We got a chance to catch up with Balbir (Brenda) Shergill recently. It was a pleasure learning more about her and her Willoughby Notary Public business, Shergill Notary which she has opened in Willoughby Town Centre. With all of the bustling activity happening in the area, we know that having a skilled Notary Public just around the corner is hugely beneficial to our community.

Brenda started her journey to become a notary public seven years ago when she returned to school to finish her degree and then her Masters degree, which are the requirements to become a BC Notary Public.

We asked Brenda to explain what a BC Notary Public can do, and we were impressed by all the services that can be provided.  In addition to the traditional services notaries are known to provide, Notaries in BC can process the transfer of property. This includes buying, selling, and refinancing property.

BC Notaries can also prepare your Personal Planning documents which include Wills, Powers of Attorney, Representations Agreements, and Advance Directives (formerly known as a Living Will).

Here are a few tips that Brenda provided regarding Wills:

Who should have a Will?

• *Anyone who has assets;
• *Anyone who is married;
• *Anyone who has kids – minor, adults, and disabled kids; and
• *Anyone who has a blended family.

 What happens if a person dies without a Will?

• *Someone has to apply to court to get appointed as an Administrator;
• *Legislation sets out who will get your estate and how much they will get;
• *The government will decide who will take care of your minor/disabled children; and
• *YOU DO NOT HAVE CONTROL!

What is a Power of Attorney (POA) and why should I have one?

• *POA authorizes another person to deal with your legal and financial matters
• *A POA is used in the event you need someone to make financial and legal decisions for you. This could be because you are not available (e.g. temporarily absent from the area) or incapable of making decisions (e.g. in a coma).

Please find out more about the newest Willoughby Notary Public serving the Willoughby Community – Shergill Notary here.

We got an opportunity to sit down with one of the owners of the new Great Clips hair salon at Willoughby Town Centre earlier this week and we asked a few questions about why they chose to open their new salon at this location. As background, Great Clips is a unisex, family-oriented hair salon that specializes in haircuts. No colours, no chemicals. The majority of their customers are men, kids, young adults and young moms, typically in that order. And we discovered that seniors like them too!

Randy, the owner we interviewed, told us that for more than a decade he and his partners have operated happy and busy Great Clips salons to the north of Willoughby Town Centre in Walnut Grove and to the south at Fraser Crossing. As the neighbourhoods along 208th Street sprang up they kept their eyes open for a location that could serve the corridor running between their existing salons; and the Willoughby location fit that bill. He noted that a big draw is the newness of the neighbourhood and he commented that as new neighbourhoods grow residents get excited to see brands they’ve trusted elsewhere enter the local market and if a brand is new to them they’re often willing to try it out if the commute to that store or service makes sense. He sees Willoughby Town Centre as being strategically located in the centre of a growing region and likes the fact that his newest salon, at the entrance to the centre, is well positioned and accessible.

When asked what sets Great Clips apart from other salons in Langley, Randy’s response was as follows: “Our franchise group believes in our brand and we work very hard at delivering the experience our customers expect from Great Clips. We are a no appointment walk in salon, and we strive to give our customers the freedom of minimal wait times. Many of our customers use our Online Checkin App (free download) to time their arrival at our salons. From there we focus on connecting with our customers through our Clip Notes program that informs each stylist how the customer last had their hair cut and then we work diligently to create the comfort that comes from a quality cut done in a timely fashion. Our haircut specialist concept looks simple from the outside but it takes a lot of behind the scenes technical and brand training to deliver the Great Clips promise. I believe that’s what sets us apart.”

Randy shared that from the moment they put the finishing touches on the salon and opened it up it just felt good. Comfortable. He pointed out that the building exterior is attractive, there’s lots of parking, front and back, and the salon itself has a clean, uncluttered layout. His manager and stylists are excited about this location and he is positive about the strong commercial neighbours in the centre, noting that this is a good destination for daily and weekly products and services.

Grand opening kicks off Saturday, Feb 21st and their special pricing runs for the next six weeks. This is a great time to check out Great Clips at Willoughby Town Centre. While weekends and evenings might be a bit busy but they will bring in extra stylists from their salons across Greater Vancouver to help out. If you can drop in during a weekday morning or afternoon that would be great!

We are very excited about their Grand Opening beginning on February 21, 2015, watch the Willoughby Town Centre Facebook Page and your mailboxes for more information.