French ambassador bestows great honour on York's Castel

By Cathy Carlyle

York President Lorna Marsden, left, and French Ambassador to Canada Denis Bauchard join Jean-Gabriel Castel, second from right, and his wife Ann Henney Castel at a ceremony honouring Castel with the presentation of the Officer of the National Order of Merit of France Medal.

"Having many honours doesn't make you a better person," stated York Professor Jean-Gabriel Castel in his modest way when congratulated for the latest award given him. "But it's nice to have recognition from my country of birth."

Ambassador of France to Canada Denis Bauchard presented Castel, distinguished research professor, emeritus and senior scholar at Osgoode Hall Law School, with his latest honour: Officer of the National Order of Merit of France. Hugues Goisbault, French consul general in Toronto, was among the dignitaries present for the prestigious ceremony at Glendon College in February.

The honour was for Castel's contribution to international law and his work with the French community in Toronto over the years. His lifelong work for France and things French began when he was a child in World War II helping the Resistance. For his service in the movement, he was accorded several honours, one of which was the Croix du Combattant Volontaire.

Castel has long been a driving force in Ontario's French community. Years after his youthful war experiences he became the president of the association of French war veterans living in Ontario. He was one of the founders of the Toronto bilingual school de Charbonnel for Franco Canadians. He became editor-in-chief of the scholarly Canadian Bar Review in the late 1950s, a post held for 27 years, transforming it into a bilingual publication. Castel also originated the exchange program between York's Osgoode Hall Law School and law schools at Aix-Marseille, France and Kobe, Japan.

Castel has received more than 24 medals, both civil and military, and numerous other awards from both Canada and France. He received the Order of Ontario for his activities in the province's French community. As a member of the Conseil Supérieur des Français de l'Étranger, representing the interests of French immigrants in Ontario and Western Canada, he was made a Chevalier de la Légion d'Honneur. He is a member of the Royal Society of Canada and an Officer of the Order of Canada. As if that weren't enough, he has been the recipient of honorary degrees from universities abroad.

At York University, Castel's first appointment was at Osgoode as a conflicts scholar. Later, he added public international law and international business law to his fields of interests and responsibilities. He has published 13 books (some in their fifth edition), including a renowned three-volume treatise on Canadian conflict laws, many volumes of teaching materials and over 100 articles.

Over the years, Castel has held visiting lecturer positions at four Canadian law schools and at law schools in France, Japan, China, Mexico, the United States, Australia and New Zealand. He has also acted as an international commercial arbitrator for 30 years. At present he is a sessional lecturer at Glendon as well as holding his post as senior scholar at the Keele campus.

Almost brushing aside his many highly-acclaimed awards, in Orangeville he is now a volunteer minister of care in the Roman Catholic Church, having obtained the required diploma after proper training. "Of all the diplomas I received, this is the one I value the most," he said, "because it is for serving those who are marginalized." He ministers to senior citizens and the terminally ill, and helps with an out-of-the-cold shelter for young people. Castel is also active in local sports, sponsoring a house-league hockey team.