Expert: Steven Taylor - 5/27/2011

Question
In going through my mother's belongings I've found a numbered stock certificate for 100 shares of Sterling Finance Ltd. purchased December 3, 1962.  The certificate shows this company was "incorporated under the laws of the Province of Saskatchewan."  There is no further address or any other correspondence regarding the company "Sterling Finance Ltd."

There is, however, a March 6, 1972 letter from one E. Dean Burlingham, C.A., Liquidator, Thorne, Gunn, Helliwell & Christenson (Chartered Accountants) with "offices throughout Canada and associates throughout the world," but no stated address.  Among the materials enclosed with Burlingham's letter is a brief explanatory letter indicating on December 21, 1971 the assets of Sterling Finance Ltd. were sold to Burrard Mortgage Investments Ltd., 1678 West Broadway, Vancouver 9, B. C., as well as a numbered stock certificate dated March 22, 1972 for 10 (ten) shares of Burrard Mortgage Investments Ltd. (incorporated in the province of British Columbia).  There is nothing else in this file.  

I am wondering about the value of these shares, but am getting nowhere in my attempt to research these companies online.  Can you help me in any way?

Answer
From the description you provided, it seems quite definitive that the original Sterling Finance shares were converted to Burrard Mortgage shares on the basis of 1 for 10. Burrard later changed its name several times and, if my information is correct, it is currently Canlan Ice Sports, which trades on the TSX for about $1.80 per share. You will need to contact the current transfer agent, Computershare (www.computershare.com) regarding the old shares of Burrard and, if they are still valid, get them converted to Canlan shares.