An oil company shut down leaving the well on my land abandoned. What do I do now?
There is a transmission line running through my property. Is it necessary? Can I challenge it?
Should I sign this lease agreement? How will it affect me in the future?
Rural property owners are constantly faced with these kinds of challenges. From abandoned and broken wells and weed contamination, to difficult OH&S questions, wetlands and noxious weeds issues, and more.
Join seminar chair Gayle Langford and knowledgeable panelists in Red Deer (June 2) for Rural Property Issues for Alberta Lawyers to address some of these challenging issues.
Program Overview
When it comes to standing up for the “little guy” Gayle is as passionate as she is knowledgeable. We recently spoke with Gayle to find out more about why this program is valuable. Here’s what she had to say.
I see property rights as an extension of personal rights, so as we see an erosion of property rights we also see an erosion of personal rights. These are such important topics and they’re ones that few lawyers get the opportunity to learn about. It’s the kind of subject that you can’t get out of a book. Unless you have the experience or a really good mentor, this is a hard area to learn. It’s a great opportunity for attendees to ask some of the more challenging questions.”
Topics and Presenters
We also spoke with Gayle to find out more about the topics that each of the presenters will be discussing with attendees. Here’s a sneak preview of what you can expect.
Darryl Carter QC | Stringam LLP
Darryl Carter practices out of Grande Prairie and is very experienced in Surface Rights. What’s happening right now is that most landowners get enticed to sign an agreement, but when they sign that agreement, they actually give away a lot of their Rights of Appeal, which they may not realize. Darryl is going to speak about why landowners may want to reconsider giving consent as well as the other options available to them.”
Lee Cutforth QC | Chair, Lethbridge Police Commission
Lee Cutforth is the Former Property Rights Advocate, and he is going to explain why property rights are so important and why we ought to care as lawyers.”
Michael Niven QC & Christy Lee | Carscallen LLP
Michael Niven and Christy Lee did an appeal for me on adverse effects – damages for outside of the right-of-way. I managed to get a dissenting opinion from the Appeal Board and then Michael and Christy successfully appealed it. This is significant because it’s the first time that there has actually been recognition of the adverse effects of property outside of a transmission line where it dissects that property. They are also going to talk about Clubroot as it is becoming more of an issue for those who earn a living from their land.”
Daryl Bennett | My Landman Group Inc.
Darryl Bennett became involved with Surface Rights and leases because they were impacting his family’s land, so his story is very personal. He is well respected and can advise on what to do if your leases are not maintained and if oil companies are not repairing wells. Darryl will also be able to answer questions attendees may have about the orphan well program.”
Shafak Sajid | Co-Author of A Matter of Trust
Shafak recently conducted a study with the University of Ottawa. Her focus in the study was on the changes in legislation affecting rural property owners and the adverse impacts these changes have had. This study shows how Alberta compares with other provinces.”
Christopher Spasoff | F2 Legal Counsel
Christopher Spasoff used to work for OH&S, so he is an expert when it comes to understanding some of the broad powers OH&S inspectors have. Christopher is going to discuss the broad powers that lawyers need to understand.”
Keith Wilson | Wilson Law Office
Keith Wilson is very experienced in all areas of administrative law. He has a wealth of knowledge, and his presentation deals with Alberta environment and wetlands. Keith is also going to present on drones and the use of drone evidence. Keith’s section won’t just be useful for those who act for the ‘little guy’, but will be beneficial for lawyers who work for municipalities as well.”
Register Online
Get practical pointers, take away useful resources, and gain a better understanding of the challenges rural property owners face so you can give confident, competent advice to your clients.
Register online to attend Rural Property Issues for Alberta Lawyers in Red Deer (June 2).
