Out with the Old, in with the New

  • July 11, 2019

It is a pleasure having you be part of our Section! We have prioritized the Section’s primary goal for the current and upcoming year to increase member engagement. As a preliminary step to reach this goal, we encourage you to complete a short member survey to better understand the member’s needs and priorities. We also invite you to visit our webpage and engage with the executive. For further support, please contact our CBA staff liaison Crystal Lam and CBA advocacy lawyer Marc-André O’Rourke.

We encourage everyone to take an active role in the Section to ensure that we speak with a strong, united voice on policy issues.

Some updates:

  • We are delighted to announce this year’s winner of the Law School Essay Contest: Kaitlin Brennan, a third-year law student at the University of Ottawa.
  • The Section is seeking new member articles for the Section’s webpage (open to the general public and members).

Law reform:

  • The Section reviews government initiatives about real property law, including draft legislation and government consultation. We are monitoring closely the BC government’s response to Peter M. German’s report, particularly its impact on solicitor–client privilege.
  • Now more than ever, in light of the findings and recommendations in Peter M. German’s BC report on Dirty Money – Part 2, real estate lawyers need to be vigilant because the fundamental principle of lawyer–client confidentiality may be debated. This report was commissioned by the BC government to independently review allegations of money laundering in the real estate, luxury auto, and horse racing sectors in BC. The report “provide[d] a detailed overview of the role of the legal profession in Canada and B.C. with respect to financial transparency and client due diligence.
  • “Liaison with Lenders” is an ongoing project to create communication channels, improve mortgage instructions, support secure, fast and inexpensive financial transfers, and address any other relevant issues.

Professional Development:

Resources:

On a personal note, it has been my privilege and pleasure to serve on the Section’s executive over the past 4 years, and this year as Chair. My Section engagement has given me the opportunity to connect with real estate practitioners across the country and to learn of the various challenges faced by lawyers in diverse jurisdictions. Section engagement has also allowed me to forge lasting friendships and provided me with a network of experienced, diverse and engaging colleagues. I invite you all to become active Section members and put your names forward to serve on:

  • The Mortgage Instructions Toolkit Committee
  • Comparison Chart Committee
  • Outreach Committee

I look forward to meeting you.

Thank you,

Joanna Wrzesniewski
Chair, CBA Real Property Section