The future of a British Columbian ski resort will come down to an unsigned will by its former part-owner.
Pique NewsMagazine reports that a petition was filed in British Columbia’s Supreme Court to validate two unsigned wills by James Christopher Salisbury, also known as Jim Salisbury, who was the former part-owner of Powder King Mountain Resort. According to Heidi Robyn Salisbury, who is the part-owner and widow of Christopher, these unsigned estate planning documents had “testimentary intention,” meaning that he planned to sign them before his death. If the court can find the basis of other records, such as videoconference that were mentioned in the petition, the unsigned will could become validified.
Estate planning and wills are often complicated subjects. Luckily, the person writing this article also works at a law firm that specializes in estate planning, so let me break down the details.
About eight months before Jim’s death, he began to work with a lawyer to create a primary and secondary will. For a couple of months, he pondered over making a family trust but decided to just create two wills. Jim told the lawyer that he had health issues, but they were not life-threatening. After that, a long-running lung disease that Jim had been dealing with for a while took a turn for the worse, and he was flown to the hospital on April 1st. Due to this emergency, it was impossible for him to sign the will. By that point, cancer had spread throughout his body, with Jim being taken off life support and passing away on April 16, 2022.
The ski resort is currently listed for sale at C$8.25 million dollars, which includes Azouzetta Lake Resort. If the widowed wife were to gain a further ownership stake in the ski resort, it’s unclear whether it would remain on the market.
In the meantime, Powder King is working on an extension for their day lodge. This will include more seating, a new rental area, and modernized bathrooms.
Image Credits: Colliers (Featured Image), Powder King Mountain Resort
