Westcoast Adventure College 
Mike Milner
Raised in Southern Ontario, Mike grew up hiking and canoeing in the Muskoka region, spending summers cutting his teeth in Algonquin Park on multi-day out trips.…
Phil Foster
Instructor
Phil has served as the Education Director and Instructor at the Westcoast Adventure College since 2002. Before opening the college, he helped develop the BC Adventure Tourism program which he also taught at Camosun College. He worked with First Nations, Parks Canada and Malaspina University College to develop the Guardian Training Program, and it was these programs and his other adventure tourism work which led to the development of the Westcoast Adventure College.
During his career in Adventure Tourism he enjoyed working in Europe and Canada in a variety of positions such as Director of Outdoor Adventure Centers, teaching at Universities as well as running adventure tourism businesses and consulting. Phil has been involved in many facets of adventure tourism industry, from skiing, sailing, kayaking, scuba diving and mountaineering, to training mountain and sea rescue groups.
In addition to his teaching role, Phil is a member of the Provincial Adventure Tourism Articulation Committee, serves as a speaker and presenter at conferences, seminars and workshops, is an Instructor Trainer, has authored adventure tourism related books, serves as a hospitality industry National Standards Evaluator, and provides adventure tourism consulting services. His consulting work and private clients and business interests in adventure tourism take him to such amazing places as the Outer Hebrides and Highlands of Scotland, Italy, Croatis, Peru, the Galapagos Islands, the US and the Caribbean, as well as our own beautiful BC.
Phil sums it up best….
“I maintain my love for adventure by working with our students, teaching Sailboat Cruising, Kayak Guiding and leading Adventure Groups. I really enjoy working in this industry because we have so much fun, and the people I get to work with are always interesting and exciting. Between the great people and the amazing environments in which we get to play, there isn’t a better way to spend my life, and get paid for it! What can I say… I love what I do!”
