Pickup and Calvin, 1939-52
| Author | C. Ian Kyer |
| Pages | 199-220 |
M C hapter N
PICKUP AND CALVIN,
DRSR thepa rtnersco ntinuedtoca lltheir rm
Fasken, Robertson, Aitchison, Pickup & Calvin. There was a Robert son in
thermJohnFarleybutitwasthermspastassociationwiththenewChief
Justice that was being invoked. Going forward, however, the last two names,
Pickup and Calvin, were the bright lights in a n otherwise unimpressive ros
terJWandCollastheysignedtheirleerstoeachot herhaddeveloped
a good working relationship over the last twenty years, to go with their legal
skills and growing rep utation.
Only four partners remai ned to sign the partnersh ip agreement of
Jan uar y Fask en Ait chi so nP ick upa ndCa lvi n The doc ume ntr eec ted
Alex Fasken’s age and changing role. He was still a force to be reckoned
withbut hewas nowsixtyseven yearsold Heremained managerof the
partnership business w ith full authority to engage and discharge employees
andtoxtheirsalar iesorremunerationandtodenetheirdutiesandtox
and allow bonuses and gratuities,” but “in the absence of said Fasken those
powers were to be exercised by a majority of the said Aitchison, Pickup and
Calvin, or such one of them as they mig ht appoint.” It was agreed that
solong assa idFaskeni sable toaend tobusi nessal loce furnitu refur
nishings library typewriters and equ ipmentare the sole propert yof said
FaskenOnhisdeathorinabilitytoaendtobusinessallsaidassetsandcash
onha nda ndaccou ntsa ndbil ls receivablea ndal lot hera ssets oft he rm
ﾆﾄﾄLawyersFamiliesandBusinesses
shallbelongtotheremai ningpartnersoft hermprorataaccordingtotheir
respective interest i n the partnership.
Each partner was to receive a base salaryFasken received but
AitchisonPickupandCalvi ngoteachandAlexsentitlementtoany
excesswasnottoexceedpercent
Freedofsomeof theadmi nistrativeburdenof therm Alexand Isabel
took a world cruise and when they returned he spe nt more time on his hob
bies. He was an ardent golfer, playing all year. He was a member of the
Mississauga Golf and Country near h is country estate, Ialfa, on the Credit
River and played there from spring till fall. Du ring the winters, he went to
St. Petersburg, Florida, so that he could continue to play. He was such a regu
lar winter golfer that he hired hi s own permanent caddy in St. Pete’s, a Black
man by the name of Henry Willows.
In A lex gained considerablenotoriet y fora nother of his hobbies
highst akespoker Hewas areg ular memberof aFriday night gameat
the King Edward Hotel. One night John Scully of Owen Sound played. It
was a night when Alex Fasken was acting as the clearing house for poker
winnings Scul lythought that hehad won in one oft hegames but
Alex disagreed and would not pay him. Nothing came of Sc ully’s complaint
for some time; he spent the next few years in the United States. When he
returned to Canada howeverhe took to sta lking Alex in an eort to co
erce him into paying. He knew that Alex was in the habit of eating lunc h
each day at the National Club on Bay Street, a short distance from the law
oceScul lybegant ohangaboutthelobbyof theExcel siorLifeBu ildingo n
Toronto Street. When Alex walked through the lobby on his way to lunch,
Scully would badger him, walking beside him al l the way to and from the
club. Alex began to fear for his safety and had Pickup pay a visit to Inspec tor
VernonofPoliceStationNoonCou rtStreet toaskforapolice escortTh e
escort was not immediately granted but shortly thereafter Pickup cal led the
inspectorsaying that Scully wasphysicallyi nthe rmsocerefusing to
leaveTheinspectorpromptlys entoveranocerto showScullyoutFrom
thatpointAlex wasgivenhis policeescortSc ullywasnotputoHe con
tinuedwalkingalongwithAlexbadgeringhimOnAprilScullywas
arrestedbyOcerLeonardBentleyandbroughttothepolicestation
Scully was incensed a nd brought a lawsuit against both the arrest ing of
cerandAlex forconspirac yassaultfalsea rresta ndimprison ment These
were serious charges. Initial ly Pickup and Calvin prepared Alex’s defence,
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