Sunday, July 12, 1998 — North Shore News: — 3 Keeping society afloat | marine NorthShore Jj a | ae rescues rescue group a K / Se and other locai lifesaver sea tales Robert Gaister News Reporter Robert Galster News Reporter - a robert@nsnews.com THE North Shore Lifeboat Society is dedicated to sav- ing lives at sea. While that aim is sometimes thwarted by the nature of the calls the non-profit group responds to, such as suicide bridge jumpers, the majority of its operations come com- plete with happy endings. Shawn Burchett, who fills a vari- ety of roles with the society, has been a member for six years. He initially joined to upgrade his skills for his real and paying job as a Coast Guard seaman. “It has been a viable rool for me robert@nsnews.com BRUCE Falkins has seen his share of marine mishaps. As a founding member of the North Shore Lifeboat Society, Falkins has responded to distress calls caused by everything from stupidity to acts of God. Stupidity is much more com- mon though. With some 300 calls under his belt, Falkins has seen it all. “You're helping people — * to learn and grow,” said Buychert. : coe fo ; ro often you get out there and That, he added, is because of the [a a fit & Py F, a YET... : a they’re happy to sce. vou,” said s 6sheer variety of jobs the socicty is Ledwkige Falkins. “You get satisfaction from called upon to respond to cnsuresan THE lifebeat society's Deep Cove vessel, a 26’ aluminum Lifetimer, recently underwent repairs pulling these people out of the education like no other. He rattles while in drydock in West Vancouver. Society members (left to right) Stewart Buchanon, Bruce water.” them off effortlessly: boats flounder- Falkins and Robin Overbye inspect the progress. There is a down-side though. ‘ing, on fire or taking on water, stuck “Sometimes we get out. there “in inclement weather, colliding, on the rocks, too late and there’s just a body overdue or missing. Last but not least, Burchett there,” he added. “There's too adds, are calls involving people in the water — ~ many of these.” : ' the society’s “highest priority be it from a boat To Falkins, one retrieved body Or bridge jumping or (jumping) off of BC would be entirely too many. The Ferries.” ” fact that there are usually three or. -During 1997 the society responded to 44 four cach year explains why his cidents. It did this with the two boats it has sta- voice takes on a harder edge when . med on the North Shore — bookends located the subject comes up. Deep Cove and near Horseshoe Bay. And, as On a lighter note, there are with any organization that relics on donations some situations thar in the fullness for its: funding, fundraising is a constant chal- of time take on a humorous” * lenges. dimension not immediately appar- . - To:that end Burchett has taken on the added ent in an emergency situation. | role of handling the socicty’s public relations, One such incident involved a though it’s not a hard sell. mayday call from a boat with three Not with its 100 members volunteering their occupants aboard. When Falkins ¢ to provide a service that is clearly necessary. and the rest of the rescue squad “Although it hardly matters to someone in arrived at the scene, the boar had - ouble on the water, the boats fit under a ti- ’ sunk. : umvirate umbrella of organizations. In effect, the North Shore Lifeboat Socicty provides boats for “The auxiliary supports the Coast Guard by augmenting its scarch and rescue capabilities,” Burchett said. Tc then falls on the society to raise funds to at least keep the two boats in working order. It has already purchased a third $40,000 boat to replace its old and tired vessel stationed in West Vancouver. What remains is one last push to raise about $10,000 to outfit the vessel. Burchett is confi- dent enough to have set a Sept. 15 launch date. Contributions to the North Shore Lifeboat Society can be made by sending donations to Box 91369, West Vancouver, V7V 3PI. All donations will be recognized by a charitable income tax receipt. Anyone interested in volun- teering with the North Shore Lifeboat Society can call 921-8877. SHAWN Burchett directs the action from the bridge of the North Shore Lifeboat Society’s See A pair page 4. >st guard auxiliary which operates them. page 1 ¢ elderly Williams was a wealthy man. He was a. major owner in the Winston Churchii} Apartments. on Bellevue in West 4ncouver. The building was bought with his rst wife in 1968 for $723,000. In 1994, the partment was assessed as being worth almost 5’ million with monthly rental revenue of $25,000. Williams also owned his British Properties home which was valued at more than $700,000 in 1994. The estate plan, which the elderly Williams ad signed, allowed Williams to live in_his ritish Propertics house until he died. The jouse was transferred to his two sons in trust for wo grandchildren. : The Williams family conducted business "through their company, Williams Properties Led.; for many years. In the estate plan, the company shares belonging to the elder Williams were transferred to his sons. The elder Williams had a Grade 3 educa- ‘ tionanid was originally from Winnipeg. ‘He and his first wife owned and operated “three restaurants: Fred’s Lunch on Seymour in the 1950s, the Jolly Chef at 15th and ‘Arbutus from 1956 to 1962, and Maurice’s at Park Royal from 1962 to 1970. ‘Court evidence indicated that Williams’ sons worked in the restaurants without pay. ‘The sons also helped maintain the apartment - building. In the estate plan, Williams signed over- ‘power of attorncy to his sons. The cider Williams lost control of millions of dollars of assets to his sons through the estate plan. In exchange, the elder Williams got $50,000 a year through his sons which sup- plemented his monthly old age pension. Williams’ sons Wayne and Daryl urged their father to get a pre-nuprial agreement before marrying Lamour. According to a 1996 B.C. Supreme Court decision, when Wayne Williams first discussed the pre-nuptial agreement, he particularly emphasized the understanding that “Katalin (Lamour) was not to receive any of his (his father’s) assets and that Wayne and Daryl were to negotiate the terms of the pre-nuptial agreement with her, on his behalf.” “Lamour would later be referred to as the “Katalin factor” in the lawsuit. Lamour refused to sign the pre-nuptial agreement, holding out for $750,000 prior to the marriage, according to the court decision. She turned down an offer from the sons of $4,000 a month for a maximum of 120 months. But when contacted by the News last week Lamour, who now goes by her married name, said she did not sign the pre-nuptial because the sons refused to guarantee the money involved. “It is strictly not because of money I am here, it wasn’t and still is not,” said Lamour, now 52. She married her husband while his sons were in Ontario attending the graduation cer- emony of the elder Williams’ grandson. After being wed for a few days, Lamour conducted a title search on her husband’s home. She found out that he did not own it. A year later Williams, then 90, was in B.C. Supreme Court suing his two sons, his grand- children and the lawyer who handled the estate plan. The estate plan lawyer, George Brazier, was the brother-in-law of Williams’ son, Wayne. A B.C. Supreme Court judge found there was West Vancouver vessel. no conflict in this. Williams’ sons counter-sued Lamour for inducing a breach of contract. That suit was dismissed. The trial went on for 23 days, over a peri- od between September 1995 and May 1996. In the end Mr. Justice R.B. Hunter ruled in favor of Williams’ sons and dismissed the lawsuit. Hunter said the estate plan represented an understanding the sons and father had sincc the death of Williams’ first wife. The judge concluded that the sons did not exhibit undue influence over their father in signing the estate plan. “Mr. Williams Sr. knew he was giving all . his assets to his sons and grandchildren to pro- tect these assets for his children who had worked beside him in their creation,” wrote Hunter. The judge said Lamour was “motivated by greed.” and that Lamour tried to undermine the estate plan as it would be advantageous to her. Mr. Justice Hunter referred to court evi- dence in which Lamour said to her co-workers that it was just as casy to marry a rich man as it was to marry a poor man. So why marry a poor man? The judge went on to say that Lamour essentially organized her husband's lawsuit and that she convinced her husband in October 1994 to make her the sole beneficia- ry of his will and grant her powcr of attorney. “I am satisfied that she has, with her own designs in mind, turned her husband against his sons using allegations which are not true,” wrote the judge. Lamour told the News that the judge got the wrong impression of her. “If I was like that I would have left by fest Van man on hook for $330,000 bill — now,” said Lamour. “We have very little. When we lost (the lawsuit) I didn’t pack and leave. 1 have been here for four years,” she said. Lamour said her husband is currently in ~ good physical health, bur is experiencing —_ memory problems associated with early - Alzheimer’s. She said her husband didn’t know that he was transferring what-she estimated-as being approximately $10 million worth of property over to his sons through the estate plan. Lamour told the News that her husband’s legal bills amounted to approximately $500,000 after the failed lawsuit. She said onc of the lawyers handling the case told the cou-” ple just nine days before the trial started that they had a 50% chance of winning. Lamour said they had no idea the legal bill would be so high. The elder Williams chal- lenged the legal bill through yet another court action. The bill was eventually reduced by $140,000 to $330,000. At the end of last month, yet another B.C. Supreme Court judge released a decision stemming from Williams’ Iegal action against his sons, Mr. Justice Brian Ralph set out how the cash-strapped elderly man would pay his legal bill through yearly installments. Of the $50,000 Williams is to receive year- ly from his sons, he will only get to keep $12,000. The rest will go to pay his legal bill. Williams’ lawsuit was termed a “disastrous piece of litigation.” Meanwhile Lamour said her husband doesn’t want to talk to his sons anymore. “It was a terrible thing they did just because he wanted someone in his life,” said Lamour, She warns anyone contemplating a lawsuit to ask a lot of questions.