About Us: Laurie Armstrong and Heather Wellman, Lawyers for money issues, tax issues, human rights: Armstrong Wellman Barristers and Solicitors in Canada

D. LAURENCE (Laurie) ARMSTRONG

LL.B., 1974 from the University of Alberta

Preferred areas of practice include Business Litigation, Income Tax Litigation, and Commercial Law.

When not beating up the Tax Department, Laurie is an obsessive wooden boat builder. His current boat, LINNET (II), is a 42-foot Express Cruiser, powered by twin 330B turbo charged Cummins diesels. It will go 28 knots for short periods between fuel docks. The hull is cold-molded cedar, with an epoxy-glass application. For pictures, click here.

For every boat, there is a boat kid. For the Linnet (II), that kid was Sam. Click here to see Sam's transformation during construction.

In 2007, Laurie finished building two 18-foot traditional East Coast Cat Boats. For pictures, click here.

Laurie's current boat under construction (2013): an authentic 17-foot Whitehall rowing boat. It's true to the models that worked New York and Boston Harbours in the 1850s. It was designed by John Gardner in 1952. The whole boat is being built with Laurie's on-hand inventory of stored, seasoned, and air-dried lumber: clinker (lap strake) cedar over bent oak ribs. It will have two rowing stations and will carry a small sail. For pictures, click here.

HEATHER WELLMAN

LL.B., 2001 University of Victoria

Heather has been practising with Armstrong Wellman since she was called to the Bar in 2002. She is part of the Litigation team with Laurie Armstrong and legal assistants Sheila Wilson and Barb Barber. Her preferred areas of practice include:

Civil litigation
Bankruptcy/Insolvency and Foreclosure
Tax litigation
Debtor/Creditor disputes

Heather has served on the boards of the Together Against Poverty Society, Toastmasters, Law Days and the Women Rainmakers and Young Lawyers subsections of the Canadian Bar Association. While not currently serving on any boards, she continues to be an active member of the Canadian Bar Association.

Heather enjoys presenting seminars on bankruptcy and debtor/creditor issues and has presented to the CGA Association, the Legal Secretaries Association, Trustees in Bankruptcy, Real Estate Investors Group and the Young Lawyers and Women Rainmakers subsections of the Canadian Bar Association. In addition, she regularly teaches a bankruptcy seminar at the Law Centre which is a clinical program where University of Victoria Law Students have conduct of criminal and civil files for clients of limited financial means.

If your organization is interested in booking Heather for a bankruptcy or Debtor/Creditor seminar. Click here to send an email.

In her spare time Heather enjoys playing bass guitar, designing jewellery and other creative pursuits. Most importantly, she is the proud owner of a 2007 Honda Rebel. Click here to see pictures of her bike!

Heather Goes to Honduras with Habitat for Humanity - November 2012

Heather is raising funds, along with 14 other team members, to support a Habitat for Humanity Global Village trip to Honduras on November 3-13, 2012. Habitat for Humanity builds homes for needy families. These families are presently living in substandard and often unhealthy conditions, and they need a simple, decent place to live. They earn an income, but not enough to qualify for a conventional bank loan.

As part of the Habitat for Humanity agreement, each family-with the help of volunteers like Heather-spend hundreds of hours building their home through what is referred to as "sweat equity." Once the house is ready, they move in and begin paying for it through a no-profit loan from Habitat for Humanity. These mortgage payments then "roll over" and help finance houses for other families. Having families contribute to the building of their homes and those of their neighbours, and then pay for them with reasonable terms, instills self-esteem and the pride of homeownership. Habitat for Humanity refers to this as a hand up, not a handout.

If you would like to donate to Heather's build in Honduras, please visit her Donation Page at:

http://www.canadahelps.org/GivingPages/GivingPage.aspx?gpID=21004

(100% of your donation will go to the Habitat building program in Honduras, Heather will be covering her own tranportation and accomodation costs. All donations will be confidential.)

To support local Habitat for Humanity efforts in Greater Victoria please visit: www.habitatvictoria.com