President’s New Year Letter
Dear WCTA Members,
Happy New Year! As we turn the page, our association is energized and ready to execute the plans we have laid over the winter.
Your Board is actively developing initiatives that keep us focused on delivering tangible value for every member across our diverse turf management sectors. Everything we do is anchored to the priorities adopted in our strategic plan, which guide our investments in research, our education programming, our advocacy efforts, and the way we operate as a member-driven organization. These priorities include Driving Cutting-edge Turf Research, Enhancing Turf Management Professional Development, Advocating the Benefits of Turf, and Growing the Association While Strengthening Operational Efficiency.
Focusing this year on growing the association, we are proud to have completed the work of our predecessors and finalized our membership with the Sports Field Management Association as an International Affiliate Organization. A special thank you goes to Gary Bartley, who has volunteered to represent the WCTA on the SFMA International Committee. Gary’s leadership will help foster professionalism and strengthen our international presence, and we greatly appreciate his commitment to this important role.
Looking ahead, the next major project the Board must undertake in 2026 is to direct the future path of WCTA’s media, marketing, and website partnerships. This foundational work is essential to progress our industry forward and will require significant efforts from our entire Board and staff. Please stay tuned as this critical project evolves.
Our annual Conference and Trade Show will take place February 10–12, 2026, at the River Rock Casino Resort in Richmond, BC. This year’s event features fifteen speakers, including six of the top turf PhD professors, almost thirty hours of education including CEC and CEU opportunities, an 8,000 square foot trade show showcasing leading suppliers and services, dedicated networking events, and our Annual President’s Reception.
Our educational theme, “Exploring the Near Future of Turf,” zeroes in on innovation, sustainability, and data-driven practices that are reshaping turf management. To help you get the absolute most out of your conference experience, we have enhanced our program with practical, forward-looking content and an expanded pre-conference offering. We will continue to provide the very popular CEC-focused Pre-conference Seminar with Mario Lanthier for those who need to focus on credits required for recertification.
Included in the full package at no extra cost is a special information-gathering session to help facilitate our WCTA-sponsored research, “Cost Analysis for Natural Grass and Artificial Turf Fields,” led by Dr. Chase Straw of Penn State University. This valuable research will help shape future policy on natural grass and artificial turf selection by land managers and will be highly relevant to many of our members, so we encourage you to participate.
Also on Tuesday and at no additional charge for full-package delegates, we're offering a Bonus Track featuring renowned experts Dr. Chas Schmid, Dr. Scott McElroy and Dr. Chase Straw. This special program will cover cutting-edge topics including ‘Science and Sustainability’, 'Autonomous Mowers' and 'Latest Spray Application Technology'. These presentations are designed to deliver practical, forward-thinking insights that you can immediately apply across your facilities, teams, and communities.
To make the most of your experience, plan your schedule early, maximize CEC and CEU credits, walk the show strategically to connect with vendors who can support your projects, network with purpose at the President’s Reception, and attend the AGM to help shape our priorities for the year ahead.
Thank you for your ongoing commitment to the Western Canada Turfgrass Association. I look forward to seeing you in Richmond and working alongside you to make this year a success for our members and the industry.
Warm regards,
Nathan Wade
President, Western Canada Turfgrass Association (WCTA)