Your Estate Matters

After her mother’s death, Heather Nickerson inherited 6,000 square feet of belongings—and spent nearly two years figuring out what to keep, sell, or pass on. One Tiffany vase left her crying because she didn’t know its story. That experience led her to create Artifcts, a privacy-focused platform for pairing possessions with memories, documents, and plans for who should receive them. In this episode, Nicole and Heather discuss the “stuff tsunami” facing families, why a story can make an unwanted object meaningful, and how a neon painting their children dislike may one day be destined for auction—not the curb.

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Follow Heather Nickerson:

Website - https://artifcts.com

ArTech Collaborative - https://artechcollective.org/

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/heather-nickerson

Follow Heritage Trust:

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/heritagetrustbc/

Website - https://heritagetrustcompany.ca/

Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/@heritagetrustco

Get the Estate Club Starter Kit here:

https://www.estateclub.ca/starterkit

After a serious head injury left his father depressed and suicidal, Scott Cunningham spent years wrestling with anger, grief and the belief that his father’s death might have been a release. In this candid conversation, Nicole and her guest Scott Cunningham, co-host of the Dead Dads podcast with Roger Nairn, talk about complicated father-son relationships, the milestones that make a parent’s absence newly real, and why men may need more spaces to grieve. Scott shares how buying a car without his mechanic father’s guidance became an unexpected test of self-trust—and why friendship, hobbies and simply asking men how they’re doing can matter.

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Follow Scott Cunningham:

Dead Dads Website - https://www.deaddadspodcast.com/

Dead Dads Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOdaU3Hn2gQ6ax7aVPw5pvQ

Scott's Website - https://myinnersoundtrack.mystrikingly.com/

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/scottrobertcunningham/

Follow Heritage Trust:

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/heritagetrustbc/

Website - https://heritagetrustcompany.ca/

Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/@heritagetrustco

Get the Estate Club Starter Kit here:

https://www.estateclub.ca/starterkit

In this week's episode of Your Estate Matters, Nicole and guest Steve Parr, founder of Parr Business Law in Vancouver, explore a fresh approach to estate planning. Rather than treating it as a tedious legal chore, they encourage Canadians to view it as a meaningful, values-driven process. Steve shares how starting with personal conversations about family, legacy, and intentions leads to better outcomes than jumping straight to documents. They also tackle common barriers like cost and intimidation, clarify that estate planning isn't just for the wealthy, and explain why professional guidance matters far more than online will kits.

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Follow Steve Parr:

https://www.parrbusinesslaw.com/

LinkedIn - https://ca.linkedin.com/in/steveaparr

Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCxv_AFussiH1f4-TnN7SJRQ

Follow Heritage Trust:

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/heritagetrustbc/

Website - https://heritagetrustcompany.ca/

Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/@heritagetrustco

Get the Essential Estate Planning Checklist for Canadians:

https://www.estateclub.ca/estate-planning-checklist

In this episode of Your Estate Matters, Nicole speaks with financial planner Gary Preisser from Stonebriar Wealth Advisors about protecting retirement income through smarter planning. Gary introduces his "Cash Flow Clock" framework, which organizes assets into time-based zones based on when funds will actually be needed. Rather than relying on traditional portfolio allocations, this approach prioritizes liquidity for short-term needs while allowing longer-term funds to grow. The conversation highlights how the timing of market losses can devastate retirement income, and why coordinating financial, tax, and estate planning is essential for building a truly resilient retirement.

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Follow Gary Preisser:

Website - https://garypreisser.com/

Stonebriar Wealth Advisors - https://www.stonebriarwealthadvisors.com/team/gary-preisser

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/garypreisser

Follow Heritage Trust:

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/heritagetrustbc/

Website - https://heritagetrustcompany.ca/

Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/@heritagetrustco

Get the Essential Estate Planning Checklist for Canadians:

https://www.estateclub.ca/estate-planning-checklist

In this episode of Your Estate Matters, Nicole speaks with Caroline Derksen, founder of End with Care Vancouver, about the growing role of end-of-life doulas. Caroline explains how death doulas provide holistic, non-medical support to families navigating life-limiting diagnoses, medical assistance in dying, and the grieving process. She discusses practical services such as legacy projects, living funerals, and coordinating care, while addressing common misconceptions about the profession. Nicole and Caroline emphasize that truly comprehensive estate planning extends beyond legal documents to include thoughtful, human-centred preparation for the dying process itself.

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Follow Caroline Derksen:

Website - https://www.endwithcare.com/

LinkedIn - https://ca.linkedin.com/in/caroline-derksen-05828a2a9

End of Life Doula Association of Canada - https://eoldac.org/

National End-of-Life Doula Alliance (NEDA) - https://nedalliance.org/

Follow Heritage Trust:

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/heritagetrustbc/

Website - https://heritagetrustcompany.ca/

Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/@heritagetrustco

Get the Essential Estate Planning Checklist for Canadians:

https://www.estateclub.ca/estate-planning-checklist

In this episode of Your Estate Matters, host Nicole Garton speaks with Dmitri Vasilounis, a lawyer and trust and estate practitioner at RBC Wealth Management, about the growing importance of digital assets in estate planning. Together, they explore what happens to email accounts, social media profiles, cryptocurrency, and other digital holdings after death or incapacity. Dmitri explains key concepts such as custodial versus non-custodial assets and cryptocurrency storage types, while offering practical advice, including creating a digital asset inventory and using platform tools like Apple's Legacy Contact and Google's Inactive Account Manager to help executors access accounts smoothly.

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Follow Demetre Vasilounis:

All About Estates Blog - https://allaboutestates.ca/

STEP Digital Asset Checklist - https://www.step.org/knowledge-hub/inventory-digital-assets-and-digital-devices

LinkedIn - https://ca.linkedin.com/in/demetrevasilounis

Follow Heritage Trust:

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/heritagetrustbc/

Website - https://heritagetrustcompany.ca/

Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/@heritagetrustco

Get the Essential Estate Planning Checklist for Canadians:

https://www.estateclub.ca/estate-planning-checklist

In this week's episode of Your Estate Matters, Nicole speaks with renowned Canadian tax, trust, and estate lawyer Amanda Doucette (The Tax Chick) about the often-overlooked tax implications of estate planning. Amanda explains how deemed dispositions, RRSP beneficiary designations, probate, and trusts can significantly impact what families ultimately inherit. She cautions against DIY probate strategies, such as adding children to property titles, which can trigger unexpected tax consequences. The conversation also busts common estate planning myths and offers practical advice, reminding Canadians that thoughtful tax planning — not just having a will — is essential to protecting their family's financial future.

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Follow Amanda Doucette:

Website - www.thetaxchick.ca

The Tax Chick Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/the-tax-chick-podcast/id1525089244

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/tax.chick/

LinkedIn - www.linkedin.com/in/amandasadoucette

Follow Heritage Trust:

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/heritagetrustbc/

Website - https://heritagetrustcompany.ca/

Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/@heritagetrustco

Get the Essential Estate Planning Checklist for Canadians:

https://www.estateclub.ca/estate-planning-checklist

In this episode of Your Estate Matters, Nicole speaks with Katie Bennett, a master certified chair with Mackay CEO Forums and founder of Double Black Diamond Coaching, about the often-overlooked human side of business succession planning. With 76% of Canadian small business owners planning to exit within the next decade, yet only 9% holding a formal succession plan, the stakes are high.

Katie shares practical insights on reducing owner dependency, building strong leadership teams, and creating clear strategic plans. As Nicole reminds listeners, a will can determine who inherits a business, but it cannot make that business run.

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Follow Katie Bennett:

Website - https://www.katiebennett.ca/

Double Black Diamond Coaching - https://doubleblackdiamondcoaching.com/

MacKay CEO Forums - https://mackayceoforums.com/our-chairs/katie-bennett/

LinkedIn - https://ca.linkedin.com/in/katiebennettdbdcoaching

Follow Heritage Trust:

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/heritagetrustbc/

Website - https://heritagetrustcompany.ca/

Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/@heritagetrustco

Get the Essential Estate Planning Checklist for Canadians:

https://www.estateclub.ca/estate-planning-checklist

In this episode of Your Estate Matters, Nicole interviews Steve Parr, founder of Parr Business Law, about the critical intersection of corporate law and estate planning for business owners. Drawing on his background as both an entrepreneur and lawyer, Steve outlines essential risk management tools — including wills, powers of attorney, shareholders agreements, and insurance. He also addresses today's pressing challenges: AI disruption, cybersecurity threats, supply chain vulnerabilities, and financial uncertainty. Steve encourages business owners not to feel overwhelmed, but instead to audit their risk exposure, lean on trusted professionals, and embrace adaptability as the new cornerstone of business resilience.

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Follow Steve Parr:

https://www.parrbusinesslaw.com/

LinkedIn - https://ca.linkedin.com/in/steveaparr

Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCxv_AFussiH1f4-TnN7SJRQ

Follow Heritage Trust:

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/heritagetrustbc/

Website - https://heritagetrustcompany.ca/

Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/@heritagetrustco

Get the Essential Estate Planning Checklist for Canadians:

https://www.estateclub.ca/estate-planning-checklist

In this episode of Your Estate Matters, Nicole speaks with estate planning lawyer Michael Scott, exploring the unique complexities business owners face when planning their estates. Michael explains why having a will and power of attorney forms the essential foundation, while also discussing advanced strategies such as estate freezes, family trusts, and probate fee avoidance. The conversation covers shareholders' agreements, key person insurance, and the lifetime capital gains exemption. Michael also addresses common misconceptions, warning against handshake deals and delayed planning. His key message: even a basic plan can save families significant stress, expense, and uncertainty when the unexpected happens.

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Follow Michael Scott:

LinkedIn - https://ca.linkedin.com/in/michael-scott-ba105148

Clark Wilson LLP - https://www.cwilson.com/people/michael-scott/

Follow Heritage Trust:

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/heritagetrustbc/

Website - https://heritagetrustcompany.ca/

Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/@heritagetrustco

Get the Essential Estate Planning Checklist for Canadians:

https://www.estateclub.ca/estate-planning-checklist