In Memoriam: The Honourable Stewart McInnes, P.C., LL.D., QC, LL.B., FCI Arb

“Stewart McInnes was highly regarded as a lawyer and a political leader.  He was a good friend and colleague to many people at the firm, and he will be missed.”

Stewart was a partner with McInnes Cooper from 1961 to 1999, during which time he appeared before the Supreme Court of Nova Scotia, the Federal Court of Canada and the Supreme Court of Canada. He also served as Nova Scotia branch president of the Canadian Bar Association from 1983 to 1984.

Stewart was an active and successful politician, having served in the House of Commons as Halifax’s Progressive Conservative Member of Parliament from 1984 to 1988.  In 1985, he was appointed to Cabinet as Minister of Supply and Services.  Then, from 1986 until 1988, he held concurrently the positions of Minister of Public Works and Minister responsible for the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation. 

Stewart was a certified arbitrator and mediator, and focused professionally in those areas since leaving politics. A Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, Stewart became Manager of Atlantic Provinces ADR Chambers in 2003, and was appointed Federal Negotiator in the Maritimes for Aboriginal Claims in 2007.  Earlier in his ADR career, he served as Director of the Arbitration and Mediation Institute of Canada from 1993 to 1995, and as director of the Atlantic Arbitration and Mediation Institute from 1993 to 1994. In 1996, he was on the International Mediation Centre’s advisory board, and in 1999, he was a panel member of the Canadian Foundation for Dispute Resolution. He lectured and wrote extensively on the topic of mediation and arbitration for many years.

Stewart had battled prostate cancer for nearly 15 years, and last September spoke at Prostate Cancer Canada’s Wake Up Call breakfast in Halifax, as part of his dedicated fundraising and awareness-raising efforts for this cause.