Contact Us

Administrative Office

BC Association of Professional Archaeologists

367 Roslyn Boulevard
North Vancouver, British Columbia
V7G 1P1
CANADA

E-mail: admin@bcapa.ca
Tel: 604-265-1494
Administrator: Raelene Danks

Directors

Past President

Devin Forbes – President

Devin originally joined the association in 2014 and became a professional member in 2020. He looks forward to facing the challenges of the CRM industry and plans to use his position within the BCAPA to advocate for public education, as well as to further the association’s efforts to promote positive change in how archaeology is conducted in BC in general.

Devin has been engaged in archaeological research since 2010 and has been employed as a full-time archaeologist for a decade. His career has afforded him opportunities to work across British Columbia, and his main areas of focus have been the Lower Mainland, Vancouver Island, the mid-coast, and Haida Gwaii. He is a Northwest Coast Permit Holder and has a wide range of experience including field survey, evaluative excavations and systematic data recovery, GIS mapping, report writing, post-field analysis, and project management. His work has relied heavily on knowledge and insight from local community members, and he has been fortunate to have worked alongside and learned from highly experienced Indigenous and non-Indigenous archaeologists throughout his career.

When not in the field or behind a desk, Devin enjoys spending time outdoors with his dog, Pepper, and his friends and family.

Megan Harris – Vice President

Megan (they/them) is the current Vice President and has been a member of the BCAPA since 2014. Megan has previously been on the BCAPA executive from 2018-2022 and is excited to return for this new role. They are a permit holder in the Interior Plateau with 11 years of experience in consulting. Megan balances their time between working for the Upper Similkameen Indian Band in Hedley, BC and their PhD at the University of British Columbia. Their research focuses on paleoethnobotanical remains in the Similkameen Valley.

In what free time they have between consulting and research, Megan enjoys paddleboarding, boxing, traveling the world, and catching up on TV shows.

Michael Elvidge – Treasurer

Michael (He/Him/His) is the current treasurer of the BCAPA and has been a member of the Association since 2012. This is his first year on the executive and he intends to continue in his role as treasurer. Michael holds an undergraduate (hons) degree from Simon Fraser University (2013) and is currently enrolled in a graduate program (MA) at the University of British Columbia – Okanagan. Michael’s academic work explores digital archaeology, decolonial practices, data governance and their applications to cultural resource management archaeology in Canada.

Michael has nine years of professional archaeological consulting experience and is currently employed as a Project Manager. Michael holds numerous permits and directs fieldwork throughout the Province’s Interior Plateau and has significant experience conducting small to large scale assessments. He loves to discuss lithics, geology, botany, and enjoys challenging established archaeological paradigms.

When he’s not doing archaeology, Michael can be found rock climbing, hiking, rock-hunting, and hanging out with his dog Bentley and his partner Carmyn.

Erin Willows – Secretary

Erin has been a member of the BCAPA for over 10 years. She is currently filling the role of secretary on the executive committee and is also a member of the Standards of Practice Committee and Public Education committee. Erin has worked as a professional archaeologist in BC for almost 20 years. Internationally, she has participated in the excavation and analysis of human remains at various stages of mummification; and the analysis of mortuary practices in the Acarí Valley of Peru. Erin spent February of 2015 in Guatemala working with individuals affected by human rights violations in an applied capacity to impart how inter/multidisciplinary fields collaborate in the investigation of human rights violations, as well as in the process of the exhumation, recovery and analysis of mass graves, and transitional justice. Erin is an active volunteer in the community working with local NGOs on environmental stewardship education & outreach programs.

Abby Wilson – First Director

Abby is a fresh face within the archaeology world, with 3 years working in BC and in her second year on the BCAPA. She received her B.A. in Archaeology and Anthropology from the University of New Brunswick in 2012, participating in archaeological adventures in Belize and Romania during the summers. She made her way across Canada and immersed herself in the seasonal tree planter and ski hill life before rediscovering the joy of archaeology, starting work in the Interior in 2019. She has had the privilege of working with a number of organizations and in various sectors doing fieldwork and reporting as a junior archaeologist, and is excited to start this season as a Field Director.

As with all aspects of life, she decided to dive headfirst into involvement and join the executive in the First Director role. She is looking forward to meeting the many faces in the BC archaeology community when the world allows for public socialization. When not working, she can be found skiing or biking, making quick long weekend trips back east to her family, or enjoying cold beverages in the sun.

Luis Gomez Belmonte – Second Director

Stay tuned…

Raelene Danks – Administrator

Raelene joined the BCAPA in 2012. She worked as an administrator in the environmental consulting field for nearly a decade. Her exceptional organizational skills and many years of experience working with BC archaeologists enables her to successfully administer the Association.  Raelene has a diverse educational background including a B.A. in Criminology, a certificate in Applied Computer Applications, and is certified as a Legal Office Assistant.

Chris Verral – Past President

Christopher was on the board of directors from 2015 to 2023. In addition to his roles as Treasurer and Past President, he has been an active member on committees.

Christopher received his B.A. in Archaeology from Simon Fraser University in 2005 and spent several years working in Human Resources before joining the CRM world in 2011. He has worked extensively across the province conducting fieldwork, reporting, and as a project manager. He spends his free time chasing his 3-year old daughter around, trying to stop her from climbing tall things.


Committees & Groups

The contact list for committee and group chairs is on the Committee page.