About Gardens British Columbia

Gardens British Columbia, was the brainchild of a few hardy garden marketers, led by Dave Cowen of The Butchart Gardens and if formally known as: the British Columbian Garden Tourism Coalition Society, a registered, not for profit society in B.C.

Gardens BC is a “coalition of public gardens working together to promote visiting and experiencing British Columbia’s diversity of gardens and garden experiences”. The membership heterogeneity of Gardens BC reflects the widely varying nature of the garden experience in the province and provides an opportunity to examine the tourism industry sectorial approach used to provide effective marketing and promotion for export-ready gardens and garden communities.

Garden tourism sectoral development to address the special leisure interest market and the post-visit garden tourism consumer. So through collaboration and targeted messaging to particular inbound travel companies, Gardens BC has fostered the development greater coordination and collectively market BC as a garden destination. This is our reason to be.

Board of Directors

Geoff Ball, President - Milner Gardens and Woodland
Dave Cowen, President Emeritus - The Butchart Gardens
Erin Minter, Secretary - Minter Gardening
Deborah Donahue, Treasurer - The Gardens at HCP
Brian White, Ph.D., Academic Liaison - Royal Roads University
Ema Tanaka, Marketing Co-Chair - Vancouver Park Board

Marketing Committee

Katie Teed - Marketing Co-Chair, UBC Botanical Garden
Ema Tanaka, Marketing Co-Chair - Vancouver Park Board
Dale Ryan, Marketing Chair Emeritus - The Butchart Gardens
Erin Minter- Minter Gardening
Geoff Ball - Milner Gardens and Woodland
Laura Dohan - The Butchart Gardens
Kathy Gibler - Marketing Coordinator, Gardens British Columbia
Scott McDonald - Digital Strategy, Gardens British Columbia

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