Walter Stewart Owen

Walter Stewart Owen
22nd Lieutenant-Governor of British Columbia
In office
February 13, 1973 – May 18, 1978
MonarchElizabeth II
Governors GeneralRoland Michener
Jules Léger
PremierDave Barrett
Bill Bennett
Preceded byJohn Robert Nicholson
Succeeded byHenry Pybus Bell-Irving
30th President of the Canadian Bar Association
In office
1958–1959
Preceded byArthur Kelly, Q.C.
Succeeded byRenault St. Laurent, c.r.
Personal details
Born(1904-01-26)January 26, 1904
Atlin, British Columbia
DiedJanuary 13, 1981(1981-01-13) (aged 76)
Vancouver, British Columbia
NationalityCanadian

Walter Stewart Owen, OC QC (January 26, 1904 – January 13, 1981) was the 22nd Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia from 1973–1978.

In his youth, Owen was the first premier of the British Columbia Older Boys' Parliament, which later became the British Columbia Youth Parliament. He became a prominent lawyer in Vancouver. He was called to the Bar of British Columbia in 1928 and in 1933 was named the youngest crown prosecutor in Canada at that time.[1] He later went into private practice and co-founded the Vancouver law firm Owen Bird. In 1958, he was elected as the president of the Canadian Bar Association.[2]

In 1956, Owen and business partner Frank Griffiths purchased New Westminster radio station CKNW and co-founded Western International Communications Ltd. ("WIC").[1]

He is the father of Philip Owen, who served three terms as the mayor of the city of Vancouver.

In 1978, he was made an Officer of the Order of Canada.

References

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  1. ^ a b Francis, Daniel (2000) [1999], Encyclopedia of British Columbia, Harbour Publishing, p. 520, ISBN 1-55017-200-X
  2. ^ Canadian Bar Association: Past CBA Presidents
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