Lionhearted former Vernon justice recognized

Dec 7, 2020 | 3:32 PM

He was tough on the line, and tough on crime.

The B.C. Lions are recognizing one of their own for extraordinary community service.

Ken Arkell suited up for the BC Lions as a lineman in 1956 and 1957, yet that’s far from the only impressive note on his resume.

After starting out in law enforcement, being accepted to medical school and spending 30 years as a judge on various levels of provincial courts, Arkell can definitely say he has the Heart of a Lion.

Arkell left his family farm in Southern Ontario to join the RCMP where he was first posted in Ocean Falls, a small Northern B.C. community that was policed entirely by boat.

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He then moved to New Westminster and primarily worked prison escort duty between the B.C. Penitentiary, Okalla Prison Farm and B.C. Supreme Court.

It was while he was still playing football when he started studying Law at UBC, noting that Friday and Monday games made it hard to get to class and keep up with fellow students.

Arkell still managed to get his degree and it was back up North to Dawson Creek where he began practicing law. A few years later, he was appointed Provincial Court District Judge for the Peace River Region.

During his time as Associate Chief Judge of the British Columbia Provincial Court, he authored the new Provincial Court Act in 1975 which would establish new rules in regards to salaries, pensions, security of tenure and administrative independence, all based on his own research.

He finished his career by serving on the Supreme Court of British Columbia from 1990-1999 in Vernon and Kelowna.

Arkell who was 90 years old Sunday now lives in Kelowna full-time.

Click here to nominate a community leader for the Heart of a Lion award.

by Kevin Rothwell

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