In 1992, two national organizations with similar objectives - the National Community Tree Foundation (now Tree Canada Foundation) and the Canadian Forestry Association collaborated to organize a Canadian urban forestry conference. In 1993, CUFC1 was held in the City of Winnipeg - a city with a long history of urban forest programming, Dutch elm disease control, and community participation. The Conference took place from May 30-June 2 and was organized into two streams: urban forest professionals and volunteers. It featured a field tour, spouses program and simultaneous translation. A comprehensive set of proceedings were produced. It was a great success with over 370 people attending.

The City of Windsor, ON was chosen for CUFC2 in 1995 from three proposals. With the theme, Trees for Urban Survival it featured a program of high quality speakers, trade show (30 exhibitors), exhibition, field trips, companions program, simultaneous translation and many extras. The Tree Canada Foundation and City of Windsor Co-Chaired the Conference with organizational participation from the Canadian Forestry Association, City of Winnipeg and the City of Montréal. The conference took place from July 16-19 and raised over $5,000.00, which went to CUFC3. Proceedings were not produced. The conference drew 201 delegates: 60% from Ontario, 20% from the West and 20% from elsewhere.

CUFC3 was held in Halifax, NS on May 28-31, 1997 under the theme: Urban Trees - Growing Solutions. A high quality conference, it featured: speakers, trade show, field tours and a banquet with bilingual programs and some translation services. Progressive themes such as biodiversity were used, with 37 speakers and session moderators. The Halifax Regional Municipality chaired the conference with partners including: the Canadian Forestry Association, ISA (Atlantic Chapter) and Tree Canada. The Halifax conference brought in greater corporate sponsorship with two "Major Sponsors" (Asplundh and Elmsdale Landscaping Ltd.) and 12 "Associate Sponsors" participating. A profit of $5,500.00 was advanced towards CUFC4. Attendance was 400 people.

In 2000, the City of Calgary hosted CUFC4 over three days in October in Lake Louise, Alberta under the theme Branching Out for the Future. The conference featured 25 speakers, pre and post conference sessions, 34 corporate sponsors and 18 exhibitors. It was the first conference to mention "Canadian Urban Forest Strategy" - challenging the delegates to participate in the National Forest Strategy. The Organizing Committee had considerable City of Calgary and ISA participation. CUFC4 was the first conference that featured the use of the internet. A sum of $5,000.00 was advanced to CUFC5. Attendance was about 250.

CUFC5 was held as a 3-day conference in October, 2002 by the Regional Municipality of York in Markham, ON under the theme, Urban Forest Planning: Sustainable Forests for Healthy Communities. Under the Chair of Andy Kenney, University of Toronto and Philip van Wassenaer, Ontario Urban Forest Council, the conference built a program of high quality speakers, live arboricultural demonstrations, proceedings and banquet entertainment. The Organizing Committee also included representation from Tree Canada Foundation, York Region and the community group LEAF. The Conference featured an interactive workshop session to provide a forum for the future of urban forestry and provide input into what would eventually be a submission into the National Forest Strategy 2003-2008. For the first time, the conference had a full-time, paid conference organizer, and an extensive array of sponsors. Attendance totaled 180.

CUFC6 was held in Kelowna, B.C. around the theme, Fires, Storms and Pests - Crises in Our Urban Forests. Under the Chair of Jeff Monty of the Tree Canada Foundation the conference was organized entirely by teleconference with the help of the City of Kelowna, Malaspina College, Brinkman Reforestation and University of Toronto. The conference was held in response to the loss of 230 homes and many trees within the City of Kelowna the year before. It featured 29 speakers and moderators, pre and post conference sessions, a workshop on a Canadian Urban Forest Strategy, banquet, awards ceremony, silent auction for the ISA's Tree Fund and a "Fire and Wine" tour of the areas surrounding Kelowna. The conference was the first "carbon neutral conference" and featured 11 sponsors and 8 exhibitors. A sum of $5,000.00 was forwarded to CUFC7 with a total of 170 people attending. Click here for a look at our last conference "Fires, Storms and Pests - Crises in Our Urban Forests" held in Kelowna, B.C. in 2004