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Brenda Baptiste


Brenda Baptiste is the project manager for the Osoyoos Indian Band Centre for Aboriginal Community Enterprise – a leading edge leadership training program that is inspired by the innovative economic development model of the Osoyoos Indian Band. Previously she was responsible for the development of the Nk’Mip Desert Cultural Centre, including managing Phase 1 of this operation, and playing a key role in the planning and development of the second and final phase of this centre.

As a consultant, Brenda worked with Tourism British Columbia to support the development of Aboriginal communities that are involved in tourism. As a champion for Aboriginal Tourism, her focus was to build capacity and opportunity with the belief that Aboriginal tourism balances socio-economic development with heritage preservation and promotion.

As the former chair of Aboriginal Tourism British Columbia, Brenda’s focus was to actively promote tourism as a foundation for socio-economic development for Aboriginal communities. She has committed her energy to the development and promotion of the Aboriginal Cultural Tourism Blueprint Strategy, an innovative and leading edge initiative to develop the Aboriginal tourism industry in BC. She also served as a regional director for the national board of Aboriginal Tourism Canada and other national and regional committees. Brenda continues her work with Aboriginal Tourism British Columbia as an ex-officio member of the board.


National Day for Truth & Reconciliation During the last week of each September, Canada observes National Truth and Reconciliation Week, culminating on September 30th with the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation (NDTR). Tourism businesses and organizations can advance reconciliation by promoting understanding, respect, and meaningful engagement with Indigenous cultures by collaborating with Indigenous communities to accurately represent their history, traditions, and cultures in tourism experiences, supporting Indigenous-owned businesses and promoting employment opportunities, educating visitors and staff about the history and current issues facing Indigenous peoples, establishing a long-term partnership with communities, and highlighting and promoting Indigenous-led experiences. September 30th also coincides with Orange Shirt Day and goes far beyond simply wearing orange in solidarity - it is an Indigenous-led grassroots commemorative day intended to raise awareness of the individual, family and community inter-generational impacts of residential schools, and to promote the concept of “Every Child Matters”. Indigenous Tourism BC (ITBC) encourages everyone to look for an event in your area and "step forward as an active witness to ensure, through thorough and honest education, that this never happens again." TIABC encourages all British Columbians to wear orange on September 30th and honour the thousands of survivors of residential schools. By taking these steps, we can all contribute to understanding, healing, and a more equitable relationship between Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities.
Postcards from BC 📬 Wish you were here from Kat Craats, Marketing Manager for Wildplay Element Parks, in Squamish! 🌲🧗‍♀️
At a Greater Vancouver Board of Trade breakfast meeting, TIABC CEO Walt Judas met up with Rocky Mountaineer President & CEO Tristan Armstrong, as well as VIA Rail President & CEO Mario Peloquin who outlined his railway's 2030 strategy aimed at increasing passenger rail service across Canada. Within the next five years, VIA Rail will update much of its fleet with new equipment to replace railcars that are up to 77 years old. While the federal government has invested some $3 billion in VIA Rail over the past five years, it pales in comparison to Europe's $87 billion and $69 billion the United States is investing in rail service and infrastructure in the coming years. VIA Rail onboards and delivers a combined 30,000 passengers annually in British Columbia with targets to increase the numbers, particularly as new railcars come into service.
BC TIC 2025 Sponsorship Opportunities Our sponsors are critical to what makes the BC Tourism Industry Conference a consistent success. Aside from helping to offset the costs of staging this event, sponsors deliver benefits to delegates that help grow their businesses, as well as BC’s visitor economy as a whole. If your company is keen to connect with tourism leaders and stakeholders throughout British Columbia and Canada, we encourage you to partner with us for the 2025 BC Tourism Industry Conference. If you have a unique sponsorship idea that you would like to explore, please contact us. We offer the flexibility to customize packages to meet your unique business objectives. Packages are available on a first-come, first-served basis. We look forward to seeing you in beautiful Vancouver. Contact us at: info@bctourismconference.ca
2024 TIABC Election Toolkit Just in time for the 2024 provincial election campaign that is about to begin, TIABC has produced a valuable toolkit for your use. The toolkit provides a wealth of resources to better inform you of the current political landscape, what the implications for tourism may be, and how to engage with politicians and candidates. The election toolkit also addresses the value of tourism to British Columbia and informs on what the tourism and hospitality priorities are. The comprehensive toolkit expands on these areas by providing recommended questions to ask candidates, for example: "How does your party view tourism as an industry and government priority relative to other sectors of British Columbia’s economy?" Please download the 2024 TIABC Election Toolkit below, share it with your members and your stakeholders, educate on the value of tourism and inform candidates on today's issues facing our sector. Feel free to send TIABC additional questions that can be added. Download the toolkit through link in bio! 👆
Postcards from BC 📬 Wish you were here from Joe Baker, Dean of Okanagan College School of Business, at Okanagan Stables in Lake Country.