Vancouver Island Exploration Group

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The mission of the Vancouver Island Exploration Group (VIX Group) is to inspire and support responsible mineral exploration and geological education on Vancouver Island, fostering a community that values environmental stewardship, sustainable practices, and shared knowledge.

Through engaging educational programs, collaborative partnerships, and public outreach, VIX Group seeks to elevate awareness of the region’s unique geological heritage and empower local geoscientists, students, and enthusiasts to explore and protect the island’s natural resources

With a commitment to transparency, ethics, and community engagement, VIX Group strives to be a trusted resource and advocate for balanced exploration, offering a platform for connection and growth for individuals and organizations dedicated to understanding, respecting, and preserving Vancouver Island’s rich geological landscape.

Why Join Us?

Industry

Networking

Experience

Exploration

We have updates on all the latest industry changes so you're always ahead of the curve

We have an established group of passionate explorers & geologists near you

Gain experience to further your career through our various training & workshops

Get into the field with our frequent field trips & "rock walks" near you

Participate During Our Upcoming Events

VIX Event

VIU Event

VIX Event

Currently No UVIC Meeting Planned

Currently No VIU Meeting Planned

Next Meeting is Last Thursday or Friday of August Please Contact for Details

MEMBERSHIP

If you're passionate about learning about & exploring our island rich geological landscape with likeminded individuals, consider joining below!

Unceded Land Acknowledgement

The Vancouver Island Exploration Group respectfully acknowledges that our work, learning, and activities take place on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territories of the Indigenous peoples of the Vancouver Island and Coast region. We honor the enduring relationships between these Nations and the land and waters that have sustained them since time immemorial.

We recognize that the mining sector’s history is deeply intertwined with these territories. Responsible practice requires collaboration grounded in respect and reconciliation with the original stewards of these lands. Our educational efforts aim to learn from the past and help build a just, sustainable future that upholds Indigenous rights, sovereignty, and knowledge systems.

We specifically honour the Nations of Vancouver Island and the surrounding islands

• Nuučaan̓uɫ (Nuu-chah-nulth) Nations on the west coast of Vancouver Island, including Diitiidʔaatx̣ (Ditidaht) and Pacheedaht, whose territories extend from inland waters to the Pacific.

• Coast Salish peoples of southern and eastern Vancouver Island, including:

  • Hul’q’umi’num’ speakers of the central and eastern island and nearby Gulf Islands, such as Quw’utsun’ (Cowichan), Snuneymuxw, Stz’uminus, Penelakut, Lyackson, Halalt, Snaw-naw-as and others.

• Northern Straits Salish speakers at the southern tip and Gulf Islands, including the Lək̓ʷəŋən peoples (Songhees and Esquimalt), W̱SÁNEĆ (SENĆOŦEN) peoples (Tsartlip, Tsawout, Tseycum), T’Sou-ke (Sooke), MÁLEXEȽ (Malahat), and Semiahmoo.

• Kwak̓wala-speaking Kwakwaka’wakw peoples of northern Vancouver Island and the adjacent central coast inlets, including communities such as Kwagu’ł (Kwakiutl), ’Namǥis and many others.

• K’ómoks (Comox) First Nation and the ancestral Pentl’áč (Pentlatch) presence of the mid-eastern island, whose lands span the Comox Valley and surrounding shores and islands.

  We also extend our respect to interconnected Nations of the broader coastal region whose lands and waters meet those of Vancouver Island:

• Haíɫzaqvḷa-speaking Heiltsuk around Bella Bella.

• Wuikinuxv (Oweekeno/Oowekyala) of Rivers Inlet and Owikeno Lake.

• Tla’amin (Sliammon) of the northern Sunshine Coast, speakers of ʔayʔaǰuθəm/Éy7á7juuthem, a Comox Salish language closely connected with K’ómoks.

  We further acknowledge the Métis and Inuit peoples who live, work, and learn throughout the Vancouver Island and Coast region today. This includes vibrant Métis communities organized through Métis Nation British Columbia (Region 1) and local organizations such as the Métis Nation of Greater Victoria, as well as Inuit community members living in BC outside Inuit Nunangat.

• As an education-focused organization in the mining field, we commit to ongoing learning, relationship-building, and meaningful engagement. Reconciliation is an active process. We will listen, support self-determination, and work with Indigenous communities to advance stewardship, safety, and shared prosperity on these territories.