I am the daughter of Jean and John Weighill and the granddaughter of Pat and Peter Forbes and Sybil and John Weighill. My brother Cameron and his wife Dorianna gifted me with the greatest role that I have - Auntie Aggie to Pietro and Violet. Named after Agnes (Ross) Forbes and Jean (Armour) Christie, I have been blessed to have been raised in the Forbes and Christie Clans - taught that family is defined by more than the blood flowing in our veins.
I grew up in rural BC communities on Cortez and Lasqueti Islands (summer vacations) and on Port Renfrew, Lake Cowichan, Deep Bay. I now live in the city of Nanaimo on the east coast of Vancouver Island. In pursuit of my education and career I was privileged to attend universities in Wolfville, Nova Scotia, Waterloo, Ontario, and Edmonton, Alberta before returning to Nanaimo to teach at my alma mater - Vancouver Island University (formerly Malaspina University-College).
Since returning to the Department of Recreation and Tourism Management in 2005, I have focused my energies on teaching courses in leadership, program planning, environmental stewardship, tour-group packaging, tourism geography, market research, research methods, data analysis, community development, sport tourism, and niche tourism. I have also developed and led numerous field school, participated in three international projects, and travelled to six different countries with students.
I was in Tanzania on academic leave in 2020 when the pandemic began and upon returning home I started training to move my teaching online. I have also moved my community engagement and research work back to Canada. I am currently working on three research contracts: (a) Impacts of COVID on Physical Activity in the Yukon, (b) developing a visitor profile for Nanaimo, and (c) research marine protected area use in the Discovery Islands and Broughton Archipelago. I have also launched a new passion project within he World Leisure Centre of Excellence called Leisure Matters.
I grew up in rural BC communities on Cortez and Lasqueti Islands (summer vacations) and on Port Renfrew, Lake Cowichan, Deep Bay. I now live in the city of Nanaimo on the east coast of Vancouver Island. In pursuit of my education and career I was privileged to attend universities in Wolfville, Nova Scotia, Waterloo, Ontario, and Edmonton, Alberta before returning to Nanaimo to teach at my alma mater - Vancouver Island University (formerly Malaspina University-College).
Since returning to the Department of Recreation and Tourism Management in 2005, I have focused my energies on teaching courses in leadership, program planning, environmental stewardship, tour-group packaging, tourism geography, market research, research methods, data analysis, community development, sport tourism, and niche tourism. I have also developed and led numerous field school, participated in three international projects, and travelled to six different countries with students.
I was in Tanzania on academic leave in 2020 when the pandemic began and upon returning home I started training to move my teaching online. I have also moved my community engagement and research work back to Canada. I am currently working on three research contracts: (a) Impacts of COVID on Physical Activity in the Yukon, (b) developing a visitor profile for Nanaimo, and (c) research marine protected area use in the Discovery Islands and Broughton Archipelago. I have also launched a new passion project within he World Leisure Centre of Excellence called Leisure Matters.