KAMSACK — A former Kamsack resident has been appointed a judge of the Supreme Court of British Columbia in Kelowna.
Hon. Gregory W. Koturbash, a judge of the Provincial Court of British Columbia in Penticton, who graduated from the Kamsack Collegiate Institute in 1985 and is the son of former residents Larry and Helen Koturbash of Saskatoon, succeeds Justice D.A. Betton (Vernon), who resigned last year, and due to internal court transfers by the Chief Justice, the vacancy is located in Kelowna.
Hon. Sean Fraser, Minister of Justice, Attorney General of Canada and Minister responsible for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency, announced the appointment on Nov. 17, according to a release from the Canadian Department of Justice. “This process emphasizes transparency, merit and the diversity of the Canadian population and will continue to ensure the appointment of jurists who meet the highest standards of excellence and integrity.”
Wishing Koturbash and five other persons who also received judicial appointments “every success as they take on their new roles,” Fraser said he was confident they would serve the people of British Columbia well as members of the Court of Appeal for British Columbia and the Supreme Court of British Columbia.
Koturbash obtained a combined Bachelor of Arts (Honours) and Juris Doctor from the University of Saskatchewan in 1992, says a brief biography accompanying the announcement from the Department. He was called to the bar of Saskatchewan in 1993 and the bar of British Columbia in 1998. He served on the Provincial Court of British Columbia as the Regional Administrative Judge for the Interior Region.
Appointed to the bench in Penticton in 2012, he brought with him two decades of experience as a Crown prosecutor, where he specialized in criminal law and dedicated his career to public service, the biography said. He has served as a sessional faculty member at Thompson Rivers University, Faculty of Law, mentoring future members of the legal profession. He remained deeply involved in judicial education and contributed to national discussions on the evolving intersection of artificial intelligence and the justice system. He has also authored texts on Canadian criminal law, reflecting his commitment to the ongoing development of legal scholarship in Canada.
The year after Koturbash graduated from high school in Kamsack, his family moved to Indian Head, and his parents are now living in Saskatoon.
“My dad turned 90 this year and is doing well,” Koturbash said, adding that his sister Therese is a family lawyer in Dauphin, Man., and his brother Ian is a senior vice-president with Rawlco.
He married former Yorkton resident Lynn Chillog and the couple have two children: Rylan and Alexandria, who are both considering careers in law.
“Because my family is now in Saskatoon, it has been several years since we have been back to Kamsack,” he said, adding that he had been scheduled to be in Kamsack for his 40th class reunion this summer, but was officiating a wedding for a close friend that same weekend.
“I was looking forward to seeing Jeff Parnetta, Warren Todosichuck, and Eugene Remezoff, all classmates who still live in Kamsack.
“My aunt Olga Kiwaluk still lives in Kamsack, and parents of lots of the kids I hung out with,” he said, listing Wayne Bugera, Michael Malaney, Rick Achtimichuk, Wayne Chernoff and Kevin Cottenie.
“From an early age, I was drawn to the law,” he said. “I was first inspired by the television series The Paper Chase, which made the study of law seem both formidable and fascinating. My hometown lawyers, Orest Rosowsky and Tom Campbell, also played an important role in shaping my interest. They were the kind of steady, thoughtful advocates every small community relies on.
“But my greatest inspiration came from much closer to home: my older sister, who went to law school before I did and blazed the trail. Sibling rivalry, it turns out, has no bounds, and I was determined to keep up.
“I’ve often joked that there must have been something in the water in Kamsack. My sister and I are five years apart, yet our little town managed to produce over a dozen lawyers between our two graduating classes, including three from my class alone. There have been several since, as well, which is extraordinary.
“I discovered my calling in the courtroom early in my career, serving as a trial lawyer with the Saskatchewan Public Prosecution Service,” he said. “My work as a Crown prosecutor exposed me to some of the most serious and complex cases in the criminal justice system, including homicides and gang-related violence, and eventually led me to appear at every level of court, including the Supreme Court of Canada.
“One of my greatest passions is downhill skiing,” he said, mentioning Duck Mountain Provincial Park and “the draw of skiing in British Columbia eventually brought me west with my wife.
“I continued my work as a prosecutor in B.C. before being appointed to the Provincial Court of British Columbia in 2012, sitting in Penticton.
“During my tenure on the Provincial Court, I served as the Regional Administrative Judge for the Interior Region and chaired the province’s Criminal Law Committee. I also remained committed to legal education. I taught Advanced Criminal Law and Sentencing at Thompson Rivers University, Faculty of Law, mentored future lawyers, and contributed to national judicial education, particularly in the area of presiding over sexual assault cases.
“My work has included authoring legal texts and presenting to judges from across Western Canada. More recently, I have been involved in national discussions about the role of artificial intelligence in the justice system.
“My appointment to the Supreme Court came the day after my beloved Saskatchewan Roughriders won the Grey Cup,” he said. “The last time they won was when I was appointed to the Provincial Court. If this trends continue, I may have single-handedly doomed us to another decade-long drought.”
Asked if he enjoyed his career as a Provincial Court judge, Koturbash said that serving on the Provincial Court has been one of the great honours of his career.
“For 13 years it has been my professional home, and I have been fortunate to work with colleagues who are dedicated, compassionate, and deeply connected to their communities,” he said. “The work is meaningful because it is difficult. People come to court, whether accused, victims, or family members, on some of the hardest days of their lives, often shaped by tragic circumstances. It is a privilege to ensure they are treated with dignity, that their stories are heard, and that justice is applied fairly.
“I have cherished the meaningful courtroom work, the opportunities to teach and contribute to judicial education, and the privilege of serving a court that plays such a vital role in the lives of so many. It has been an honour to be part of it.
“As the front line of justice, the Provincial Court is the only court most Canadians will ever see. It handles an extraordinary range of cases with professionalism, expertise, and humanity. I have been proud to serve alongside judges who embody the very best of our justice system.
“I have always admired how deeply Provincial Court judges care about their communities and about upholding the rule of law, treating everyone equally, relying on evidence, and ensuring no one is above the law.”
Asked what excites him about his new position, Koturbash said that he is excited to take on this new role and to continue serving the people of British Columbia from a different level of court.
“After many years in the Provincial Court, I look forward to bringing the experience I have gained, both in the courtroom and through my work in judicial education, to the Supreme Court.
“This appointment represents both a new challenge and a new opportunity,” he said. “The Supreme Court deals with a broader range of legal issues and often engages with questions that shape the development of the law in our province. I am eager to contribute to that work while maintaining the same core values that have guided me throughout my career: fairness, respect, clarity, and a deep sense of responsibility to the public.
“What excites me most is the chance to serve the same community I have come to know so well, but now in a different capacity. I am grateful for the trust placed in me and am looking forward to working with my new colleagues, learning from them, and doing my part to uphold the strong reputation and traditions of the Supreme Court.”
Koturbash is asked how he would respond to those who say that too many judges are soft on crime.
“I appreciate that some people perceive some judges as soft on crime,” he said. “Often, that view comes from seeing only a small part of the process. The full record, the submissions, and the legal limits we operate within rarely make their way into the public conversation. Others look to the courts to solve every social problem, even those the justice system was never designed to fix.
“Sentencing is one of the most demanding responsibilities a judge carries. Every case comes with its own history, human context, and legal framework. People arrive in court on some of the hardest days of their lives, often shaped by trauma, mental-health and substance-use challenges, poverty, or other forces beyond their control. None of this excuses unlawful conduct, but it explains why the law requires judges to consider the whole person, not just the offence.
“Judges cannot sentence based on personal preference or public pressure; we are bound by the laws of Parliament, appellate direction, and the evidence before us.
“Our system cannot always mirror individual notions of justice, which differ widely. Nor can sentencing be reduced to a bumper sticker or headline. A sentence that looks ‘light’ from a distance may be the legally correct outcome once the governing principles, evidence, and constraints are applied.
“To fully understand a decision, one must look to the reasons or observe the proceedings, because much of the nuance and context can rarely be fully captured in media reports.
“The judges and courts across the country exemplify the best of our system: dedicated and deeply committed to their communities,” Koturbash said. “I am proud to serve among them in one of the strongest and most trusted justice systems in the world.”
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