Attending the WFCA Conference and Trade Show in Victoria, B.C.

Jess Kaknevicius, Chief Executive Officer, and Amber Brant, Partnerships Manager, represented Forests Canada as a proud sponsor and exhibitor at the Western Forestry Contractors' Association (WFCA) 2026 Conference, Tradeshow & AGM from January 28-30, 2026, in Victoria, British Columbia.  
 
The three-day event featured sessions including conversations around new updates in occupational health and safety for tree-planting field operations, emerging technologies well-positioned to serve contractors, discussions on working with Indigenous communities, and the integration of native plants. Much of the event’s proceedings focused on the need for a new forest restoration economy in Canada. Another featured topic of discussion among many of the tree-planting professionals was what comes next for tree planting following the Government of Canada’s announcement to pull back from its stated goal of planting two billion trees by 2031 as part of the 2 Billion Trees program.

During the Conference. Forests Canada shared information on our ongoing investment in restoration, our upcoming events, and our ongoing education activities related to Canada’s forests. Hard copies of a new report published by Forests Canada through Reforest Canada Collective (RCC), “A Look at Current Operational Tree Planting Capacity in Canada,” was picked up by many attendees – a digital version of the report will be available soon through the Reforest Canada Collective (RCC) Knowledge Hub. The RCC, a division of Forests Canada, is a platform for Canada's forest recovery system to connect, share knowledge, and collaborate.

Thank you to everyone who stopped by our booth. The Forests Canada team enjoyed connecting with various organizations and individuals from the tree planting, nursery, and silviculture sectors from across Canada. We are excited to continue these important conversations and continue working together to ensure resilient, thriving forests across the country.