2026 Conference General Registration

Field Trip Option 1: West side of Vancouver Island

Join us for a scenic ride across the central portion of Vancouver Island to Port Alberni. Along the way you will enjoy views of Mt. Arrowsmith (the tallest mountain on southern Vancouver Island, at an elevation of 1817 m), Cameron Lake, evidence of the Cameron Bluffs fire (2024) and the Westley Ridge Fire (2025), Cathedral Grove, and from the summit of Highway 4 (locally known as The Hump) down into the city of Port Alberni. Situated at the head of the Alberni Inlet, it is famous for its world-class river and ocean sport-fishing, pristine freshwater lakes like Sproat Lake, and its rich timber history. Port Alberni lies within the traditional territory of the Hupačasath and Tseshaht First Nations. The Hupačasath First Nation manages two woodlot licences W1476 and W1902, as well as a First Nation Woodland Licence. Among other economic developments, they also own Kleekhoot Gold Big Leaf Maple Syrup. Producing bigleaf maple syrup is a difficult venture, which over the decades has been more of a family secret on Vancouver Island (including among others Harold Macy’s W1677 in Courtenay and Backland’s Managed Forest in Yellowpoint), until 2017. Your tour will include a stop at the Kleekhoot Gold production facility, the very first commercial-scale producers of Bigleaf Maple syrup. Your tour will also include a walk through W0011 that flanks the Beaufort Mountains in the Beaver Creek valley, one of the best growing sites in the South Island Forest District. Todd Thompson’s father Art managed one of the first farm woodlots in the South Island which is still included in the woodlot licence. Todd will share some of that personal history with you. Your tour will also include a walk on a portion of the historic Log Train Trail that runs through the woodlot, while Todd discusses his communications with the Alberni-Clayoquot Regional District, neighbours and recreational groups; you will see some big Douglas-fir that grow on the woodlot and learn about how he manages for them; and you will find out more about Todd’s relationship with the Hupačasath First Nation.

Field Trip Option 2: East side

The tours on the east side of the island will center around Nanoose Bay, Errington, Lantzville and North Nanaimo. These communities lie within the Snaw-naw-as (Nanoose), Qualicum and Snuneymuxw (Nanaimo) First Nations territories respectively. During your tour you will learn more about Mosaic Forest Management, a diversified, 100% Canadian-owned company, that manages approximately 550,000 hectares of private managed forest land on Vancouver Island, most of which lies in the South Island Forest District. As a result of their dominant presence on the landscape, they have some unique perspectives around communicating with the public and other resource users. Because they also are one of the purchasers of woodlot licensee timber, they will be hosting a discussion on coastal log sorting and log buying at their Dry Land Sort in Nanoose Bay. You will also be walking through one of their commercially thinned stands and learn how they planned and completed the thinning operation and where the small harvested trees were sent. Shawn Flynn, retired woodlot licensee, will then be hosting lunch at his Christmas Tree Farm in Nanoose. Your bus will then be travelling a short distance to W1475 in Lantzville. The Gregson woodlot license managed by brothers John and Dave, has had a tumultuous history since its inception. As you walk through portions of the woodlot, you will learn about the history and how they have managed to improve communications with the local Lantzville Council and community, neighbours, and recreational users. If you are on the other bus, after lunch you will be travelling a slightly longer distance to W0012 in North Nanaimo. The Heikkila woodlot licence includes the farm woodlot originally granted to Rick’s father Eric. This woodlot lies adjacent to Benson Creek Regional Park and VIU’s W0020 along the lower slopes of Mt. Benson. The world famous Fine China trail, with support from Rick, lies within the woodlot and is the first provincially approved trail built by the Nanaimo Mountain Bike Club (NMBC). You will hear from Rick how he communicates with the NMBC and manages the numerous bike trails that criss-cross his woodlot license. Recreation use by hikers, walkers, bikers, and motocross is a dominant part of management on W0012.