The Whistler Municipal Heliport

The Whistler Municipal Heliport is being grossly mismanaged. It was constructed in the early 90’s using public money to serve as the community’s aviation facility. Backcomb Helicopters is using their dominant position with the society charged with operating the heliport to prevent any other helicopter companies from getting established in Whistler.

My name is mike Quinn, and I’ve been a resident of whistler and in the aviation business since 1986. In 2012, I sold my floatplane company assets to Harbour Air, and changed the name of my company from Whistler Air to Spearhead Aviation. I reactivated my helicopter operating certificate (Whistler Air operated helicopters from 1992-1997) and attempted to get re-established at the heliport. I was met with fierce opposition from the Whistler Heliport Society. 

John Morris, the president of the society and the president of Backcomb Helicopters, informed me that there was no room for me at the heliport. It was an absurd excuse; the heliport was designed to accommodate up to 5 helicopter companies, and Backcomb Helicopters was the only operator there. So I went public, and the Pique published my letter shaming Blackcomb Helicopters. Within short order, the municipality stepped in to secure me a lease at the heliport. I held on to the company for 3 years, then sold.

Currently, Denis Vincent, (a well established helicopter operator from Alberta) has been attempting for over a year to get a lease at the heliport. He was met with the same opposition from the Whistler Heliport Society that I encountered. They have refused to answer any of his emails or return his phone calls. So he approached the owner of Spearhead Aviation (my old company) to offer to buy them out.

As soon as the Whistler Heliport Society found out that Mr. Vincent was buying Spearhead Aviation, they immediately cancelled the lease, citing nonsense technicalities as their excuse. There is now a legal fight ensuing over this.

Blackcomb Helicopters carries a lot of weight in this town and it is obvious that those in power are fearful of that. When I approached the municipality to assist Mr. Vincent with his desire to come to Whistler I was turned away. This newspaper was going to publish an in depth article on the matter but their lawyers, fearful of a lawsuit, advised them against publishing.

It’s time for the elected politicians to step up and do the right thing. The federal and provincial governments put over 3 million dollars into building the municipal heliport for the benefit of the entire community - not just the interests of one private company.

I propose the heliport should be managed by the municipality, just like the airports in Pemberton and Squamish. When the Whistler Heliport Society was created, it was assumed that the many operators at the heliport would manage the facility properly. However, the attrition of every operator (except Blackcomb Helicopters) resulted in the society being run solely for one company’s interest.

The bullying tactics used against Spearhead Aviation, Mr. Vincent and his customers are an outrage. There is a demand for competition in the helicopter industry here in Whistler. Competition will benefit the entire community by offering choice and lowering costs. I sincerely hope that those running for office this November take notice of this and make it part of their agenda to address.

Denis Vincent Helicopter

If уоu fоllоw thе buѕіnеѕѕ wоrld іn Cаnаdа, уоu саn fіnd mаnу leaders, іnсludіng Denis Vincent, a mаn whо іѕ mоrе thаn thе іnduѕtrіеѕ wіth whісh hе wоrkеd! Dеnіѕ ѕtаrtеd wіth a ѕmаll job, but hіѕ аmbіtіоnѕ wеrе tоо grеаt tо bе contained. Hе wаѕ dеерlу іn love wіth flying аnd hаd grеаt instincts fоr thе aviation business that has led to Denis Vincent helicopter. Sооn bеgаn wіth thе Denis Vincent Quebec hеlісорtеr business, bеttеr knоwn аѕ Heli Vincent inc. Hе hаѕ dеvеlореd interests іn mіnіng аnd labor lеаѕіng аnd сurrеntlу ѕеrvеѕ аѕ a сhіеf fіnаnсіаl officer оf Strong Arm Lаbоr & Contracting Cоmраnу.

Denis Vincent Quebec Helico іѕ a ріlоt аnd flying experience frоm coast tо соаѕt wіthіn Canada, аnd thіѕ іѕ ѕtіll оnе оf hіѕ mаіn passions. Hіѕ entry іntо thе rеаl еѕtаtе world іn 2000 wаѕ аnоthеr mіlеѕtоnе іn hіѕ саrееr, аnd hе hаѕ іnіtіаtеd mаjоr іnvеѕtmеntѕ іn thе іnduѕtrу, whісh hаѕ bееn рhеnоmеnаl fоr mergers аnd асquіѕіtіоnѕ. Wіth hіѕ focus оn quаlіtу projects аnd соnѕultіng іn dіffеrеnt іnduѕtrіеѕ, hе continues tо іnѕріrе оthеrѕ, including mаnу оf hіѕ еѕtееmеd соllеаguеѕ аnd friends.

Whаt уоu mау nоt knоw аbоut Denis Vincent Helico іѕ thе fасt thаt hе іѕ a pilot аnd lіkеѕ tо tаkе Denis vincent Airplanes tо ѕоmе оf thе bеѕt parts оf Cаnаdа. In fact, іt hаѕ accumulated оvеr 9300 TT ѕіnсе 2014, whісh іѕ nо lеѕѕ of an accomplishment considering the number of different іnduѕtrіеѕ he is involved with. Mоrе thаn оftеn, hе lіkеѕ tо wrіtе оn hіѕ blоg аbоut hіѕ trаvеlѕ. Denis Vincent Alberta іѕ hеаvіlу іnvоlvеd іn mаnу оthеr trades аnd ѕіnсе 2000 mаnу hаvе rеvеrеd hіѕ wоrk оvеr аnd оvеr аgаіn іn thе rеаl estate wоrld аѕ hе hаѕ lеd mаnу іmроrtаnt асquіѕіtіоnѕ аnd mergers wіthіn Québес, Alberta аnd bеуоnd.

http://www.helivincent.com/

http://www.strongarmlabourforce.net

Denis Vincent Quebec

Dеnіѕ іѕ a mаn оf mаnу іnіtіаtіvеѕ. In аddіtіоn tо Denis Vincent Helicopter Pilot, hаѕ bееn heavily іnvоlvеd іn thе rеаl еѕtаtе industry аnd ѕіnсе 2000 hаѕ раrtісіраtеd іn a ѕеrіеѕ оf mаjоr mеrgеrѕ аnd acquisitions іn Quеbес. Hе іѕ аlѕо іnvоlvеd іn hiring lаbоr fоr thе mіnіng industries. In hіѕ ѕраrе tіmе, hе іѕ a раrtnеr wіth ѕоmе charities аnd lіkеѕ tо dіѕсuѕѕ рrоjесtѕ оn thе agenda thаt wіll ensure promising futurе рrоѕресtѕ.

Denis Vincent Canada knew thаt іt wоuld nоt bе еаѕу fоr him to walk the shoes of аn еntrерrеnеur. Hоwеvеr, hе worked hаrd іn hіѕ еаrlу уеаrѕ tо асhіеvе the mindset of success. Hе wаѕ dеерlу іnvоlvеd іn оthеr industries аnd worked аѕ CFO for Strong Arm Labour Force. Dеnіѕ dоеѕ nоt аllоw himself to get sidetracked by his suссеѕѕ. On thе соntrаrу, hе аlwауѕ prefers tо push his lіmіtѕ. It іѕ whеn wе lоvе what we do thаt wе rеасh nеw hеіghtѕ. Wіth thаt kind оf passion, hе works hard till he accomplishes what he has set out to. Alwауѕ lооkіng fоr nеw іdеаѕ, mаnу business opportunities have also fallen іntо уоur hаndѕ.

Denis Vincent Calgary vеnturеd іntо thе rеаl еѕtаtе mаrkеt muсh lаtеr. In 2000, hе ѕtаrtеd wоrkіng іn thе industry аnd, fоr thе раѕt 15 уеаrѕ, hаѕ tаkеn раrt іn ѕоmе оf Cаnаdа'ѕ largest mеrgеrѕ аnd асquіѕіtіоnѕ. Hе hаѕ аlwауѕ рlаnnеd tо роѕіtіоn Canada's rеаl estate іnduѕtrу оn thе wоrld map. Thе rеаl еѕtаtе transactions іn whісh Denis wаѕ involved wеrе соnѕіdеrеd a рhеnоmеnаl ѕuссеѕѕ, аnd mоѕt оf thеm аrе located іn Quebec Cіtу. Hе рlаnѕ tо еxtеnd hіѕ wоrk tо оthеr раrtѕ оf thе соuntrу.

http://www.helivincent.com/

http://www.strongarmlabourforce.net

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Denis Vincent Hélicoptère

Si vous suivez l’actualité des affaires au Canada, vous pouvez trouver de nombreux leaders, y compris Denis Vincent, un homme qui travaille plusieurs dossiers de front. Il a commencé avec un petit travail, mais ses ambitions étaient très grandes pour etre contenu. Il était vraiment amoureux de piloter et avait de grands instincts pour l'aviation ce qui l’a dirigé vers Denis Vincent Hélico. Il a par la suite démarré l’entreprise Denis Vincent Québec, mieux connu sous Heli Vincent inc. Il a aussi développé de l’intérêt dans l’industrie minière et la sous-contraction de main-d'œuvre ou il a occupé le poste de directeur principal de Strong Arm Labor & Contracting.

Denis Vincent Quebec Helico est un pilote d’expérience avec de nombreux vols effectués d'est à l’ouest du Canada. L’aviation demeure toujours sa passion la plus profonde. Son entrée dans le monde de l’immobilier en 2000 a marqué une autre étape importante dans sa vie. Il a été chef d’orchestre de plusieurs investissements importants dans l’industrie sans mentionner sa contribution marquante dans nombreuses fusions et acquisitions. En se concentrant sur des projets de haute qualité et en offrant de la consultation dans plusieurs industries, il continue à inspirer les gens, y compris collègues et amies.

Ce que vous ignorer sur le sujet de Denis Vincent Hélico est qu’il est un pilote chevronné et adore voler les avions Denis Vincent dans les plus beaux coins du pays. En fait, il a accumulé plus de 9300 TT depuis 2014, ce qui est tout qu’un accomplissement compte tenu des nombreuses heures qu’il passe sur tous ses autres projets. Parfois il trouve le temps d’écrire sur son blog en partageant ses belles découvertes paradisiaques au Canada. Denis Vincent Alberta est impliqué dans plusieurs industries depuis l’an 2000. Il est admiré et respecté pour les mouvements de fusion et d’acquisition qu’il a influencés au niveau de l’industrie de l’immobilier autant qu’au Québec, qu’en Alberta et plus encore.

http://www.helivincent.com/

http://www.strongarmcontracting.com/

Denis Vincent Québec

Denis Vincent Québec Il s'agit d'un homme avec de grands projets. En plus Denis Vincent Pilote d’Hélicoptère, a été fortement impliqué dans l'industrie immobilière et depuis 2000 a établi un certain nombre de fusions et d’acquisitions au Québec. Il est également conseillé dans l’embauche de mains d’oeuvre pour l’industrie minière. Dans ses moments libres, Denis s’implique dans des organisations caritatives et aime discuter de la realization de projets prometteurs futurs.

Denis Vincent Canada savait qu'il ne serait pas facile de devenir l’entrepreneur qu’il visualisait. Toutefois, il a travaillé très fort pour développer l’esprit qu’il lui fallait pour ce faire. Il a vraiment été fortement impliqué dans plusieurs industries et a travaillé en tant que CFO pour Strong Arm labour force. Denis ne se laisse pas déconcentrer par cette réussite parallèle.  Dans le même esprit il préfère toujours dépasser ses limites vers de plus gros succes. Lorsqu’on aime ce que l’on fait-on ne peut que réussir. Avec ce genre de passion, il travaille dur jusqu'à ce qu'il accomplisse ce qu'il a prévu. Toujours à l'affût de nouvelles idées, de nombreuses opportunités d'affaires sont également présentées sur son chemin.

Denis Vincent Calgary c’est lancer dans l’immobilier plus tard. En 2000, il a commencé à travailler dans l'industrie et, pour les 15 dernières années, a fait partie des plus grandes fusions et acquisition immobilière au Canada. Il a toujours voulu positionner le patrimoine immobilier du Canada sur la carte du monde. La plupart des transactions dans lesquelles Denis a été impliqué ont été reconnue importantes, et la plupart d'entre eux sont situés dans la province de Québec. Il a l’intention d’apporter son expertise partout au Canada.

http://www.helivincent.com/

http://www.strongarmcontracting.com/

The Whistler Municipal Heliport is being Grossly Mismanaged

Letters,

The Pique Newsmagazine,

Whistler, BC

The Whistler Municipal Heliport is being grossly mismanaged. It was constructed in the early 90’s using public money to serve as the community’s aviation facility. Backcomb Helicopters is using their dominant position with the society charged with operating the heliport to prevent any other helicopter companies from getting established in Whistler.

My name is mike Quinn, and I’ve been a resident of whistler and in the aviation business since 1986. In 2012, I sold my floatplane company assets to Harbour Air, and changed the name of my company from Whistler Air to Spearhead Aviation. I reactivated my helicopter operating certificate (Whistler Air operated helicopters from 1992-1997) and attempted to get re-established at the heliport. I was met with fierce opposition from the Whistler Heliport Society. John Morris, the president of the society and the president of Backcomb Helicopters, informed me that there was no room for me at the heliport. It was an absurd excuse; the heliport was designed to accommodate up to 5 helicopter companies, and Backcomb Helicopters was the only operator there. So I went public, and the Pique published my letter shaming Blackcomb Helicopters. Within short order, the municipality stepped in to secure me a lease at the heliport. I held on to the company for 3 years, then sold.

Currently, Denis Vincent, (a well established helicopter operator from Alberta) has been attempting for over a year to get a lease at the heliport. He was met with the same opposition from the Whistler Heliport Society that I encountered. They have refused to answer any of his emails or return his phone calls. So he approached the owner of Spearhead Aviation (my old company) to offer to buy them out.

As soon as the Whistler Heliport Society found out that Mr. Vincent was buying Spearhead Aviation, they immediately cancelled the lease, citing nonsense technicalities as their excuse. There is now a legal fight ensuing over this.

Blackcomb Helicopters carries a lot of weight in this town and it is obvious that those in power are fearful of that. When I approached the municipality to assist Mr. Vincent with his desire to come to Whistler I was turned away. This newspaper was going to publish an in depth article on the matter but their lawyers, fearful of a lawsuit, advised them against publishing.

It’s time for the elected politicians to step up and do the right thing. The federal and provincial governments put over 3 million dollars into building the municipal heliport for the benefit of the entire community - not just the interests of one private company.

I propose the heliport should be managed by the municipality, just like the airports in Pemberton and Squamish. When the Whistler Heliport Society was created, it was assumed that the many operators at the heliport would manage the facility properly. However, the attrition of every operator (except Blackcomb Helicopters) resulted in the society being run solely for one company’s interest.

The bullying tactics used against Spearhead Aviation, Mr. Vincent and his customers are an outrage. There is a demand for competition in the helicopter industry here in Whistler. Competition will benefit the entire community by offering choice and lowering costs. I sincerely hope that those running for office this November take notice of this and make it part of their agenda to address.

Mike Quinn

56-4510 Blackcomb Way,

Whistler, BC

604-760-8716

Un regard sur le travail de l'entrepreneur canadien Denis Vincent

Denis Vincent est un nom connu dans le monde des affaires au Canada.  En tant qu'entrepreneur, M. Vincent a jonglé entre un certain nombre d'industries différentes avec un succès crédible.  Aujourd'hui, ses pairs, ses collègues et ses concurrents se tournent vers ses futures aventures.  Récemment, une de ses filiales a fait un don important à l' événement de collecte de fonds de Spearhead Huts , avant que nous en parlions, découvrons l'expérience et le profil de Denis Vincent.  
   
Travailler dans les ventes automobiles  
    
M. Vincent a commencé sa carrière en 1983, chez P.R.C.S. Construction Insolation , où il a travaillé un an comme administrateur. Peu de temps après, soit en 1984, il a joint la compagnie Moto Bateau en tant que directeur des ventes, et pendant cette période, il a travaillé dans le domaine des bateaux et ventes de motos , ainsi que des services après-vente.  Son expérience lui a permis de mieux explorer l'industrie de la vente d'automobiles et, entre 1989 et 1999, il a travaillé dans le secteur de l'automobile et de l' exportation mondiale de celles-ci , notamment en Russie et dans certaines régions d'Asie.   
   
Aviation et plus  
   
Beaucoup de gens connaissent Denis Vincent pour sa passion incroyable et son travail dans le secteur de l'aviation.  Il est lui-même un pilote entraîné, mais il a fait le véritable saut professionnel dans ce domaine en 1997, lorsqu'il a lancé sa société Heli Vincent Inc. , qui est basée en Alberta, au Canada.  M. Vincent est le président de Heli Vincent Inc. et, très récemment, la filiale de cette compagnie , Coast to Coast, a conclu une entente avec la société de tournée connue Rockie Heli Canada pour l'approvisionnement des hélicoptères .  Les initiés de l'industrie croient que le nouvel accord entre Rockie Heli Canada et la filiale de M. Vincent sera une atout pour l'industrie touristique canadienne à plus d'une facon.  Rockie Heli Canada veut promouvoir le tourisme dans le pays, alors que M. Vincent a toujours promis son soutien à tout ce qui pousse le secteur de l'aviation à faire mieux.   
   
Charité et plus  
   
Alors que Denis Vincent aime rester anonymes dans ses activités caritatives, beaucoup de gens sont conscients de ses bonnes actions.  Personnellement, il passe du temps avec les organismes de bienfaisance locaux chaque fois qu'il trouve du temps, alors que ses entreprises et leurs filiales respectives sont connues pour apporter des contributions significatives à des collectes de fonds et d'autres événements caritatifs.  Récemment, Coast to Coast , filiale d' Heli Vincent , a fait don d'une somme de 25 100 $ à l' événement de collecte de fonds de Spearhead Huts .  Denis as assister a  l'événement de collecte de fonds de célébration, lui qui a toujours exprimé son soutien au projet Spearhead Huts.  Denis aime aussi travailler avec les entreprises en démarrages ainsi que des nouvelles entreprises, leur offrant des idées intelligentes pour faire avancer leur travail.   
     
Dans le cas où Denis ne travaille pas pour ses entreprises ou organismes de bienfaisance, il est occupé à piloter.  Il a voyagé d'un océan à l'autre au Canada et admet que piloter demeure son véritable amour et sa véritable passion, en plus d'être un plaisir évident.  M. Vincent a également travaillé dans le secteur de l'immobilier en 2000 et a été une force important des fusions et acquisitions.  Il travaille également en tant que directeur financier de Strong Arm Contracting depuis 2011. Pour en savoir plus sur son travail, les gens peuvent le suivre sur ses comptes de médias sociaux.   
   
http://www.helivincent.com/   
http://www.strongarmcontracting.com/ 

Fractious legal dispute engulfs Whistler's municipal heliport

The Whistler Municipal Heliport has, for months, been at the centre of a fractious dispute between its governing body and a local helicopter company that has recently spilled into B.C.'s Supreme Court.

The municipal heliport is a community asset that was built with federal and provincial funds. It was originally divided into five zones that are leased to certified helicopter operators.

It is governed and operated by the Whistler Heliport Society (WHS) board, which is made up of seven directors.

Currently, Blackcomb Helicopters (a division of Blackcomb Aviation) controls three of the five original leases, while Whistler Heli-Skiing controls the other two. Whistler Heli-Skiing, however, does not own nor lease any helicopters and instead hires Blackcomb Helicopters for its clients. In order to be considered a society member in good standing, the original WHS bylaws required members to meet one of the following criteria: to own or lease a helicopter in B.C., or be certified to operate a helicopter.

In February, the WHS filed a notice of claim in B.C. Supreme Court against Coast to Coast Holding Ltd. (CTC) and owner-operator Denis Vincent, asking for an injunction against Vincent and CTC from using the heliport.

In its statement of claim, the WHS alleges that Vincent's use of the heliport beginning on or about Dec. 26 of last year constitutes trespassing, arguing that his company had no valid lease and is not a WHS member in good standing.

The statement claims that Vincent and CTC were using a portion of the heliport formerly leased by Spearhead Aviation, and that since the lease was "expressly non-transferable," it considers the terms of the lease to have been broken. The statement also argues that Spearhead's rights to use the heliport expired when the company was dissolved in May 2017 because the company had failed to file annual reports for two years.

"As a result of the trespass on the property by Vincent and CTC, WHS has suffered and continues to suffer loss and damage," the claim states. The WHS is seeking general and special damages in its suit.

On March 27, CTC and Vincent filed a response with the court, arguing Vincent has not used any part of the heliport property or, if he did, it was pursuant to Spearhead's lease in Vincent's capacity as operator of Spearhead.

According to the response, Spearhead was originally owned by Mike Quinn,former owner of Whistler Air, and in 2014 it entered into an agreement with the WHS to sublet a sixth zone at the heliport that was originally created for the Canadian military to use during the 2010 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Quinn transferred his shares in Spearhead to Washington-based pilot Will Graven in December of 2015. Vincent purchased Spearhead from Graven in December 2017.

Vincent and CTC's filing also claimed the dissolution of Spearhead was due to "accident, surprise or mistake" and that Spearhead was restored as a company in B.C. in January 2018.

The CTC response filed with the court also alleges that the WHS has been operating the municipal heliport as a "monopoly" on behalf of Blackcomb Helicopters.

"The WHS has its genesis in public funds and occupies public lands which are expected to be managed by the WHS for the public benefit of the Whistler community. The WHS has been captured and is under de facto control by the incumbent dominant helicopter company Blackcomb Helicopters Ltd. ("Blackcomb")," the response asserts.

"This lawsuit is part of an ongoing campaign by Blackcomb, under the guise and cloak of the WHS, to maintain a monopoly within the geographic Whistler commercial helicopter market. The foregoing conduct is designed to lessen competition for helicopter services in the Whistler corridor, to the detriment of the Whistler community and the tourism operators and tourists that are key to the economy of that region."

BYLAWS AMENDED

On March 8, Spearhead filed its own civil suit against the WHS, seeking damages and requesting that the court declare that the company's lease was not cancelled and remains in effect.

Spearhead's statement contends that the Society amended its 27-year-old bylaws at its Dec. 20, 2017 AGM—just days after Vincent took over Spearhead— in an effort to "deny Spearhead's claim that it is a member of the WHS."

One of the amendments added new criteria requiring WHS members to have an operating address within B.C.; Vincent's company, Coast to Coast Holding, is based in Alberta.

Because air operator certificates are issued by Transport Canada, a federal agency, Spearhead contends in its statement that requiring WHS members to be based in B.C. "purports to confer a provincial advantage and provincial restrictionin an area of purely Federal domain."

In its response to the claim, the WHS denied several of Spearhead's assertions, including: that Spearhead had a valid air operator certificate after July 29, 2015; that Spearhead had entered into a lease for a helicopter in B.C.; and that Spearhead had paid all applicable rent pursuant to the lease. WHS also claimed in its response that it had sent written notice of the termination of the lease to Spearhead on Aug. 21, 2017.

WHS also responded to Spearhead's claims that it had dissolved as a corporation due to "accident, surprise or mistake," alleging that the company had failed to file annual returns for two consecutive years because it was no longer operating.

None of the allegations in this story have been proven in court.

Both civil suits remain before the courts.

THE MUNICIPALITY'S ROLE

Whistler's heliport is distinct in the Sea to Sky as the only municipal airport in the region that is entirely managed and operated by a non-profit society.

"The municipality doesn't have any expertise in heliport management or operations, and that was the whole reason to set up the society in the first place, so that people who know the business could actually operate the heliport," said Mayor Nancy Wilhelm-Morden in explaining the rationale behind the RMOW relinquishing control over its heliport more than a quarter-century ago.

Former Spearhead owner Quinn, who has decades of experience in the local aviation market and was one of the original tenants at the heliport, believes the current legal battle could have been avoided had the municipality not "washed its hands" of the heliport.

"It seemed like a good idea at the time. In hindsight, there has to be some accountability, and there's absolutely none," he argued. "The municipality has basically washed their hands of the place and said, 'Well, it's their problem.' That's just not good enough."

In defence, Wilhelm-Morden said that, as long as the society is following the letter of the law, there's nothing the municipality can do.

"To my knowledge, since 1990, (the heliport) has been operating very well. Now, if the position is that one company effectively has a monopoly now, I don't know if that's our fault—in fact, I'm sure it's not the fault of the municipality," she said."We set up a lease with the society and they are complying with the terms of the lease, and that's the extent of our involvement."