Wildfire Symposium 2026

Tara Bergeson

Keynote Speaker

Tara Bergeson, MSc, RPF is the Director of Practice at Forest Professionals British Columbia, where she provides leadership in professional practice, competency, and conduct, developing the standards and expectations that guide forest professionals in serving the public interest. 

Prior to joining FPBC, she built her career in forest management across British Columbia and western Canada, with specialized experience in wildland fire and urban forest management. She brings this practical experience and a broad understanding of forest management to her work in professional regulation, helping advance the profession’s role in addressing increasingly complex challenges facing forests and communities. 

Keynote

Forests to Fire: Who Connects the Dots?

October 6, 2026 | 9:00–9:45 aM

Wildfire is rapidly changing the way we approach forest, land, and community planning. It requires that we rethink our approaches and reassess our assumptions. And it requires that we have an adequate supply of professionals holding competency to meet the challenge. 

This talk will introduce FPBC developments and guidance developed in response to this identified need, and explore how forest professionals bridge the gap, and become a critical connector, between landscape-level forest stewardship and the increasingly community-driven work of wildfire prevention. 

Panel Discussion

Jasper Recovery

October 5, 2026 | 4:15–5:15 PM

Panel Discussion

FireSmart Tourism in BC: Challenges, Opportunities, and Path Forward

October 6, 2026 | 2:20–3:20 PM

Panel Discussion

Wildfire in Non-Metropolitan Communities: Disability, Complex Health Needs, and Unequal Vulnerability

October 6, 2026 | 3:30–4:30 PM

Panel Discussion

Stories of Resilience: The Role of Story in Pre- and Post-Disaster Climate Action

October 6, 2026 | 3:30–4:30 PM

Plenary Panel

Community Perspectives on Collaborative Fire Research

October 7, 2026 | 9:00–10:00 AM