Doug H. Mitchell

K.C.

Counsel

Calgary
Doug Mitchell, a true Canadian icon and leader in the Calgary office and community as well the business, sports, and legal worlds nationwide, passed away peacefully on July 20, 2022. He was instrumental in the foundation of BLG and a leader in the merger which formed the Firm in 2000. Following the merger, Doug was named National Co-Chair of BLG, and he continued in his role as Calgary’s Regional Managing Partner until 2007.
A member of the Order of Canada and the Alberta Order of Excellence, Doug was a well respected member of the community, sitting on many corporate and non-profit boards. Prior to his prodigious legal career, Doug was an exceptional sportsman – playing professional football for the BC Lions and later serving as the Commissioner of the CFL. He was also a strong supporter of the NHL where he was a member of the NHL’s Board of Governors and a champion of university athletics in Canada. In recognition of his efforts he was inducted into the Canadian Sports Hall of Fame and the Canadian Football Hall of Fame. As a show of his commitment, Doug founded the BLG Awards in 1993 (initially the Howard Mackie Awards), which is continued today as the Lois and Doug Mitchell U Sports Athletes of the Year Awards.

His loss has been widely felt.

Beyond our Walls

Professional Involvement

  • Member, Board of Directors, a number of corporations, both public and private
  • Past member, Canadian Bar Association National Executive

Community Involvement

  • Founder, History and Heroes Foundation
  • Founder, BLG Awards, a national awards program to honour Canadian university athletes
  • Co-Owner of Calgary Stampeder Football Club and a member of the Canadian Football League Board of Governors
  • Chair, Calgary Sports Tourism Authority
  • Chair, ParticipACTION
  • Member, NHL Board of Governors
  • Member, Board of Governors, University of British Columbia
  • Past President, Calgary Chamber of Commerce
  • Past Chair, Alberta Economic Development Authority
  • Past Chair, Calgary Airport Authority

Awards & Recognitions

  • Appointed Member (CM) of the Order of Canada, 2004
  • Alberta Order of Excellence, 2007
  • Recognized by the Globe & Mail in 2010 and 2011 as “one of the Power 50 of Canadian Sports"
  • Inducted into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame, 2021
  • Inducted into the Alberta Sports Hall of Fame and named Sportsman of the Year, 2007