Prince George, B.C. – Those interested in learning anything and everything about geography will want to head up to UNBC this weekend.

The school’s Geography Program is hosting the annual conference of the Western Division of the Canadian Association of Geographers (WDCAG) this Friday and Saturday.

It will include more than 200 geography undergraduates, graduate geography students, and faculty from mostly B.C. and Alberta.

The theme of the meeting is The West in the 21st Century and as conference organizer Dr. Neil Hanlon explains, it’s got something for everyone.

“Geography has a human geographic component – people who study cities and rural areas and health and housing and that kind of thing,” he says. “And we have physical geographers – so people who look at climate and landscape.”

In addition, Hanlon says there will be some special sessions on critical geographies of health in the north.

“And so they’re looking at all kinds of issues around health and health care, challenges in rural areas but also the challenges of some of the more marginalized populations in these regions.”

He says those marginalized populations are fairly wide ranging.

“So gay/lesbian/queer populations, First Nations populations, the disabled and so on. Victims of human trafficking. A wide range of really interesting things that people don’t often pay much attention to or are less visible I suppose in more remote regions.”

Hanlon says conferences like these are also a great way to rub shoulders and learn things you wouldn’t be able to otherwise.

“Maybe you drop-in and listen to a presentation, something that’s completely out of your usual element or realm,” he says. “And it’s always fascinating, the questions that arise and the different perspectives that people bring to bear.”