Brian Thiessen, QC receives 2019 Calgary Award for Citizen of the Year

Brian Thiessen, KC

Jun 15, 2020

Osler is proud to announce that Brian Thiessen, QC, a partner in Osler’s Employment and Labour and Privacy and Data Management Groups, has received a Calgary Award for Community Achievement – Citizen of the Year for 2019.

The Citizen of the Year Award is given to an outstanding individual Calgarian who, within the last five years, has made extraordinary contributions to the community, as a volunteer and/or professional, that have improved the quality of life in Calgary or brought recognition to Calgary.

Over the past four years, Brian served as Vice-Chair and Chair to the Calgary Police Commission, contributing hundreds of volunteer hours toward making Calgary a better place to live. This involvement, along with his board involvement on the Calgary Police Foundation from 2016-2019, have helped set the foundation for a safe and resilient community for many years to come. His community support and impact have been wide and varied, including advocating for sustainable funding of programs that reduce youth victimization and criminal activity, helping to break down barriers for women in policing and on boards, and securing funding that affects city safety and providing direction in making the Calgary Police Service a more fair and inclusive workplace. Brian has also supported the city’s reconciliation efforts stemming from the White Goose Flying report and countless other initiatives that have had a positive impact on Calgarians’ quality of life and community improvement.

In his legal practice, Brian focuses on the managerial side of employment and labour issues and assists clients on a wide range of privacy matters. He has appeared as counsel in the Provincial Court of Alberta – Civil Division and before the Alberta Human Rights Commission, the Court of Queen's Bench of Alberta and the Court of Appeal of Alberta.

The Calgary Awards is the City’s official citizen recognition program celebrating Calgarians and local organizations for their outstanding achievements and significant contributions. Each year, individuals, corporations, community groups and organizations are nominated in five major award categories, for a total of 13 awards. The 2019 award recipients were announced at a Council Meeting on June 15, 2020, and a recognition event will be held at a later date, due to COVID-19 restrictions and limitations on sizeable gatherings.

For more information about the award, watch the video Citizen of the Year Award | 2019 Calgary Awards | Brian Thiessen. Visit calgary.ca/calgaryawards to see the full list of the 26th annual Calgary Awards recipients and their outstanding achievements and contributions from 2019.