Things this week may not immediately look any different inside Sarnia’s courtrooms, but a slew of changes have taken place behind the scenes – and behind the bench.
Justice Deborah Austin will still be presiding Thursday but on a per-diem basis, as it marks the first day of the longtime local judge’s retirement. Both Austin and Justice Anne McFadyen, who will also stay on part time, retired as of Wednesday.
The lone remaining Sarnia judge, Justice Krista Lynn Leszczynski, will soon be joined by three new figures: Justice Mark Poland, Justice Paul Kowalyshyn and Justice Marnie Vickerd. The three all have connections to Sarnia-Lambton.
“I think the good news is there are three judges who come from this community who really wanted to be back here,” Austin said. “It’s, to me, a positive change and a good thing.”
Poland, a Sarnia resident who’s been presiding in London, is taking over Austin’s role as a full-time criminal court judge in Sarnia. Kowalyshyn, a former local lawyer who went on to become a judge in Chatham-Kent, will now be working in both communities, as will Vickerd, a fellow former Sarnia lawyer who’s been overseeing family law cases in Windsor.
Kowalyshyn will be picking up about three-quarters of McFadyen’s workload and Vickerd will handle the rest while they both continue working in Chatham.
“In family law, it’s good to have that balance between two, so that gives a good flow here for family law,” Austin said.
All the moves, which Austin said have been co-ordinated and approved by Ontario’s chief judge, are effective Thursday.
When asked recently about the impending retirements and replacements, a spokesperson with the Ontario Court of Justice told The Observer via email they don’t release personal information about its judiciary.
“Sarnia’s in good hands, no transition, seamless,” Austin said. “That serves our community.”
Leszczynski, meanwhile, has taken over the role of administrative judge in Sarnia, a position Austin held for years. A Chatham native, Leszczynski spent nearly a decade working for the Lambton Crown attorney’s office before being sworn in on March 19, 2019, to replace the retired Justice Mark Hornblower who still also works part time.
“She’s the common denominator. She’s our stable force,” Austin said of Leszczynski.
Austin will still be working fairly regularly in courtrooms throughout Southwestern Ontario this fall to help fill the gaps in London and Windsor, but rarely in Sarnia where she was named one of the youngest, and first female, judges in the city’s history.
“I’m very grateful to have had that opportunity, but it also feels like it’s time to let other people do that work here,” she said. “It’s good for the community, good for everybody that we have a refresh, and I think that’s healthy.”