Please join us for the 67th annual meeting of the Western Division of the Canadian Association of Geographers (WDCAG) on traditional, ancestral and unceded territory of xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam) at the University of British Columbia, Vancouver, from Thursday, March 5 to Saturday, March 7!

This year’s theme is ‘Place, Power, Processes.’ Engage it how you wish. ‘Power and Place’ could suggest research exists within fraught histories and contested futures. ‘Place and Process’ might suggest to someone that landscape processes are not always best understood as universal abstractions, but in some profound sense unfold differently depending on the context of place. Other interpretations are encouraged. As always, the theme is meant to inspire thought and dialogue, not to exclude; whatever your interests in geographical inquiry, your participation is very much welcome!

Conference Overview

The conference opens Thursday evening, March 5, with a casual reception and early registration. Field trips will take place throughout the day on Friday, so take to the water for an urban geography boat tour of False Creek with Prof. Elvin Wyly, or visit the world class Hydrology Flume Lab of Prof. Marwan Hassan, or participate in one of the other excursions on offer! After a day exploring, join us Friday evening for an evening reception and keynote presentation: an international premiere of the new documentary film, “The Icicle Calls us Back”, followed by a panel discussion with the filmmaker and Indigenous film participants. On Saturday, paper sessions, workshops, and poster presentations will take place throughout the day in the Geography Building, followed by a keynote address: A conversation with Naomi Klein. Saturday night will be dedicated to festivities, ending the conference with a shindig filled with food, drinks, music, awards and great conversation.

Conference Deadlines

WDCAG 2026 Awards

  • $50 prize each for the best BSc/BA, MSc/MA, or PhD oral presentation
  • $50 prize each for the best BSc/BA, MSc/MA, or PhD poster presentation
  • $50 prize for best student poster or oral presentation on Asia at the WDCAG meeting. Sponsored by the Geographies of Asia Study Group

Each award winner will also be invited to publish in the WDCAG Western Geography  journal.

Awards will be presented at the WDCAG 2026 Banquet, Saturday 18:30 – 22:00, “The Place of Many Trees”, Liu Institute for Global Issues.

WDCAG Scavenger Hunt

Join the UBC Geography Students’ Association and the WDCAG for a scavenger hunt around campus and strategize with your team to complete fun challenges for points. Grab some friends and join us for this great way to explore UBC, local geographies, and learn some interesting facts along the way. The winning team gets a one-of-a-kind trophy and GSA stickers, plus by participating, you can earn raffle tickets for an artisanal gift basket!

To participate, fill out the Google Form, and we’ll give you access to the Google Drive with the list. You’ll have until 2pm on Saturday to complete the tasks, and we’ll announce the winning team at the banquet on Saturday, March 7th!

Hidden Geographies Self Guided Tour 

Join us for a Photo Scavenger Hunt that invites you to uncover the lesser-known geographies hidden within UBC’s most familiar spaces. As you move through campus, you’ll look beyond its postcard image to consider the land, food systems, and corporate networks that shape student life. Through this interactive activity, you’ll explore UBC’s third spaces and reflect on who they serve, overlook, or exclude- building new, personal connections to the campus landscape along the way.

Participants earn a chance to win a locally sourced, artisanal gift basket that showcases the best of BC. One raffle ticket per entry visited will be allocated participants. To participate in the raffle only (you can choose to join the GSA hunt and submit your hidden geographies entry there as an alternative) submit by email to azelie.blanchette@ubc.ca with a picture of yourself at the visited location(s) to be included in the raffle.

To begin the Photo Scavenger Hunt visit it’s website. Brochures are also available at the registration desk, located in the undergraduate lounge of the Geography Building.

Questions?

Any questions for the conference organizers can be directed to wdcag2026@geog.ubc.ca