The bar admission ceremony for new lawyers is typically held in the fall, but on Thursday, an exception was made for one former police officer dying of cancer.
Bruce Gordon took the oath at Court of Queen’s Bench in Saskatoon surrounded by police officers and family members crowded into two different court rooms.
The ceremony was emotional. The 54-year-old, who is well known in the community, thanked everyone for their support, especially his family and his wife, Chris.
Gordon was a police officer for nearly three decades in the city. His law career — he graduated in April 2016 — was supposed to be a new start, but he was recently diagnosed with terminal cancer.
Saskatoon police Supt. Mitch Yuzdepski was on hand at the ceremony. He worked with Gordon during Gordon’s time with the police service.
"You know he was a guy who worked hard and a guy I wanted to emulate early in my career," Yuzdepski said. “He was a go-getter and wasn't afraid to take calls that were a little trickier or a little uncomfortable. He wasn't afraid of those challenges."
Gordon was the captain of the Saskatoon Blades in the early 1980s and has completed nine ironman competitions.
Police Chief Clive Weighill, after the swearing-in ceremony, announced the gymnasium at the new police headquarters will be named the Bruce Gordon gymnasium.
