596 THE ADVOCATE
VOL. 80 PART 4 JULY 2022
ners that inevitably involved entertaining competitions to determine who
picked dessert first. He ensured everyone left with a full heart and a Ziploc
of leftovers.
Mike took an active interest in the law and legal profession, publishing
and speaking widely in the fields of insurance law, administrative law and
health law. He was president of the Medical Legal Society of BC and an
instructor in the Advocacy Program at the Allard School of Law at UBC.
Throughout his time at Harper Grey, Mike was known for the energy,
diligence and creativity he brought to his work. As a litigator, he was fearless
and indefatigable. His success grew from a true compassion for people
and a genuine desire to help. At a personal level, his engaging personality,
generous nature and quick wit will be sorely missed by his former
colleagues.
Mike will be an excellent judge. His just, compassionate and engaging
nature will be obvious to all those who come before him to tell their stories.
His courage and integrity will provide the foundation for the difficult decisions
ahead.
One piece of advice to Justice Thomas’s new colleagues, however, would
be to ensure he has a good map of the courthouse. Although his sense of
right and wrong is impeccable, his sense of direction is a different matter
altogether.
The Honourable Judge Lorianna Bennett
Kamloops welcomed one of its own to the Provincial
Court bench in the form of lifelong resident Lorianna
Bennett. The youngest of three children, Lorianna
grew up in a busy household where both her parents
owned local retail establishments. As any selfemployed
person knows, Lorianna’s mom and dad
both embodied and modelled a work ethic that would
serve Lorianna well in her future career.
I first met Lorianna, then named Lorianna Paul, as a bright, engaged
teenager who happened to be the younger sister of David Paul, Q.C. Lori-