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 O C T O B E R 2 0 1 6 13 there is also the ability to be flexible. If my son has a Christmas concert, I'm just 10 minutes down the road — that is a great advantage." Others are seeing the benefits of working in the Okanagan as well, he says, as his firm just hired two Vancou- ver lawyers. Keith Mitchell, managing partner at Farris Vaughan Wills & Murphy LLP, says a "collateral" impact of the high housing prices has been highly talented individuals wanting to work outside Vancouver. "We have gotten a lot of very strong resumés," he says, adding that the firm has always drawn outstanding individuals with a wide breadth and depth of expertise. "But these resumés are from individuals who want to work in our Kelowna and Victoria offices," he says. Mitchell acknowledges that young lawyers today face a stiff challenge in buying a home in the Vancouver area. But technology is helping the situation as lawyers no longer need to be within larger cities to work on cases, he says. When lawyer Gene Fraser, with more than 20 years of litigation experience, finished his PhD in law at the Univer- sity of Victoria, he bypassed living and working in Vancouver to join Lang- ley's Campbell Burton McMullan LLP in 2015. Earlier in his career, he had moved out of Vancouver with his family, most recently living in Pitt Meadows, a former Dutch and agricultural commu- nity nestled against a backdrop of scenic Fraser Valley razorback mountains. For the past year, he's had a 30-minute com- mute to work. But he is now moving his family to Langley, close to his office, and will achieve every long-range com- muter's fantasy. "I will be able to walk to work," he says. Homes in Langley, compared with those in cities such as Vancouver, offer more house and yard. "What you can buy here would cost close to $2 million in Vancouver, and here it is less than half that," he says. It all translates into a better quality of life with family and more disposable income to enjoy that life. "And we are still close to Vancou- ver," he says. B.C. is also going through a tran- sition. Baby boomers in Vancouver are selling their classic, single-family homes with garages and backyards to high-density-minded developers eager to devour whole blocks for highrise, multiple-unit residential buildings. Residential highrises are punching through Vancouver's skyline every- where. That grey wave has caused an influx in B.C.'s Fraser Valley, Vancouver Island points such as Qualicum and Sidney and Interior towns in Okana- gan. It's all translated into more need for lawyers to deal with new retire- ment developments, wills and estates and recreational home purchases for professionals who are semi-retired in a new location and working remotely. - JEAN SORENSEN \ AT L A N T I C \ C E N T R A L \ W E S T REGIONAL WRAP-UP MATTER CREDENTIALS TORONTO I BARRIE I HAMILTON I KITCHENER 1-866-685-3311 www.mcleishorlando.com A Noticeable Difference ™ Choosing a personal injury lawyer is one of the most important decisions an injured person will make. Help your client ask the right questions: Is the lawyer? I Untitled-1 1 2015-05-13 4:13 PM

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