Gaiters Abroad – AN INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY LIFE AFTER FOOTBALL

Alumni Magazine May 2021

Doug Calhoun ’65 – Wellington, New Zealand

Doug Calhoun, BSc ’65, played football on the first teams coached by Bruce Coulter. The highlight of his Gaiter career at Bishop’s was winning the Ottawa-St. Lawrence Conference Championship in 1964. Coulter was an innovator who had his offensive line play in an unbalanced formation. Doug credits the teamwork and not wanting to let Bruce down for their success in 1964.

Doug’s degree was in Chemistry, but he credits his liberal arts education for paving the way in his career. Classes in English Literature, Divinity and Political Science were among his favourites. Doug went on to obtain his master’s degree in Inorganic Chemistry at Queen’s after his graduation from Bishop’s.

A family friend suggested he apply for work with the intellectual property (IP) law firm, Smart & Biggar in Ottawa. And so began his long career in the field of IP. It was also in Ottawa where Doug would meet his future wife, Ann. Ann was the daughter of a New Zealand diplomat who, as a child, had lived in Canada and the US. They married in 1970 and in 1973 made the decision to move to New Zealand. But instead of going straight there, they decided to quite literally “see the world”. Their adventure would take them across Europe, the Middle East and Asia over a four-month period. Doug says they passed through countries that today would be less receptive to their cross-continent trek.

Doug and Ann arrived in Wellington in December of 1973 and Doug has lived there since. Doug secured employment with AJ Park, an IP law firm. At their suggestion, he enrolled in the law program at Victoria University on a part-time basis. By 1976 he was also qualified as a New Zealand patent attorney. He became a licensed lawyer in 1980.

Doug has travelled the world for work many times over the years to attend conferences and meetings representing his clients. His first time back to Canada was for the 1976 Montreal Olympic Games.  Doug had many government, academic, private, and corporate clients over the years. The largest one was the dairy co-operative company, Fonterra, that accounts for about 20% of New Zealand’s export income. 

After he retired in 2006, he had a cottage built on Lac des Îles in the Lanaudière region of Quebec and has returned to Canada each summer joining many relatives and friends.  Unfortunately, because of travel restrictions, he was not able to visit this past summer, but is looking forward to returning when they are lifted.

In his retirement, Doug continues to edit an industry newsletter and an IP journal and is a member of the Law Society’s IP committee. He proudly acts as a mentor now to recent graduates just starting out in the field of IP. When not working as an editor, committee member or mentor, he can be found on the golf course enjoying another of his sporting passions. 

Doug has kept in touch with other Bishop’s alumni from his years, both football teammates and classmates. He has connected and visited with Richard Devereaux ’65, Steve Prest ’65 and Roy Cullen’65, to name but a few. (Steve Prest is a part-time resident of New Zealand, also enjoying endless summers – at least before Covid.) 

Doug currently resides in Wellington with his daughter, son-in-law, granddaughter, and a Golden Retriever puppy. He can be reached via email at doug.calhoun0@gmail.com and would enjoy hearing from fellow Gaiters and former classmates.

Click here to read the full Alumni Magazine from Spring 2021!