Today, the Minister of Canadian Heritage, Pablo Rodriguez, announced the appointment of Guy Pratte, C.M. as Chairperson of the National Arts Centre (NAC) Board of Trustees for a four-year term, effective January 27. This Governor in Council appointment is the result of a rigorous, open, transparent, and merit-based selection process.
As Senior Counsel at Bordner Ladner Gervais LLP, Mr. Pratte has a wealth of experience in complex commercial litigation (including class actions), administrative law and constitutional law cases. He frequently appears before the Supreme Court of Canada, the Superior and Appeal Courts of Ontario and Quebec, the Federal Court and Federal Court of Appeal.
Mr. Pratte was named a Member of the Order of Canada in 2022 in recognition of his contributions as a lawyer, notably to the pro bono movement, and for his volunteer commitments to the performing arts. Notably he has given his time in a professional capacity as a guest lecturer at various Canadian law schools and has served on the boards of The Advocates' Society, Pro Bono Quebec, Pro Bono Ontario, the American College of Trial Lawyers, the Supreme Court Advocacy Institute, and the Canadian Institute for Advanced Legal Studies. In terms of community involvement, he was the first Chair of the NAC Foundation and served as a member of the Stratford Festival's Board of Governors for several years.
Mr. Pratte is a member of both the Ontario Bar Association and the Barreau du Québec. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in History and Philosophy from the University of Western Ontario, as well as a Master's in Philosophy and a Bachelor of Laws from the University of Toronto. He lives in Ottawa, Ontario.
The NAC is a Crown corporation in the Canadian Heritage Portfolio. The Board of Trustees comprises a chair, a vice-chair and six other members appointed by the Governor in Council, as well as the mayors of Ottawa and Gatineau.
