Robert William Allen BCLS #487

of a determination by the CIC, the approach would ask the question of how a reasonable land surveyor would have behaved.

These governing documents, file precedents and the common law standard of the reasonable person, all help to guide the CIC on reaching a consensus for recommendations, which require approval from the ABCLS Board of Management.

Prioritize

“I’ll make the time” can be a typical response to a request, even when facing a multitude of deadlines. Our intention may be to organize or prioritize other tasks to allow time for action but this can become a problem if we do not follow through.

The vast majority of land surveyors respond to requests from clients, fellow professionals and the ABCLS (including the Practice Advisory Department/ Panel and the CIC) in a timely manner. However, a few may choose to ignore requests or delay responding to the point where it becomes unreasonable.

Delays are often the result of a busy workload, urgent client matters, staffing issues and sometimes it can be events that we have no control over. Regardless of the reason, if it becomes clear that your deliverables will not be completed within the agreed timeframe, it is always better to be proactive and notify the affected party in advance.

While there can be circumstances where delays are justified, it is important to consider what a reasonable land surveyor in the same position would do. ✥

Robert atop Mount Gerry Andrews.

Robert William Allen

BCLS #487

ABCLS Life Member Robert Allen, a prolific contributor to the Link Magazine, passed away on May 19, 2021. This issue includes the first of two chapters recounting important events and contributions in Robert’s life.

Chapter 1 – Early life, surveying career, and volunteer activities

An early Christmas present arrived for Nancy and Len Allen on December 23, 1946: the birth of their first child, a son they named Robert William. The local newspaper described the event.

“The long-delayed arrival of R.W. Allen was terminated at 3:50am on December 23rd, 1946 in St. Joseph’s Hospital, Comox.

Robert William is a fine 10-lb. 3 1/2 oz. specimen built along conventional lines of a fisherman and hunter. Taking after his father Leonard, in one respect at least, the new arrival demanded a drink soon after he appeared. Mother doing fine. The boy’s mother, Nancy, seemed in a very cheerful mood and was receiving visitors with her smile of triumph.”

Robert was an early member of the postWorld War II baby boomer generation. Both of his parents served in the war. His mother, Nancy Guthrie, joined the Ordnance Corps of the Army in Esquimalt in March 1942. When the Army wanted to train women in drafting, she applied and was accepted. After training in Toronto, she was transferred back to the Engineer’s Department at Work Point in Victoria where she met her husband-to-be, Len Allen. Leonard enlisted in August 1940 with the Royal Canadian Engineers. After basic training at Victoria, he went to CFB Petawawa to take courses in machine gunnery

and demolition. Then he was stationed in North Vancouver before returning to Victoria, where he met Nancy at a dance. They married on September 8, 1945, less than a month after the war ended, and settled in Courtenay where Len established his own business, Courtenay Stove & Sheet Metal.

In his 2015 BCLS biographical questionnaire Robert explained why he chose land surveying as a career. “I liked the idea of outdoor work combined with the use of higher mathematics.” His mother’s affinity for math was the likely source of Robert’s talent in this subject. Outdoor work was a natural choice for Robert. Siblings, family and friends all recall the importance of the natural world in Robert’s childhood, and how that became a vital part of his adult life.

Robert’s parents had a common bond through their enjoyment of the outdoors. Robert’s great-grandfather, Andrew Slater, was a Land Steward and forester in England and Scotland. His maternal grandfather, Patrick Guthrie, attended Edinburgh University in Scotland where he studied botany and agriculture. He was also an avid fisherman. In 1908 he came to Canada where he purchased farm land in the Comox valley. The main allure of the area was the fishing opportunities. Robert’s mother learned her love of the natural world from her father. Robert’s father started fishing and hunting around the Victoria area when he was a teenager.

In the early 1950s a parcel of land along the ocean just north of Little River near Comox was subdivided into 50 feet wide (15m) lots, and the Allen family purchased one. The location was close enough that Len could commute to work, but far enough away to have a sense of being in the outdoors. A cabin was constructed, and it became the Allen household’s summer home, a wonderful place with lots of happy memories for Robert and his siblings. One of Robert’s childhood friends, whose family had a cabin on an adjoining lot, recalled the joy of summer vacations there. From Easter to Thanksgiving the Allen family spent most weekends in an outdoor activity. As Robert and his siblings grew up, their outdoor activities and skills continued to expand. Robert’s sister, Margot writes that Robert and his brother Greg “enjoyed hunting deer and grouse with a bird dog as young boys through their teens.” Their father, Len, taught the boys how to handle a gun and fishing rod properly, and how to safely travel with a small, motorized boat. Salmon, trout, venison and berries, especially blackberry pies, were part of the family fare. From his mother, Robert learned bird identification, one of Robert’s life-long interests. In his BCLS questionnaire and résumé, Robert listed hiking, hunting and fishing as his top three activities. Robert’s lifetime interests were developed and nurtured through his parents, friends, community and the natural world around him.

In 1965 Robert graduated with honours from Grade 13 in Courtenay and enrolled in the surveying program at BCIT beginning that fall, a natural choice. Robert graduated from BCIT in 1967, and received the David H. Burnett Award for the highest marks in the graduating class of the Survey Technology program that year.

During the summer of 1966, after his first year at BCIT, Robert worked for the federal Department of Mines and Technical Surveys resurveying Aboriginal Reserves in Bella Coola, Greenville (north of Terrace), and Burns Lake under the direction of two Dominion Land Surveyors. This project provided Robert with an opportunity to see new areas of British Columbia and to work on some historical surveys. On his résumé,

among his interests, Robert listed “travel throughout BC, Yukon and western provinces. There are very few cities/towns in BC and the Yukon that I haven’t been to.” He also cited “historical research” as one of his interests.

After graduation, from June 1967 to January 1968, Robert worked for the Department of Highways surveying a location line for a new portion of Highway 4 along Sproat Lake near Port Alberni.

In February 1968 Robert began articling to become a BCLS with Ken Longstaff, whose office was at Fort St. John. For the next four years he worked with Ken on a variety of surveys related to the gas and oil industry in northeastern BC. Since Ken was also an Alberta and Dominion Land Surveyor he could conduct surveys in Alberta and the Northwest and Yukon Territories. Robert got the opportunity to see another part of British Columbia while he was articling with Longstaff. He also accumulated many interesting stories of surveying in cold winter conditions and tramping through the muskeg. In early 1972 Robert completed articling, passed his BCLS exam, and became BCLS #487.

From June to October 1972 Robert worked with surveyor Robert Durling at Powell River covering all aspects of legal and topographical surveys in the Powell River area as well as on the Sunshine Coast. Then the two Roberts formed the partnership of Durling and Allen. They opened an additional office in Sechelt which Robert Allen managed.

The partnership lasted for two years when Robert formed his own surveying firm, Robert Allen and Company, Professional Land Surveyors in October 1974. He described it as a: “Multi-discipline legal and engineering surveying practice located in Sechelt, B.C. with most work being on the Sunshine Coast and with some mineral claim work done in Northern B.C., West Kootenay, and the Yukon.” Robert had two surveyors who did their articling with him: Donald (Pat) Walker, BCLS #521, and Lawrence Penonzek, BCLS #614. In 1982 Robert passed his Canada Lands Surveyor’s exam and became CLS #1179. His firm existed for just over 30 years until Robert retired in November 2004.

Throughout his surveying career Robert was involved with the activities of the Association of British Columbia Land Surveyors (ABCLS). On his last résumé he listed his land surveying activities.

➤ Member of the Lower Mainland

BCLS Group since 1972. ➤ Member of the Canadian Institute of Geomatics since 1978 and now a

Life Member. ➤ Served on and chaired numerous

BCLS Committees, some of which are: Survey Post, Subdivision

Approval, Metric Conversion,

Professional Affairs, Board of

Examiners, Continuing Education, 2005 AGM, Professional

Qualification, Discipline Inquiry,

Complaint Inquiry, External

Relations, Land Title and Survey

Authority (LTSA) Liaison; and the Chair of the Historical and

Biographical Committee. ➤ Served as a two-year director on the Canadian Council of Land

Surveyors and a one-year member representative for British Columbia on the Canadian Council of Land

Surveyors. ➤ Served on the BCLS Board from 1985 to 1990 (President in 1989). ➤ Served on the CLS Council from 1988 to 1993 (President in 1992). ➤ Suggested and implemented the

BCLS Pin, BCLS Decal, Past

President’s Plaque, and the G.K.

Burnett Award. ➤ Received Certificate of Recognition for commitment and participation in Association affairs in January 2000. ➤ Received Meritorious Service

Award (now G.M. Thomson

Award) for “… outstanding service to the Association …” in February 2003. ➤ Received Certificate of

Recognition for commitment and participation in Association affairs in March 2011. ➤ Elected as Life Member #65 of the

Association of British Columbia

Land Surveyors in March 2012. ➤ Have had numerous articles published in The Link, British

Columbia History, and other Land

Surveying magazines in the USA and Australia. [Note – For many years Robert had a surveying puzzle page in the Link.]

Robert was a volunteer for many civic organizations.

➤ Member of the Sunshine Coast

Lions Club (Sechelt), 1973 to present. Served in numerous positions on the Executive, including President in 1979 and 2007. [Note – He was also

President from 2014 until his death.] Received numerous

President’s Appreciation Awards. ➤ Was President of the Sunshine

Coast Lions Housing Society that provides 150 suites of low

income, seniors’ and mental health housing. Robert was working with the Society, which is in the process of adding another 104 suites to their complex in Sechelt, at the time of his passing. ➤ Member of Sunshine Coast Search and Rescue Association since its inception in 1976 and served as a Team Leader, Treasurer, and

Bookkeeper. Presented with “Top

Pick Award” in 2002 for service and dedication to Search and

Rescue. ➤ Coached minor softball and minor soccer for 7 years. ➤ Started a senior men’s fastball league of 12 teams in the early 1980s, ran the league, and scheduled all games for both the men’s league and minor softball for 3 years. ➤ Served as an Alderman for one term in 1982/1983 including two months of the term as Acting

Mayor, after the Mayor resigned. ➤ Chaired the Sechelt Library Board

from 1993 to 2000. ➤ Charter member of the Coasters

Car Club and recipient of two

President’s Appreciation Awards. ➤ Served on the District of Sechelt

Board of Variance for 12 years. ➤ Served eleven years (seven as

Chair) on the Sunshine Coast

Property Assessment Review

Panel. ➤ Active member of the Sunshine

Coast Natural History Society. ➤ Active member of the Highland

Valley Outdoor Association in

Logan Lake. ➤ Co-organizer of two different hiking groups on the Sunshine

Coast.

The Sunshine Coast Lion’s Club notes that Robert received the Melvin Jones award, the Lions “highest form of recognition and embodies humanitarian ideas consistent with the nature and purpose of Lionism.”

Although he closed his surveying firm in 2004, Robert remained active in the profession, doing a variety of specialized surveys and contracts. On his 2015 BC Land Surveyor’s Biographical Questionnaire he wrote, “I am retired and now doing the things I never had a chance to do while I was working.”

Robert worked with the provincial government’s toponymist to have an official geographical feature in British Columbia named for Gerry Andrews, the province’s longest serving Surveyor-General. A mountain in the Flathead River region was selected, and in 2012 Robert organized a naming ceremony. On a beautiful late-July day, with the wildflowers at their peak, a group of about 15 people hiked to the top of the mountain to celebrate the occasion. A plaque was installed on the peak and Robert surveyed the coordinates for the location. ✥

Next Issue - Chapter 2 – Major volunteer projects and family life