James Wilfred Estey

James Wilfred Estey, born on December 1, 1889, in Keswick Ridge, New Brunswick, was a distinguished Canadian lawyer, politician, and jurist. He was the son of Byron Leslie Estey and Sarah Ann Kee, and he pursued higher education at the University of New Brunswick, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts in 1910. His academic journey continued at Harvard University, where he obtained a Bachelor of Law in 1915.

In 1917, Estey was called to the Saskatchewan bar, establishing the law firm Estey, Moxon, Schmitt & McDonald, which remains operational today as Robertson Stromberg LLP. He served as a Crown Prosecutor in Saskatoon until 1929 and also contributed to academia by teaching law and economics at the University of Saskatchewan.

Estey's political career began in 1934 when he was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan as a member of the Liberal Party. He held the position of Minister of Education from 1934 to 1941 and served as Attorney General from 1939 to 1944. His judicial career reached its pinnacle when he was appointed to the Supreme Court of Canada on October 6, 1944, becoming the second Saskatchewan judge to hold this esteemed position.

Throughout his tenure on the Supreme Court, which lasted until his passing on January 22, 1956, Estey succeeded Sir Lyman Poore Duff as a western representative. He was also the father of Willard Estey, who followed in his footsteps as a justice of the Supreme Court of Canada. A devout Baptist and a teetotaller, Estey's legacy continues to influence Canadian law and politics.