Peter Cole CO62

Did you enjoy your time at Truro School?

Yes and no! I loved Treliske but not so much the Senior School. In early 1956 I ran away from TS with my friend, John Rhys-Davies CO62, and made it to Falmouth where we spent a cold night sleeping on a park bench as I recall. An alert bobby found us the next morning as we were eyeing a row boat to hide in. The Headmaster, A Lowrie Creed 1946-1959, was not amused! Neither were my parents. And shortly after we were off to Canada which was one of my father’s boyhood dreams come true.

Where do you live now? Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.

If you have now moved away from Cornwall, do you manage to visit the county and have you ever come back to Truro School for a visit?

I was at Treliske and Truro School in 1996 for my only trip back.

Where do you work now and where is your employment based?

I am retired as of 2020. I was a lawyer with a general practice in a small town south of Winnipeg. I did everything from the usual solicitor’s work to some civil litigation, a fair amount of family litigation and criminal law.

What does your current role entail? Being a grandfather! I have two grandsons who keep me very busy.

Is there anything that you are especially proud of relating to your life or career? Being of service to my legal clients honourably and ethically for 45 years. I can honestly say I have no regrets in that regard. I did my best at all times. I was appointed Queen’s Counsel in 1997 and I served as a bencher of the Law Society of Manitoba for eight years, at which point I became a Life Bencher. I chaired or belonged to most of the Law Society’s committees.

I also engaged in a fair amount of charitable work in my community and in Winnipeg with certain arts groups.

I did run twice for the Liberal Party of Canada as a candidate for MP but did not get elected. I lived in a very Conservative riding! I was also a Vice-President of the Liberal Party of Manitoba and served as a campaign chairman in numerous provincial elections and as Official Agent in two federal elections. Being involved in politics led to my meeting many of the leading lights in Canadian politics in the 1970s and 1980s, including two Prime Ministers: Pierre Trudeau and Jean Chretien.

Did you consider any other career?

I was a lecturer in history at the University of Manitoba for a year before becoming an assistant archivist for the Province of Alberta. If a friend of mine who was a professor at the Manitoba Law School had not persuaded me to try Law School, I would probably have gone on to do a PhD in history. I still have an abiding love of history and read history books like most people read novels.

Is there any advice you could offer anyone considering a similar life or career path?

I will say that a good general education is still really important to lay the groundwork for any career. The first undergraduate degree should be in a variety of things that really interest you. Let your intellectual curiosity run wild! You can specialise later in career-oriented studies, but nothing will prepare you for a well-rounded life better than a general knowledge of history, science, literature, philosophy and political science. And practising law involves a lot more than a barebones knowledge of legal precedent and statutes. To do it well you have to understand people and the context of their predicaments and needs. Knowing about the world in which they live and function is really essential to providing worthwhile advice. I have an Honours BA, a Master’s degree and a Bachelor of Laws degree, but I still think my first arts degree was the most important.

Please tell us a little about your family life.

Married with two grown daughters. Both very successful. One is a division manager for Manitoba Hydro in Winnipeg and the other runs a very successful doggrooming and boarding business in Calgary, Alberta. The Winnipeg daughter is married and has two wonderful boys who are the centre of our lives.

Are any of your family still located in Cornwall?

No. Actually my family lived in Lifton,

Devon, which is only four miles from Cornwall so I guess close enough! My father was Welsh and my mother came from Newcastle-on-Tyne.

What are your hobbies or how is your leisure time spent?

Reading lots of books, mainly history. Photography and vintage computers are also hobbies. I also like building things for the house.

Are you still in touch with anyone from your time at Truro School? No, sadly.

Do you feel your time at School, or anything about your time here, helped you to progress in later life?

A positive yes for Treliske. As for the Senior School it did accelerate my departure for Canada which obviously completely changed my life.

What are your immediate/long-term plans for the future?

Stay healthy!