with our clients and our community. We trust that our story will continue for the next century. Sincerely our staff and the current partners of Helson Kogon Ashbee Schaljo & Associates Our Firm as of December 2014 22
