Event Schedule

All programming is in the Pacific Ballroom on the Conference Floor unless otherwise noted.

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 27

4:00 – 6:00 pm  Welcome Reception and Trade Show

The Welcome Reception will be held upstairs, on The Roof.

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 28

7:00 am – 8:00 pm  Nest Box Lounge

7:30 – 8:45 am  Breakfast 

9:00 – 9:30 am  BC EPA AGM 

9:30 – 10:30 am  Welcome Speakers

10:30 – 11:00 am  BC Egg AGM

1. Welcome and Intro
2. Adoption of Agenda
3. Election Results
4. Highlights of 2024
5. Approval of AGM Minutes
6. Report on National Issues
7. Marketing Presentation
8. Supporting the Community
9. Audit Report and Financial Statements
10. Appointment of Auditors
11. PMC Update
12. Closing

11:00 – 11:30 am  Coffee and Snack Break 

11:30 – 12:30 pm  Concurrent Education Sessions

Education Sessions are held in the Boardroom & Waddington rooms.
See the “Education Session” section below for session details, speakers and locations.

12:30 – 2:00 pm  Lunch 

• Keynote Speaker: Des Sobool, FCC Director, Economics and Deputy Chief Economist
  Navigating the Economic Environment Amid Tariff Threats, Trade Disruptions, and Productivity Challenges Facing Canadian Agriculture and Food

2:00 – 3:00 pm  Concurrent Education Sessions

Education Sessions are held in the Boardroom & Waddington rooms.
See the “Education Session” section below for session details, speakers and locations.

3:15 – 4:15 pm  Board Hot Seat (Closed Session*)

4:00 – 5:30 pm  No Host Bar in the Nest Box Lounge

5:30 – 6:30 pm  Champagne Reception 

6:30 – 10:00 pm  Gala Dinner and Dancing 

* Closed Sessions are available to BC Egg Producers only.

For a map of the facility, please click here.

Keynote Speaker

KEYNOTE SPEAKER
Navigating the Economic Environment Amid Tariff Threats, Trade Disruptions, and Productivity Challenges Facing Canadian Agriculture and Food

1:00 pm in the Pacific Ballroom, over lunch

Speaker: Des Sobool, Farm Credit Canada Director, Economics and Deputy Chief Economist

In recent years, Canadian agriculture and food sectors have faced significant economic challenges due to tariff threats, trade disruptions, and productivity issues. The ongoing tariff threats, particularly from the U.S., have led to increased production costs and reduced competitiveness in key markets. Trade disruptions have further strained supply chains, making it difficult for Canadian producers to secure alternative markets. Additionally, productivity challenges, such as labour shortages and adverse weather and disease impacts, have compounded these issues.

To navigate this complex economic environment, Canadian agriculture and food sectors must adopt innovative strategies, such as diversifying export markets, investing in technology and automation, and enhancing sustainable practices. Collaborative efforts between government, industry stakeholders, and research institutions will be crucial in developing resilient and adaptive solutions to ensure the long-term viability and growth of Canadian agriculture and food sectors.

• Des Sobool is the Director, Economics and Deputy Chief Economist at FCC. His insights help support strategy and monitor risk throughout the corporation. In addition to acting as an FCC spokesperson on economic matters, Des provides commentary on the agri-food industry through economic reports and the FCC Economics blog.Prior to joining FCC in 2006, Des was a professional research associate at the University of Saskatchewan. He was also a relationship manager at another financial institution. Des earned his master of agricultural economics degree from the University of Saskatchewan in 2005.

Education Sessions 

With an education session in the morning and a second session in the afternoon, there’s no need to choose between our offerings! Both topics will be offered in both time slots, so you’ll have ample opportunity to enjoy our presenters.

SESSION 1 (11:30 AM OR 2:00 PM)
White Hens are From Venus, Brown Hens are From Mars

Speaker: EFC Research Chair, Dr. Tina Widowski

Waddington Room

When laying hens were mainly housed in conventional cages, the most notable differences between strains came down to size, feed efficiency and the colour of their eggs. In today’s more complex housing systems, an understanding of genetic differences in behaviour, especially between white and brown feathered strains, is critical for successful management.

In this session Dr. Widowski covers our recent research findings on differences in the behavioural biology between white and brown strains including  feather pecking, their physical ability and motivation to use furnishings, their fearfulness and reactions to fear, and even their preferences for different enrichments.

• Tina M. Widowski, PhD, is Professor of Applied Animal Behaviour and Welfare in the Department of Animal Biosciences.  She has spent over 30 years teaching and researching about how housing, transport and management practices affect the behaviour and welfare of farm animals. In 2011 Dr. Widowski was appointed the Egg Farmers of Canada Research Chair in Poultry Welfare, and since then, her research group focuses mainly on developing best practices for housing and management of growing pullets and laying hens.Dr. Widowski has supervised over 60 Masters and 12 PhD students and published over 200 scientific papers and book chapters. Many of her former students now hold leadership positions in agricultural industries.She has served on a number of scientific advisory committees for animal welfare guidelines including the National Farm Animal Care Council (Canada) Scientific and Codes of Practice Committees for Pigs, for Meat poultry and for Laying Hens. She was a member the Animal Care Program Team which wrote the on-farm animal welfare assessment for all laying hens in Canada and serves on the United Egg Producers Scientists Committee on Animal Welfare which develops animal care guidelines for 90% of laying hens in the USA.

SESSION 2 (11:30 AM OR 2:00 PM)
Farmer Feud Quiz Show

Speaker: BC Egg Board Chair, Al Sakalauskas

Boardroom

Join BC Egg board chair Al Sakalauskas as he takes us on a deep dive into the history of BC’s egg industry. He’ll test the knowledge of our three Farmer Feud contestants as they pit their wits against supply management trivia and each other! You’ll get a chance to help (or hinder!) our valiant contestants as they’ll each have an opportunity to poll the audience for help on particularly challenging trivia questions and egg-ceptional historical facts. Join us for what promises to be an entertaining, and egg-ucational, hour with Al.

• Al is familiar to many egg producers as prior to joining BC Egg as board chair in November of 2023 he served as Executive Director of BC Egg from 2007 to 2015. Al has had a long career in both the agricultural industry and with the BC Government. From 2016 to 2023 Al was with the BC Farm Industry Review Board (FIRB). His last position with FIRB was as Vice Chair. Al also served as an Assistant Deputy Minister for the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Agriculture.Al got both his Bachelor’s of Science and Master’s of Agricultural Science degrees from the University of British Columbia. As fate would have it, Al’s first job after graduation was working for the poultry sector in Abbotsford. BC Egg is happy to welcome Al back to Abbotsford and the poultry sector.