Don’t Get Burned – Cost Recovery, Fines and Potential Jail Time for Causing Wildfires
It is now summer in Western Canada, and the weather will no doubt soon turn hot and dry. Large and devastating wildfires have become the new normal, with their smoke choking our lungs and casting the midday in an eerie orange glow. In British Columbia, the last two summers have seen an average of more […]
How to (Legally) Use Social Contests to Promote Your Outdoor Adventure Business
Social media advertising can be an excellent, cost effective way for outdoor/adventure companies to engage directly with their target audience. Increasingly, companies are using social media contests as part of their marketing efforts, either in conjunction with or in place of more traditional advertising efforts. Though a promotion on social media may feel more “informal” […]
4 Ways to Structure Your Outdoor/Adventure Business
One of the most important decisions you make when starting an outdoor/adventure business is what legal structure you select for the company. This decision can affect the amount of paperwork you may be required to do, the personal liability you may face, how much funding (government or otherwise) you may be able to obtain, and how […]
Best Practices for your Outdoor/Adventure Liability Waiver
Liability waivers [hyperlink to first Waiver blog] are an essential part of an outdoor/adventure company’s risk management strategy. They are designed to limit the liability of a company and its employees to an adventure participant should that participant become injured as a result of activities put on by the company. A well written waiver [hyperlink to first Waiver blog], […]
Running an Adventure Tourism Operation on B.C. Crown Land
Adventure tourism often involves commercial operators offering fee-based outdoor recreation activities to the public on provincial Crown land. Broadly speaking, these activities include guided adventure tourism activities within an extensive operating area, but then can also include improvements (such as huts, wharves, horse corrals and campsites) on the land that are linked to the guided […]
Court Ruling a Win for Outdoor / Adventure Businesses
There are two essential ingredients to enjoying the great outdoors. First, you need a place that has something to special to offer—let’s say a lake filled with rainbow trout that won’t stop biting. Second, you need to be able to access that place—by road, for instance. Well, it turns out that accessing lakes isn’t always […]
Legally Flying Your Recreational Drone
With drones becoming almost ubiquitous over the last few years, it is easy to forget that there are stringent rules and regulations surrounding their operation. On June 1, 2019, new rules, regulations, fines and penalties will come into effect, affecting everyone who flies recreationally or commercially in Canada. Registration and Certification/Training Requirements Most recreational drone […]
Not Just a Walk in the Park: What You Need to Know About Operating a Business in a Protected Area
Canada—and Western Canada, in particular—has an abundance of national and provincial parks, and other protected areas. Typically, these areas exist to manage and preserve unique and noteworthy natural environments. The opportunity to experience the natural splendor of these settings draws the public, as well as outdoor/adventure businesses looking to serve them. Almost all businesses are […]
Is Your Liability Waiver Up to Snuff?
Picture this—you’re the owner/operator of a hiking tour company. One of your customers has been badly injured on a hike, and he intends to sue you. Will the liability waiver you had him sign prior to embarking on the hike hold up in court? Liability waivers are essential for any business that offers the public […]
