Canadian Lawyer

w w w . C A N A D I A N L a w y e r m a g . c o m J u l y 2 0 1 4 13 will do business in the future with a sup- plier, he points out. He also fleshed out contracts for new projects as the helicopter company was going through rapid growth in the 1990s. "I became an expert at the three-page contract," he says, adding that in rapid growth times, "no one was going to read a 38-page document." If a dispute arose, it was talked out in a hotel room or via telephone. "I really enjoyed the growth in the early days," says Routley, as the helicopter com- pany followed mineral exploration and morphed into a heli-logging operation. After 2000, the company moved into north- eastern B.C. and the Northwest Territories. The oil and gas boom followed. The early days of NAFTA underscored the need for a Canadian helicopter asso- ciation to safeguard the interests of local companies. "I attended meetings in Ottawa and Toronto on behalf of VIH," recalls Routley. In 1993, he shaped a memo urging the formation of a new Canadian associa- tion of helicopter operators. "We created a federal society known as the Helicopter Association of Canada. We now had a Canadian association that could speak on our behalf to Transport Canada regarding our concerns," he says. More recently, Routley's focus has turned to Bob Quinn Lake Airport (located approximately 160 km south of Dease Lake on Hwy. 37). It was located a kilometre from a highways department service yard used to maintain roads into the Iskut gold rush area which boomed until the early 1990s. VIH had been using the yard as a base. When budgets were cut, the minis- try offered the 4,200-by-150-foot airstrip to any municipal or regional government and then to any charity. Routley saw an opportunity and initiated the incorporation of the non-profit Bob Quinn Lake Airport Society, held a charter meeting in Terrace, and is now working to keep this 24-year-old airport, a gateway to the North, open. The potential is huge, points out Routley, who wants to see an industrial park at the airport. Imperial Metal Red Chris mine is 50 km north and is building a connecting transmission line from its site to Bob Quinn Lake substation where it will meet a BC Hydro transmission line nearing comple- tion from Skeena. The availability of power will cause the mineral development in the area to boom, believes Routley. "It is really bigger than just the Red Chris mine," says Routley who looks even further north. Canada's northern areas are both power hungry. Again pushing north with a power line will spur industrial develop- ment, opening new areas. That challenge of building, of seeing new development, and using the law as an instrument to facilitate it, excites Routley, who sees new visions on the horizon and sets his sights high. "I'm a linear person," says Routley. "I know if I go through the processes, it will happen." — JeAN soreNseN jean_sorensen@telus.net Powered by Poor due diligence can cost you, your firm and your client. Join firms from across the country that have been calling on our expert, professional researchers for their due diligence searches for nearly 20 years. It's what we do. Every day. Contact us today for your latest due diligence search. infoaction.ca infoaction@vpl.ca 604.331.3612 Toll-free: 1.844.255.3612 Get it wrong and you won't just look silly. Expert research. Delivered. Doo diligence Untitled-8 1 14-06-17 2:33 PM

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