Join PIBC’s most popular webinar of the year! Our legal experts, Guy Patterson RPP, MCIP (Young Anderson) and Nathalie Baker (Eyford Partners) provide an informative and entertaining session on a variety of municipal issues and case studies.
Hear from a lawyer who generally acts against local governments in land use regulation disputes. Nathalie Baker discusses procedural fairness and outlines some key procedural mistakes that lead to litigation against local governments for bylaws, permitting decisions, and non-public hearing forms of engagement. Nathalie offers valuable insight into what can go wrong with some local government procedures.
Guy Patterson's presentation focusses on trees and water: protection of, and from the natural environment. He reviews a new court of appeal decision on tree cutting vs zoning, and a recent BC supreme court decision on local government liability for flood damage.
And, back by popular demand, we are pleased to welcome Brent Taylor, Surveyor with Polaris Land Surveying Inc., and Jeff Beddoes, (CLS retired) who will guide us through the complicated process of reading and interpreting a survey plan. Brent has a long history with legal survey plans, natural boundaries and public education and is often engaged as an expert witness in various litigation matters, many of which involve natural boundaries. Jeff has been involved in countless files regarding natural boundaries and has emerged as one of the most knowledgeable land surveyors in the province when it comes to natural boundaries.
We are pleased to invite members of the Association of British Columbia Land Surveyors to join us at the PIBC member price.
Our Speakers
Nathalie Baker
Partner, Eyford Partners
Nathalie Baker is a litigator practising primarily in the area of municipal law. She has a particular interest in land use matters and issues of procedural fairness and represents landowners, developers, citizens groups and business owners on a wide range of local government matters arising under the Local Government Act, the Community Charter and the Vancouver Charter. Nathalie also acts for members of municipal councils and regional boards on motions to censure and allegations of conflict of interest and misconduct.
Nathalie has represented clients in the Provincial Court of British Columbia on bylaw prosecution matters, in the Supreme Court of British Columbia on applications for judicial review and in the Court of Appeal. She also has experience before administrative tribunals, including the Board of Variance. The daughter of former City of Vancouver councillor and well-respected municipal lawyer, Jonathan Baker, she has had an interest in this area of law since well before she started practising with her father in 2002.
Guy Patterson RPP, MCIP
Partner, Young Anderson
Guy Patterson, a partner with Young, Anderson, completed his law degree at UBC and clerked at the British Columbia Supreme Court before articling at Young Anderson. He was called to the bar and joined the firm as an associate in March 2015. Before law school Guy worked as a planner for local governments and non-profit organizations in British Columbia, and for a brief stint in Johannesburg, South Africa.
He is a registered professional planner and a member of the Canadian Institute of Planners and maintains a general practice in municipal law with a focus on planning and land use management, and subdivision regulation. Outside the office he spends most of his time with his wife and their four children.
Brent Taylor, BCLS, CLS
Polaris Land Surveying Inc.
Brent received his commission as a BCLS about 35 years ago and has worked in the private sector since in a variety of capacities. He continues to complete field surveys and prepare plans for filing in the Land Title Register and the Crown Land Registry. He has had various contracts with the Land Title and Survey Authority to provide guidance in the conversion to electronic plans as well as the development of ParcelMap BC. He also contracts to the Association of BC Land Surveyors from time to time to develop and facilitate various workshops for their continuing professional development program. He is often engaged as an expert witness in various litigation matters, many of which involve natural boundaries.
Jeff Beddoes, BCLS non practicing, CLS retired.
Jeff articled in Smithers, British Columbia and received has BC land surveyors commission in 1985. In 1995 he obtained his Canada Lands Surveyor commission. From 1986-1992 he owned and operated a small practice in Fernie, BC. In 1992 he joined the Surveyor General Branch of what was then the Ministry of Sustainable Resource Management in the position of Senior Land Surveyor. In 2003 he became the Deputy Surveyor General for the Province. The Surveyor General Branch and the Land Titles Branch formed the Land Title & Survey Authority in 2005. Jeff was appointed Senior Deputy Surveyor General in 2006 and held this position in the LTSA until his pseudo retirement in 2018. He has contributed to a number of Association committees over the years, was elected to the Board of Management in 2001 and served as Association President in 2005.
