Growing up in the Okanagan, I always thought summer was the best time of year! My family and I looked forward to the tourists coming, as they added adventure and excitement to the area. I filled my days with swimming, boating, waterskiing, reading, hiking, biking, and social time.
Garden-fresh food, picking a peach as I made my way through the orchards, and gathering on the back porch with family and friends were the sweet tastes of the season.
Everywhere I turned, I was on a fun summer adventure without straying too far from home.
Since my siblings and I had plenty of unstructured time, I continued that tradition with my own kids during their childhood summers. We spent many sunny days at Gonzales Beach to play the day away.
I’m so thankful my father instilled in me a strong sense of family, the importance of unstructured time, and the value of being social with those in our environment. My dad’s sense of fun, work ethic, and willingness to let me be my own person shaped not only the summers I experienced but also the person I became. He saw the value of downtime and summer adventures! Thanks, Dad.
For summer adventures with your family or friends, you don’t have to go very far to find it! Our own CRD has over 30 regional parks and trails. To find fun in your local environment, challenge yourself to visit as many parks as possible this summer. Who knows what memories you can make before school is back in session? Hint: our giveaway will also provide an incentive to get out there!
Legal Tip
Travelling with Children
Yes, there is plenty of local adventure to discover this summer. But if your adventures should take you farther from home, like out of the country, you should be prepared when travelling with children.
A consent letter is an important document to have to demonstrate that a child (minor) has permission to travel outside Canada away from a parent or legal guardian who is not accompanying them. Typically, the child is travelling by car to the USA or by plane to many places in the world.
Common scenarios are when one parent is travelling but the other is not. Or the minor child may be flying on their own. Or they may be travelling with an adult who is not a parent, like with a sports team, school group, or other group of people.
Here is a legal checklist for you to ensure the child is as prepared as possible to travel outside of Canada:
Check their travel passport against other relevant documents for various versions of the child’s name.
Have the parent sign the travel consent letter 2-4 weeks before travelling.
Download a scanned version of that signed consent letter onto the phone of the child and the person they are authorized to travel with, and the parent(s). Emailing a PDF of a photocopy is a good way to accomplish this.
Travel with a scanned copy of the child’s birth certificate showing the parents’ full legal names.
Travel with photocopies of any custody or guardianship documents.
Where a parent is deceased, take a photocopy of the deceased parent’s death certificate.
Travel with court or legal documents showing custody arrangements.
For the non-travelling parent, you may receive a call from a USA border agent at or about the time your child crosses the border — these calls come from a no-ID phone.
Obtain travel cancellation insurance.
Call Carter Notary at (250) 383-4100 to sign your child’s travel documents.
Office Activities
Recently Beverly was a presenting sponsor at the 15th Annual Women’s Success Summit, organized and hosted by eWomen.
This powerful event gathered many area businesswomen who were inspired by eWomen’s CEO & Founder, Sandra Yancey. We learned how to unlock success secrets from this dynamic and engaging speaker!
Beverly had the pleasure of joining her Think Local First board chair, Mary Lou Newbold, also an owner of Mayfair Optometric, and a few others, on a tour around Power To Be off Prospect Lake Rd.
Our hosts, Dana, Charlotte, and Jay were gracious. If you don’t know much about Power To Be, this place uses the power of nature to transform people’s lives. It’s beautiful and amazing!
For businesses and organizations please consider Power To Be facilities as a place to host meetings or retreats.
Learn more about this non-profit at their website powertobe.ca
Legal News
A New Website
Carter Notary has a newly refreshed website!
Please check out Carternotary.com to learn about our services in Wills & Estates, Real Estate, and Notarizations.
family-friendly community event. Carter Notary will be a sponsor at this second annual picnic which celebrates Hispanic culture and all Spanish-speaking communities. And it is open to everyone with food, live music, and activities for kids.
We hope to see you there!
Think Local – Adventure Clothing
Whether your summer adventures bring you to the beach, hiking, or traveling to far-off lands, Adventure Clothing has the clothing, accessories, and luggage you need.
With two store locations, one in Victoria and one in Oak Bay, Adventure Clothing will become one of your favourite shops for women’s and men’s clothing.
Enter below to win a copy of the book Family Walks & Hikes of Vancouver Island and a $200 gift card to Adventure Clothing!
*Winners need to be local to pick up their prize in person at Carter Notary, willing to be featured on Carter Notary and Adventure Clothing social media, and pick up within 2 weeks of winning.
Adventure Clothing Giveaway
Be 1 of 2 winners of the book Family Walks & Hikes of Vancouver Island and a $200 gift card to Adventure Clothing
There can only be 2 winners of the book and gift card prize package but if you would like to learn more about Adventure Clothing, please visit their website.
