The Rumpole of Canadian Trade

2 Jan 2011

Ottawa Citizen

(Michael Hart's article in today's business section -- here -- is also copied in full, below).

Bill was in many ways the Rumpole of Canadian trade policy. What you saw and heard was what you got. A bit rumpled and sometimes gruff, easygoing about clothes, entertainment and cars, but demanding in wine and food, he had a penetrating intellect and a prodigious knowledge of history, literature and, of course, trade and economic policy. He adored a succession of dogs and was a regular walking the incumbent, Willie, along the river in New Edinburgh.

Ironically, for a man who chose diplomacy as a career, he did not much like small talk nor the idle chatter that marks diplomatic receptions. For him, diplomacy was a matter of policy and negotiations, not relationships and cocktail parties.

He came to Ottawa in 1967 and joined the then Department of External Affairs. Armed with a brand new MA in economics he was, uncharacteristically, assigned to the economic division. There he found his métier and developed an outstanding grasp of the intricacies of trade policy. For the next 33 years, he was involved in a wide range of trade negotiations, from GATT and UNCTAD to bilateral air agreements and a multilateral investment accord.

Even after retirement, Indian Affairs asked him to take on native land claims.

The pinnacle of his professional career was achieved as a key member of the team that negotiated the Canada-United States Free Trade Agreement. It proved a terrific but all-consuming assignment and defined who he was for the rest of his life. Bill captured well the special bond among us by reminding us of the St. Crispin’s Day speech in Shakespeare’s Henry V:

From this day to the ending of the world, But we in it shall be remembered – We few, we happy few, We band of brothers;

His two most important preoccupations of the last few years were grandchildren and golf. Both involved weighty competition with his friends. Bill is survived not only by his wife Patricia and two sons, Michael and Christian and their wives Rebecca and Ann, but also by three grandchildren: Abigail, Sabena, and James. He loved visiting them and sharing their accomplishments.

A year ago this September, Pat and Bill celebrated 40 years of marriage by renewing their vows in their garden and embarking on a second honeymoon, completing an important milestone on Bill’s bucket list: following the steps of the last few stages of the famous medieval pilgrimage to the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in northern Spain. It requires a 140-kilometre walk over the course of six days through the foothills of the Pyrenees. Bill and Pat completed the journey, sore feet and all, and could proudly wear the cockleshell emblem.

On Nov. 30, at a moving memorial service at St. Bartholomew’s Anglican Church in New Edinburgh, nearly 300 friends and family joined in celebrating Bill’s life. He had lived a good life and a productive one. He was loved by many and will be missed by more.

Michael Hart worked with Bill Dymond for the past 35 years in both government and at Carleton and was his frequent golf and writing partner.