John Sopinka

Sopinka was born in Broderick, Saskatchewan, and lived there until his Ukrainian Canadian family moved to Hamilton, Ontario.

[4] He was called to the bar of Ontario in 1960 and practiced law at Fasken & Calven before becoming a senior partner at Stikeman Elliott.

[7] He also served as counsel to the William Parker Inquiry that looked into the conduct of former cabinet minister Sinclair Stevens.

At the time it was highly unusual for a Supreme Court of Canada appointee to have had no prior judicial experience.

The John Sopinka Courthouse has 18 courtrooms, accommodating Hamilton's civil, criminal, and small claims courts.

The John Sopinka Courthouse named for the first Ukrainian-Canadian justice of the Supreme Court of Canada.