Sharing

The British Columbia Notaries Association is pleased to recognize our partner organizations in this edition of The Scrivener.

Like practising Notaries, the Association relies heavily on our relationships with allied professions for encouraging innovation, access to shared information, and partnerships.

Both The Society of Notaries Public and the BC Notaries Association participate in the Land Title and Survey Authority Stakeholders Advisory Committee. That relationship ensures Notaries have a voice in the development of new products and services and opportunities to make improvements to existing LTSA services.

In recent months the BCNA has been consulting with the LTSA on the development of a Conveyancing Training program for notarial administrative staff. While the LTSA does not provide a dedicated training environment for new users, there are several videos available to help conveyancers understand the systems and required forms related to land title transactions, and we anticipate further dialogue on the possibility of the LTSA introducing a limited training environment for programs such as this BCNA initiative. The Conveyancing Training program undertaking has also seen opportunities for our industry sponsors to work in collaboration with the BCNA, with both ProSuite and Stewart Title adding curriculum for modules within the program.

Information-sharing is another important opportunity among allied professions. The BCNA provides electronic circulars such as the Partners Update and Notice to Members that often utilizes statistical information on the real estate sector provided by the BC Real Estate Association.

The BCREA generates regular and comprehensive updates on real estate markets from across the province. The BCNA also participates on the Real Estate Stakeholders Networking group, which is informal and meets occasionally to discuss matters of mutual interest.

We also have unique relationships with organizations such as the Canadian Mortgage Brokers Association of BC, where we offer advertising between Associations on a reciprocal basis in our professional magazines.

These few examples of working together cooperatively across professions illustrates not only a benefit to the organizations, but also to all British Columbians who gain from the commitment of those professionals to further educate themselves and be better prepared to serve their clients.

On February 25 to 27, 2022, the BCNA looks forward to welcoming members, sponsors, and exhibitors to our in-person Continuing Education Conference taking place at the Sheraton Wall Centre in Vancouver.

We look forward to re-engaging as a professional community. The BCNA will closely monitor and implement public health recommendations to ensure that the Conference is welcoming for fully vaccinated attendees.

In the event that a Provincial Health Order is implemented prohibiting a group meeting, the Continuing Education sessions will be revised to a virtual format.

While we welcome the arrival of the New Year, it is clear that challenges remain ahead. There will not be a return to a pre-pandemic style of meeting or conducting business anytime soon. We have learned from COVID and recent natural disasters in British Columbia that we need to be vigilant and plan for resiliency as we move forward.

Just as all professionals have made changes in the way we interact with clients in an effort to continue providing the best service possible while keeping the economy of BC moving forward, we need to be equally flexible when it comes to our understanding and support for one another, as individuals and as allied professions. We are all in this together! s Respectfully, Chad Rintoul Chief Executive Officer

Chad Rintoul