CANADA’S CONFERENCE ON SUSTAINABILITY AND INNOVATION IN TOURISM
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We are working with some exciting partners for Day of IMPACT 2024 and details will be forthcoming.
Please see the itinerary for 2023 (below) which will give you an idea of what to expect -- as always, we are working to raise the bar from last year. Stay tuned!
Continuing our tradition of including a value-added day of networking, discussions and adventure, this year we return to the vibrant Saanich Peninsula, an area rich with potential and home to many purpose-driven businesses who are working with nature to build successful regenerative models.
Back by popular demand, we will depart the Inner Harbour on board vessels from Prince of Whales Whale & Marine Wildlife Adventures and Eagle Wing Whale & Wildlife Tours. This two-hour cruise North through the Salish Sea will open your eyes to its rich cultural history, comprehensive biodiversity, and overall breathtaking beauty. While on board breakfast will be served with your morning coffee!
We are so excited to be inviting the team from Cascadia Seaweed back to share their story with us - the largest cultivator of seaweed in North America -- by simply cultivating seaweed in the ocean, we can help solve some of the biggest challenges humanity is facing today; climate change, economic instability and food security. It is a story that never gets old and just more innovative!
Once we disembark in North Saanich you will be transported by PNWTS coaches to Field Five Farm. Pacific Northwest Transportation Services is proud to be recognized as a leader in the Vancouver Island Green Business Collective. This innovative transportation company has been certified carbon neutral since 2020 and is well on their way to becoming B Corp certified.
Meet PNWTS GM, David Roberts, and learn as he shares their story of striving to go to zero emission vehicles and the complicated journey they're taking to get there. “It’s not a straight line of success but one that includes a lot of failure. I’d like to share how we have turned the failure into success.”
We will spend the afternoon at Field Five Farm meeting Kyle & Jenn Michell and Mike Doehnel, hearing how they are turning their passionate hobby into a sustainable future for generations to come. Kyle is a 6th generation farmer on the Saanich Peninsula and this team has combined their business interests with their passion for farming in the most innovative ways.
You will learn how this farm is one of the few places in Canada that can grow winter barley and other winter cereals. Bringing back these crops returns the diversity of crop rotations required for sustainable agriculture also supporting the local craft brewery and distilling businesses. The grains used to make beer and other distilled beverages supports their goal to go back to their roots and bring back a home for local premium grains on Vancouver Island, with the purpose of providing the best malt in the Pacific Northwest. You will have an opportunity to sample some of these innovative and tasty brews throughout the afternoon.
Carol Hyland will share how in witnessing the magic of growing and processing flax to make linen, she decided to grow an acre of flax with the generous support of Field 5 Farm in the Spring of 2022. In a perfect example of crop rotation, this win-win partnership resulted in a successful yield of seed and fibre to supply Carol's new textile business and Kyle's need for a cover crop that mobilizes phosphorus in the soil.
You will also hear from FED, the Food Eco District and learn how they have reimagined Victoria as an urban food oasis. Lush green spaces, rooftop and boulevard gardens, mini food forests, and hundreds of pollinators are now existing within our bustling cityscape, thanks to FED. FED is a registered charity that is working to address food security on southern Vancouver Island by promoting sustainable food systems and enhancing community engagement while partnering with growers, restaurants, and community organizations. FED is planting food, eating locally and growing a movement.
Lunch will be a scrumptious, locally, and sustainably sourced repast prepared by Truffles Catering. Learn how they purchase from local suppliers who deliver products that meet their commitment to sustainability, plus how they divert 95% of their waste through composting, recycling, and feeding bugs!
During the day you will also meet Assetou Coulibaly and learn about the Societe Chiwara, a not-for-profit she started to help create an inclusive space for professionals in the community while providing a platform for people of colour. This vibrant young woman will leave us all better prepared to continue the Equity, Diversity & Inclusion journey.
South Island FarmHub will teach us how the pandemic created the need for farmers to find a way to sell their crops as up to 40% of their anticipated sales disappeared. The South Island FarmHub ensured that local farmers had sales avenues for the food coming out of their fields and community members could get it delivered right to their doorsteps. The benefits of supporting a local food economy have remained more relevant than ever and the South Island FarmHub is committed to being a leader in the change. They help make local produce and processed goods assessable to the community at large: home customers, wholesale purchasers, local restaurants, and community organizations alike.
Finally, you will work alongside two of Victoria’s innovative and gifted Chefs, Mara Jernigan and Genevieve Laplante, while they lead you in an exercise that will benefit both the community and you!
Once you arrive back to the Victoria Conference Centre there will be time to gather with fellow attendees at one or two local establishments as you unwind from the day, meet other IMPACT delegates over a local libation and enjoy some creatively sourced cuisine!
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