The 65th Symposium of the Western Division of the Canadian Association of Geographers (WDCAG) will be hosted by the Geography and Earth & Environmental Science Department at Okanagan College (OC) in Kelowna, BC March 15-16, 2024. The theme of this meeting will be ‘Relevance’.
Geographers from all fields of geography and related disciplines are invited to attend. Some papers will be published in Western Geography.
See below for details on the WDCAG 2024 registration instructions. Or visit the website for more details: https://www.cag-acg.ca/wdcag-2024-home
*Please note that photos/videos may be taken at the event.
Key Dates
WDCAG 2024 Registration
Registration for the symposium will remain open until Friday, March 1, 2024.
*Included with your registration is a pizza dinner on Friday evening, Saturday coffee breaks, lunch, and banquet dinner. Dietary options for gluten-free, vegetarian and vegan will be available.*
Registration Fees (prices do not include taxes or fees):
Sessional Instructors / Term Professors /
Post-doctoral Fellows:
Refund/Cancellation Policy:
Cancellation and refund of registration fee is possible until March 1, 2024. No refunds after March 1.
Field Trips
All field trips are scheduled for Friday afternoon and will begin at 13:00 PT, departing from the Atrium of the E building.
(see campus map for location)
1- Exploring the Impact of the 2023 Wildfires
Host: Dr. Terrence Day, Okanagan College (tday@okanagan.bc.ca); cost TBA
For many British Columbians, make that Canadians, or should we say citizens of planet Earth, 2023 was the year of conflagration, as the entire world seemed to erupt in flames. During the average wildfire season, 24,600 km2 of land burns across Canada. In 2023, the B.C. Wildfire Service states that, in B.C. alone, almost 25,000 km2of terrain were burned, doubling the previous provincial record from 2018. British Columbia was certainly an attention grabber when it came to out-of-control wildfires. Worryingly, the trend seems to be heading steeply up. The Central Okanagan took a direct hit from the fast-moving and destructive wildfires. So powerful was the force of the winds generated by the fire, the blaze jumped the lake from West Kelowna to Kelowna (on the east side of the lake), a distance of two kilometres or more. Much of the destruction occurred in interface zones where structures and other elements of the built environment meet the wildlands. We will tour Kelowna, B.C., looking at fire hazards within the physical environment. The trip will focus on the 2023 fires, examining the mapping of wildfires, the challenges of FireSmart™ approaches, and evacuation issues. We will get a firsthand look at the Central Okanagan Emergency Operations Centre and meet with one of the fire chiefs who actively participated in the 2023 fires. There may be a cost associated with this field trip, please contact Terry Day (tday@okanagan.bc.ca) for particulars.
2- West Kelowna Wine Tasting at Indigenous World Winery (tentative) CANCELLED
3- South Fascieux Creek
Host: Barbara Ramovs, Okanagan College; (bramovs@okanagan.bc.ca) cost free, Participant cap = 20
South Fascieux Creek, a waterway within a short walking distance from Okanagan College, has long been a vital spawning habitat for Kokanee salmon, a keystone species in the local ecosystem and a cultural and spiritual touchstone for the local Sylix peoples. Kokanee salmon play an important role in Sylix stories, teachings, and intergenerational, ecological knowledge transfer. Over many decades, Kelowna’s natural floodplain and many of its stream channels have been transformed due to urban development: buried or redirected using concrete pipes. This has negatively impacted the spawning capacity of the salmon. Additionally, human-caused climate change, with its accompanying extreme weather events and flooding, is damaging this built infrastructure. The City of Kelowna, in partnership with many community stakeholders, is currently in the process of resurrecting parts of this important waterway, ‘daylighting’ and restoring natural stream flows, removing invasive species, and planting native ones, improving long-term stability and sustainability to these environments, including the remediation of salmon-spawning habitat so central to the Sylix culture. This informative excursion will provide participants with an insightful, real-world demonstration of physical and human geography in action. Revealing how our community is addressing this challenge may prompt others to consider ways in which Kelowna’s efforts might be adapted to fit the needs of their communities. Please contact Barb (bramovs@okanagan.bc.ca) for further information. Spots are available on a first come basis.
4- Downtown Beer District
Host: Dr. Markus Heinrichs, Okanagan College; (mheinrichs@okanagan.bc.ca) cost $5, Participant cap = 20
Though we mourn the loss of Tree Brewing in Kelowna, the void left behind has nearly been filled with a number of exciting and inviting brew pubs, concentrated in the northern end of the city near the cultural district. We will take the #1 bus ($2.50) from OC to the Queensway loop and walk along Ellis St. past the Laurel Packinghouse, where you can see an exhibit featuring early orcharding in the area. The first pub we pass by is BNA Brewing, featuring its own bowling lanes. We’ll turn east along the north side of Clement Ave, and see the locations of Unleashed Brewing, Welton Arms, and The Office. From there we turn north on Ethel to Vaughn Ave, where returning west, we pass the Rustic Reel. Carrying on west, we reach Richter Ave, where we pass Sandhill wines and Vice & Virtue, perhaps turning right on Baillie Ave to see Jackknife and Kettle River. We will return downtown along Richter, perhaps pausing to have
a refreshment break at Red Bird. The #1 bus from Queensway runs every 15 minutes and will take us back to campus, where we will meet with the other field trip participants. This trip involves approximately 5km of walking, so participants should be prepared for urban walking and be dressed accordingly. Please contact Markus (mheinrichs@okanagan.bc.ca) for further information. Spots are available on a first come basis.
Registration Instructions
Step 1 - Log into your CAG Account or Create one. [Continue] Step 2 - Select and add your registration type (under Quantity). [Continue] Step 3 - Fill in your personal information, any dietary restrictions, or Field Trip selection [Continue]Step 4 - Complete the payment. Payment is securely processed through Stripe Payment Processing.
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