Yellowknife (Feb 23/04) - It could be said John Bayly died doing one of the things he loved best.

Amidst the elements and wilderness, surrounded by his dog sled team, the prominent Yellowknife lawyer took his last breath of fresh Northern air Feb. 17.

John Bayly

But handling his dog team was not the only way Bayly excelled.

Crown prosecutor Sandy Aitken described Bayly as a "true gentleman" lawyer.

Bayly was very instrumental in getting the law society started in the North, said Aitken.

"He made it happen," Aitken said. "He was well-respected in the bar and as a leader in the profession."

Bayly recently had a party celebrating his 30th anniversary with the bar by having a reception at his office where many of his colleagues offered their congratulations.

Crown prosecutor Paul Falvo said he was shocked upon hearing of the death of the longest serving Northern member of the bar.

"He always had a kind word to say. He had a lot of style in the courtroom and was a good example for our younger membership," Falvo recalls.

Jim Brydon at Legal Aid in Yellowknife agreed.

"He seemed to know everyone. He was a pivotal figure in the longer history of the bar," Brydon said. "I was just at his party last week. It's a shock. He was so full of life at the time."

Bayly graduated from the University of Toronto in 1967 and received his law degree in 1971 from Osgoode Hall.

He was called to the Ontario bar in 1973, the NWT bar in 1974 and the Nunavut Bar in 1999.

Recent anniversary

His 30 years of Northern experience included working in both private practice and as Crown attorney.

Most recently, he was a member of Fasken Martineau, an international law firm.

Bayly also held senior government positions in the North, including the role of principal secretary to Premier Stephen Kakfwi and his Cabinet from 2000-2001.

Reaching farther North, Nellie Cournoyea, chair of the Inuvialuit Regional Corporation, said Bayly was well-known across the North.

"He never was afraid to help in any level of communication or involvement. He was not only a lawyer but a field worker," Cournoyea said.

His other love

Carol Beck of Beck's Kennels in Kam Lake knew a different side of Bayly.

"We often discussed his passion of travelling with his dogs on his sled," Beck recalls.

"It will seem strange without him and hearing his barking dogs on Back Bay. It's sad thinking of him not being there."

Bayly is survived by his wife Christine and his children Tim, Jennifer, Melissa and Catherine.