Rural & Small City Recreation Summit

Delegates asked for and the World Leisure Centre of Excellence will deliver! The 2025 Rural & Small City Recreation Summit will be hosted at Vancouver Island University on November 13-14, 2025.

Thank you to all the incredible delegates who made the 2024 Rural Recreation Summit a success. We also want to thank the presenters who shared their knowledge and passion for the power of recreation:

• Dr. Jackie Oncescu - Associate Professor UNB
• Caroline Sparks - Recreation North & RPAY
• Anne Morgan - ED Recreation & Parks Association of the Yukon
• Yue-Ching Chen - Chair Recreation Studies Langara College
• Katie Fenn - CEO BC Recreation & Parks Association
• Shaila Jiwa - Director QSA BC Health Authority
• Christopher Hauschildt  - Walk With Me 
• Caresse Nadeau - Walk With Me
• Shahz Iman - Walk With Me & VIU
• Janay Babuin Funk - Recreation Therapist, Private Practice
• Darcie Osborne - Director Recreation & Culture, City of Nanaimo
• Susie Saunders - Director of Recreation, Culture and Community Services, City of Courtenay
• Hannah King, Superintendent of Recreation Program Services, Regional District of Nanaimo
• Kathy Collins - Manager of Recreation Programming, City of Courtenay
• Martin Sampson, CEO Canadian Parks & Recreation Association
• Dr. Sharon Karsten  - Walk With Me, Recreation & Tourism, WLCE@VIU
• Joanne Schroeder - Recreation & Tourism, WLCE@VIU
• Jenn Houtby-Ferguson, Recreation & Tourism, WLCE@VIU
• Dr. Amanda Johnson, Recreation & Tourism, WLCE@VIU
• Dr. Aggie Weighill, Recreation & Tourism, WLCE@VIU

We are collecting the slide decks of presenters. They will be linked at the bottom of this page. The Keynote was livestreamed and the recording can be viewed on YouTube - Keynote - Dr. Jackie Oncescu