Dr. Aggie Weighill is an Associate Dean in the School of Business at Okanagan College and a leader in tourism and recreation education in British Columbia. She oversees academic programming for Okanagan College’s Centre for Food, Wine, & Tourism, set to open in Fall 2027, where she is helping shape innovative, industry-connected learning experiences for future professionals. Active in regional tourism leadership, Aggie serves on the Board of Directors for the Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association and previously served as Board Chair of Tourism Nanaimo and a Board Member with the British Columbia Recreation & Parks Association.
With over two decades of experience in post-secondary education, Aggie’s work bridges academia, industry, and community. She holds a PhD in Physical Education & Recreation from the University of Alberta, a Master of Arts in Leisure Studies from the University of Waterloo, and a Bachelor of Recreation Management from Acadia University. Her research and teaching have focused on sustainable leisure and tourism, community development, women’s leisure, and the travel motivations and behaviours of recreational-sport tourists. Known for her commitment to student-centered, place-based, and community-engaged learning, Aggie has led international field schools, supervised applied research that informs policy and destination development, and collaborated widely with partners to advance more inclusive, responsible, and regenerative approaches to tourism and recreation.
With over two decades of experience in post-secondary education, Aggie’s work bridges academia, industry, and community. She holds a PhD in Physical Education & Recreation from the University of Alberta, a Master of Arts in Leisure Studies from the University of Waterloo, and a Bachelor of Recreation Management from Acadia University. Her research and teaching have focused on sustainable leisure and tourism, community development, women’s leisure, and the travel motivations and behaviours of recreational-sport tourists. Known for her commitment to student-centered, place-based, and community-engaged learning, Aggie has led international field schools, supervised applied research that informs policy and destination development, and collaborated widely with partners to advance more inclusive, responsible, and regenerative approaches to tourism and recreation.
Who Am I?After 20+ years as a a professor in the Department of Recreation and Tourism Management at Vancouver Island University, I headed to Kelowna to join the School of Business at Okanagan College as an Associate Dean.
The post-secondary sector in Canada is in a period of extreme contraction and transformation. Chronic underfunding, unsustainable growth to meet the needs of international students, the dramatic and rapid loss of international students, and demographic and social changes in Canada have combined to create great uncertainty. My decision to move to Okanagan College was motivated by my desire to take on a greater leadership role (administration) and to work for an organization focused on transformation and growth. As a Vancouver Islander, I was honoured to live, work, and play on the unceded territories of the TS'UUBAA-ASSTX (Lake Cowichan) and Snuneymuxw First Nations (Nanaimo). I now live on the ancestral lands of the Westbank First Nation - Syilx Okanagan People (West Kelowna). My educational journey took me from Vancouver Island, BC to Nova Scotia, Ontario, and Alberta. As a professor at VIU I led field schools to the Yukon, Central America (Mexico, Belize, Guatemala), Ghana, Kenya, and Tanzania, participated in funded international development projects, taught hundreds of students. I was elected to the Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association Board of Directors in October 2025. |
Aggie Weighill - Oct 2025
Photo: Nicole Richard, Wax Pencil Imagery
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Not all those who wander are lost - JRR Tolkien