2021 Conference Dates Are In!
The WFCA Annual Conference, Expo & AGM
will be held:
Conference Portion: Wed Feb 10 to Fri Feb 12, 2021
Expo Portion: Wed Feb 10 to Fri Feb 12, 2021
Courses: Tues Feb 9, 2021
S100 Refresher c/o MacLeod Forest Services
Please Note: WFCA is not involved or responsible for course offerings. Please contact course provider directly for any questions or concerns.
Sponsorship Form
we have group rates available!
25 Tickets for $2,000
50 Tickets for $2,500
100 Tickets for $3,500
150 Tickets for $4,000
151 – 500 Tickets for $5,000
(all rates subject to 5% GST)
If you are interested in purchasing a group of tickets, please email our office at admin@WFCA.ca so we can send you an invoice and the link for your group tickets.
This will be our 40th convention and the first to go virtual. Our virtual attendees will be able to conference from home just as so many of us are learning to work and do so many other things from home. It will be fun. Honest.
Our hard-pressed planning committee plans to run a program similar to what we would do normally, except minus all the parts about people being in the same room, and meeting face to face, and talking in the hall, and being someplace different for a few days, and, oh well…
Tuesday, February 9th
Training Day
S100 c/o MacLeod Forest Services
Wednesday, February 10th, 2021
BC Safe Forestry Workplace Safety Day
8:30 am Opening Remarks by The Honourable Nathan Cullen
Minister of State for Lands and
Natural Resource Operations
9:00 am Review of the BC SAFE Forestry Program
Presented by Robin McCullough Chair of the
BCSFP Strategic Advisory Committee:
Robin will introduce members of the
committee, the Program’s accomplishments in 2020
and the workplan for 2021.
9:30 am COVID-19 Management in the Resource Sector
Presented by Dr. Allan Holmes;
Dr Holmes, the founder of Iridia Medical, was directly
involved in providing medical service support to
silviculture and other resource sectors in 2020.
He will discuss what to expect in 2021 as the
pandemic continues to affect private sector
businesses and medical service accessibility,
including testing, vaccinations and
access to routine care.
10:05 am Update on WKSFBC Practices and
Inspection Expectations
Presented by WorkSafeBC;
Representatives from WSBC will update us
on officer findings from 2020, and inspection
strategies and focus areas of the upcoming season.
10:30 am – 10:45 am Break
10:45 am The COVID-19 2020 Experience and its Effects
on People in Silviculture
Presented by Dr. Jordan Tesluk;
Jordan will review key learning outcomes from
the silviculture industry’s efforts to manage
COVID-19 in 2020. He will discuss key strategies for
optimizing chances of a repeat performance in 2021,
including attending to mental health pressures on
employees, and communicating effectively
with workers and communities.
11:30 am Update on the New BCSFP
Danger Tree Committee
and Current Issues in the Industry
Presented by DTA;
Update from the newly struck Danger Tree Committee
on issues related to hazards that must be managed
in silviculture and forestry worksites, and some of the
regulatory and policy challenges that affect this issue.
11:45 am Update on 2021 Total Physio
Service Delivery, and Reports from
the Field From 2020
Presented by Mike McAlonan Total Physiotherapy
12:00 pm – 12:45 pm Break
12:45 pm Human Resources in Silviculture
and Consultant Forestry
The Value of Strong HR Programs
Presented by Dr. Jordan Tesluk;
Dr. Tesluk will explore how social movements
are reshaping the landscape of human resource
management and the resulting demands on
silviculture and consultant forestry employers.
We will discuss options for improving HR capacity
at an industry level, building trust between employees
and management, and how this can enhance the rewards
associated with employment in this sector.
1:30pm New Anti-Harassment Video for Workers, and Update
on 2020 Outreach Activities
Presented by Northern Society for Domestic Peace;
Members from NSDP will introduce a series of new
educational videos aimed at preventing sexual
harassment in the workplace and review ongoing
steps they are taking to support workers and to
guide employers in stopping workplace harassment.
2:15 pm Building Trust in Crews
Presented by Womxn in Silviculture;
Community Safety Facilitator, Meg Webster and
Dominique De Libero join us to talk about what
can be done to support workers in reporting
harassment and misconduct, and how to establish
workplace environments that are truly safe for all parties.
3:00 pm – 3:15 pm Break
3:15pm Incident Reporting and Analysis
Presented by EHS Analytics;
Representatives from EHS Analytics will update the
industry on tools they offer for improving the efficiency
of incident reporting and identify benefits to individual
employers and the industry in having proper tools for
analyzing broad trends and company data.
3:35 pm TEAAM Update on New Developments
with Insurance Packages and Move to Open
New Base in North East BC
Presented by Miles Randell;
Members from Technical Evacuation Advanced Aero
Medical will update us on their helicopter emergency
medicine activities in assisting injured workers in forestry,
new options for rescue insurance, and their work to
expand services to the Northern region.
3:55 pm Update on the Labour Market Information
and Human Research Strategy Project
Presented by Chris Akehurst;
Chris Akehurst, Member of The Order of the Dull Caulk
and esteemed Chair of the LMI will update the industry
on steps being taken to assess hiring and retention
needs in our sector. The future of the industry relies
upon attraction and retention of skilled workers, and
this process has important implications for both safety
and company success.
4:30 pm Adjournment
Thursday, February 11th, 2021
Forestry Policy Panel and Plenary Sessions
8:45 am Message from The Honourable Seamus O’Regan
Federal Minister of Natural Resources
9:00 am Policy Panel Presentation:
Wildfire and Natural Disaster Adapting
BC Forest Landscapes to a 21st Century Climate
Presented by Dr. Paul Hessburg, Research Landscape
Ecologist, USDA-FS, PNW Research Station &
University of Washington-SEFS;
After 2020’s damaging wildfires in the American West,
how can we adapt our current landscapes for the coming
wildfires and climatic changes? Is it even possible to
reduce uncertainty about the availability of forests in
the future?
What Social Science Can Contribute
to Wildfire Mitigation
Presented by Dr. Susan Charnley, Research Social
Scientist, U.S. Forest Service, Pacific Northwest
Research Station;
Wildfire management is as much a social challenge as an
ecological one. Our ability to mitigate wildfire hazard
depends on social factors such as people’s perceptions
of wildfire risk, the social acceptability of fuels treatments,
landowners’ ability to manage wildfire hazard on their
property, and the social vulnerability of affected
populations. This talk provides an overview of how
social science can help address these issues
to improve wildfire mitigation.
10:30 am – 10:45 am Break
10:45 am Policy Panel Presentation: Continued
- Placed-Based Approaches to Forestry, Post-Wildfire Recovery and Landscape Restoration: Presenters – Shelby Leslie and Josh Batson, Forest Foods
Shelby Leslie (CEO), and Josh Batson MSc. – Resource Management (SFU) (Project Manager), of Forest Foods Ltd., will present on the opportunity to transition forestry practices in BC from singular to multiple values forest management regimes. Their presentation will include an exploration of Forest Foods’ work in Indigenous-led post-wildfire land management and restoration programs; and discuss the ways in which UNDRIP can positively influence FRPA to improve forest and societal health.
11:30 am Workshop:
- COVID-19 and Contract Wildfire Suppression Services in 2021 Leader Steve Lemon Superintendent of Safety & Well Being, BC Wildfire Service; What does BCWS expect of contract wildfire suppression crews in order to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in the 2021 wildfire season?
12:00 pm – 1:00 pm Lunch Break
1:00 pm Plenary Session 1
- Introducing a Respectful Workplace Code of Conduct for the Forestry Sector: Presenter Stephen Hammond, Harassment Solutions Inc. Workers, employers, supervisors, and even visitors need to all commit to maintaining safe and respectful workplaces across the forestry sector. What kind of commitments would a WFCA Code of Conduct comprise and what would be the benefits of such a standard?
2:30 pm – 3:00 pm Break
3:00 pm Plenary Session 2
- How Not to Get Ransomed by Cyber Criminals: Presenter Ron Borsholm, Senior Manager, Cyber Security Services, MNP; How can small and medium-size business owners assess their cyber security risks and what actions can they take to defend themselves, their businesses and their customers?
4:00 pm Workshop
- Eliminating the Use of Plastic Flagging to Mark Seedlings: Leader Nigel Fletcher, MFLNRORD, Plastic Policy Working Group; How can the reforestation sector and our provincial government coordinate to eliminate single use plastic flagging to mark seedlings? Why should we?
4:30 pm Adjournment of Conference Day 2
4:30 pm Tree Planting Film Festival, 2020 Season:
Cultivating Voices
Hosted by WFCA, Master of Ceremonies
Josh Lichti, Speakers include Tim Tchida,
Jordan Tesluk, Dirk Brinkman;
Come Celebrate the Second Annual
Tree Planting United Film Festival with us.
This year the film festival titled “Cultivating Voices”
is a cross industry, bond building way to show
the workers representation of the culture we have
cultivated for almost 40 years!
(www.TreeplantingFilmFestival.earth)
Friday, February 12th, 2021
Plenary Panel and Strategic Session
8:30am Minister’s Address, The Honourable Katrine Conroy
Minister of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource
Operations and Rural Development
9:00 am Plenary Panel Session:
Outline of our Federal and Provincial
Reforestation Programs and the Future
Demand for Reforestation Services
- Diane Nichols, Chief Forester, MFLNRORD: The BC Perspective
- Federal Representative: TBA
- Neil Hughes, MFLNRORD, Forest Practices Branch
10:15 am – 10:45 am Break
10:45 am Plenary Strategic Forum:
Leader John Betts, WFCA Executive Director;
How does the WFCA remain fit to its purpose as its
important role as an industry association involved in
federal and provincial forestry policy and affairs
increases?
11:45 pm Adjournment of 2021 WFCA Annual Conference
1:00 pm WFCA’s Annual General Meeting (Members Only)
2:00pm Adjournment
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