By: Maya Barillas Mohan, Staff Writer and Noeka Nimmervoll, News Editor
Flush with undergraduates, graduate students, and a sprinkling of high school students, the SUB Ballroom was bustling on Saturday morning, May 9. Everyone had congregated for the RANGE 2026 geography conference, “a one-day academic conference featuring research presentations, workshops, and networking — giving you a sense of what geography looks like as a career,” according to the RANGE website. Hosted by the Geography Student Union (GSU), the conference featured an introductory Q&A panel, talks from six presenters on various topics in geography, as well as a hosted lunch.
Gabrielle Wong, former co-chair of the GSU who was a key organizer in 2023, told The Peak the name referred to the literal “mountain range that surrounds us and the breadth that defines studies in geography.” Wong’s 30-minute presentation investigated the complicated issue of carbon credits relevant from BC to Ontario, where she is now pursuing an MA at U of T.
Mosaic Forest Management Corporation is a private forest landowner that has established the BigCoast Forest Climate Initiative. The initiative sells carbon credits to other companies to incentivize the deferring of tree logging. When tree logging is delayed, a calculation is made to see how much carbon would have been released, and how much isn’t, by keeping trees standing. Trees are carbon sinks, meaning that atmospheric carbon is held in a tree until the stand is disturbed, such as through fire or cutting. Mosaic translates one tonne of CO2 that is preserved within the trees to one sellable credit, which is then purchased by a company to offset their own emissions. The BigCoast Forest Climate Initiative is one of many carbon offset programs run in Canada, a government-incentivized federal program that creates sellable carbon credits for the reduction or removal of greenhouse gas emissions in the atmosphere.
Wong highlighted several criticisms of Mosaic’s system, including how carbon credits are only sellable if ownership can be proven, and Mosaic’s private forests exist on unceded Indigenous land — a vital matter for Indigenous treaty groups such as the Hul’qumi’num, because almost 85% of their territory is privately owned land. Wong claimed that Mosaic manages some of this land “without consultation or compensation.”
PhD candidate Will Niver presented on coal mining: a largely different topic than Wong, but firmly in the realm of geography. Niver said that a benefit of RANGE is its ability to allow students to imagine themselves pursuing geography in education and or as a career.
In his presentation, Niver narrated the social experiences of coal miners, detailing that in parts of the US, it was typical for miners to go on a summer beach vacation until the ‘80s or ‘90s. He added, “It’s much rarer, but some miners still actually observe the traditional midsummer miners’ vacation.”
Wong later said they appreciated the opportunity to return to SFU and RANGE with a speaking role.
“I’m very proud of the current executive team for all the effort they put into the event and the many ways they continue to build a vibrant, inclusive community on campus.”
— Gabrielle Wong, former co-chair of the Geography Student Union
