This past weekend, I was honoured to be recognized by and inducted into the Bertha Wilson Honour Society.
Thank you to the Schulich School of Law and the selection committee for this incredible honour.
To those who nominated me, thank you for seeing value in my journey and taking the time to tell its story. It means a lot to know that the work I care deeply about resonates with others.
Justice Bertha Wilson was the first woman appointed to the Supreme Court of Canada. I think about the courage it took to enter a space where no woman had served before, and about the women who could imagine a different future because she was there.
That is why receiving an honour bearing her name holds such meaning for me.
I have been the first in a number of spaces, and I know that being first brings both opportunities and challenges. But what matters most to me is making sure that being the first does not mean being the last.
Justice Bertha Wilson’s legacy invites us to reflect on what we do with the opportunities we receive. Once we have walked through a door, how do we help make it easier for someone else to follow?
As an African Nova Scotian woman from Cherry Brook, with deep roots in the Preston communities, I stand here carrying much more than my own accomplishments.
I carry the encouragement, sacrifices, and prayers of people who believed in me, sometimes before I fully believed in myself. My legal education gave me tools to serve. My family and community helped me understand why that service matters. Having my own law school recognize that work means so much.
Attending law school was, without question, one of the best decisions I have made, both personally and professionally. I entered law school as a mature student, balancing family, life, financial responsibilities, and all the uncertainties that come with stepping into something new.
It was there that I found a deeper confidence in myself, strengthened my voice, and began to truly understand the power of the law and how it intersects with almost every decision and every aspect of our lives.
Law school challenged me to think differently, ask difficult questions, advocate with greater purpose, and recognize that the law, like society, must continue to evolve. Our learning never really ends, and neither does our responsibility to contribute to meaningful change. But what made that journey even more meaningful were the people who walked alongside me. I was fortunate to have many phenomenal mentors, friends, some of whom I still share great admiration for today, and I am thankful for their guidance. Especially Professors Michelle Williams, Joanna Erdman, Professor Diana Ginn, Archie Kaiser, and Jamie Baxter. Each, in their own way, helped shape my experience, my confidence, and my understanding of what it means to use a legal education in service of others.
For me, that is what leadership, advocacy, and community have always been about. Creating opportunities, bringing others along, and remembering that our greatest impact is often found in the people we help along the way.
I was the first in my immediate family to attend law school. And today, my daughter, Angelina is pursuing her own law degree at this same school. To be receiving this honour, knowing that you helped make it possible, brings this moment full circle.
Angelina, to hear my journey reflected through your eyes was a gift. As a mother, you don’t always know what your children are taking from the example you try to set. And now, watching you find your own voice and build your own future, I am reminded of why being the first must also mean making room for those who follow.
Thank you to Schulich School of Law, the professors who know who they are, my children, my husband Dean Simmonds, and my community for believing in me. There is a part of you in this honour.
Being first will always hold meaning for me. But what matters even more is knowing that I won’t be the last. That the doors we open, the barriers we challenge, and the spaces we create will allow others to walk further, stand taller, and dream bigger than we ever imagined.
To me, being first is meaningful. But making sure you’re not the last? That’s legacy.
And that is what it means to lift as we climb.
With love,
Angela
