2025 Haskayne and Fox Accounting Conference with Accounting Horizon

To be determined.

The closest airport to Chateau Fairmont in Whistler is Vancouver International Airport (YVR). Vancouver International Airport (YVR) is located on Sea Island in Richmond, British Columbia, Canada, about 12 km from Downtown Vancouver and approximately 85 miles (137 km) south of the resort. Most major airline carriers fly into Vancouver.

Drive from Vancouver International Airport (YVR) (~2 to 2.5 hours)

Airport Car Rental

Many car rental providers operate out of the Vancouver International Airport such as Avis, Alamo, Budget, Dollar Thrifty, Enterprise, National, and Hertz.

Airport Shuttle

Airport shuttles are available via WhistlerShuttle or Skylynx from Vancouver International Airport to Fairmont Chateau Whistler with regularly scheduled service. Reservations are required at least 1 hour in advance. Schedules and rates are subject to change without notice.

Please email the hotel's concierge team for current schedules and pricing.

Hotel Parking

The hotel is connected to a partially covered parkade.

Parking is available to our overnight in-house guests at the following rates:

• Self-parking: $41 CAD per night
• Valet Parking: $54 CAD per night

Fairmont Chateau Whistler offers access to Tesla Supercharger electric vehicle charging stations (ten stations total, up to 72 kW).

Need a Car While in Whistler?

Did you decide that you want a car to go exploring? Avis is the only car rental agency in Whisler. Please visit their website to make a reservation.

Most other major car rental agencies operate in or near the Vancouver Airport (YVR) but cars cannot be dropped off or picked up in Whistler: National, Alamo, Hertz, Dollar Thrifty, Avis, Zipcar, Budget.

To be determined.

Elnaz Basirianmahabadi

Elnaz was successfully admitted to Candidacy on May 15, 2025.

Elnaz is a third-year PhD student in Accounting at the Haskayne School of Business, University of Calgary. Her research focuses on financial accounting, with a particular interest in intangibles. She has a background in finance and nearly a decade of experience in financial markets as an advisor and market practitioner.

Her work has been published in top-tier academic and practitioner outlets such as Energy Economics and Harvard Business Review, and her papers have been accepted at leading conferences including AAA, CAAA, and FARS.

Shawn Blankinship

Shawn Blankinship is Nlaka’pamux and a member of the Ashcroft Band in British Columbia, Canada. A Chartered Professional Accountant with an MBA, Shawn has extensive experience analyzing the financial health, accounting practices, and fiscal governance of First Nations governments.

He previously served as Data & Analytics Manager at the First Nations Financial Management Board, where he led initiatives focused on financial statement analysis, Indigenous fiscal policy, and quantitative research. His work supported First Nations governments in strengthening financial capacity and using data for self-determined decision-making.

Shawn has published research on First Nation community wellbeing, combining Census data, financial data, and geographic factors to examine factors linked to positive community outcomes. In September 2025, he will begin a PhD in Accounting, focusing on the accounting practices of First Nations governments and their alignment with self-governance, accountability, and ESG.

Shawn is committed to advancing seventh generation thinking in financial decision-making.

Xingyi Peng

Xinyi was successfully admitted to Candidacy on October 28, 2024.

Xinyi Peng’s research focuses on intangible capital disclosures and information asymmetry in financial markets, including an innovative study applying topic modeling approaches to examine the value relevance of financial disclosures. Her collaborative research extends to systematic reviews of intellectual capital disclosure and investigations into internally generated intangible capital. These works contribute to our understanding of how narrative accounting information enhances market participants' understanding of business value.

Prior to her doctoral studies, she earned her Master of Professional Accountancy from Clemson University and dual Bachelor's degrees in Accounting and Information Systems from the University of Missouri-St. Louis, both with Cum Laude Latin Honors.

As a Graduate Teaching Assistant at Calgary, she has contributed to various accounting courses including Financial Accounting, Auditing, and Intermediate Financial Accounting. Through her research, Xinyi aims to bridge the gap between traditional accounting metrics and the evolving needs of the knowledge economy, particularly in understanding and measuring intangible assets' contribution to firm value.

Jonathan Tanone

Jonathan was successfully admitted to Candidacy on May 14, 2025.

Jonathan is a PhD student in Accounting at the Haskayne School of Business, University of Calgary. His research broadly examines corporate investment strategies, with a focus on the M&A, the role of intangible assets, and the evolving relevance of accounting information over time. 

He has a professional background in auditing and advisory. He has presented his research at academic forums, including the CAAA Conference, California Management Review, and is a recipient of a CPA Canada Research Grant in support of his work.

Kaixuan Zhang

Kaizuan was successfully admitted to Candidacy on November 10, 2024.

Kaixuan Zhang is a PhD Candidate in Accounting, specializing in corporate taxation and investment behavior. His research examines the cross-border implications of tax policies and their effects on corporate investment decisions, focusing on the United States and Canadian tax systems. His current projects investigate the spillover effects of the U.S. Tax Cuts and Jobs Act on Canadian corporate investment, tax reform impacts on R&D investment, and the effectiveness of Canadian green tax credits in promoting corporate clean technology investment. His research interests center on tax policy, corporate investment decisions, and cross-border tax implications, contributing to our understanding of how tax incentives shape corporate behavior in North American markets.

As a licensed CPA in Iowa with prior tax experience at a regional accounting firm in Des Moines, Kaixuan brings practical insights to the academic work. He holds both Bachelor's and Master's degrees in Accounting from Iowa State University and currently teach introductory financial accounting at the University of Calgary.

Wenyu Zhou

Wenyu was successfully admitted to Candidacy on May 14, 2025.

Wenyu is a PhD Candidate in Accounting, specializing in taxation. Her research investigates how emerging technologies impact taxation and financial accounting, with additional interests in sustainability education. Throughout her academic career, Wenyu has been recognized with awards including the Marion Janet and Ian Stormont Forbes Scholarship, several CPA Canada Grants, CPA Tax Grants, a Teaching and Learning Grant, and national scholarships for four consecutive years in China. She also presents her work at international conferences including the EAA, CAAA, UK-CSR Symposium, the International Management & Accounting Conference (IMAC), and workshops, and serves as a peer reviewer for the EAA, CAAA, and AAA.

Wenyu holds an MAcc from the University of Malaya and a B.A. in Accounting from China.

About the Fairmont Chateau Whistler (HAC Conference Hotel)

Located at the base of Blackcomb Mountain in Whistler, British Columbia, the Fairmont Chateau Whistler combines classic elegance and a modern alpine setting. 

Baby-sitting/Pet-sitting Services

• Babysitting services can be arranged through Babysitting Whistler (external vendor)
• Pet-sitting services can be arranged through Whistler Dog Sitting (external vendor)

Note: Fairmont Chateau Whistler charges a rate of $50 CAD per day for small pets. 

Restaurants

• The conference hotel has six in-house dining outlets.
• Reservations are recommended for all hotel dining outlets except for Portobello and the Mallard Lounge, which are both on a first -come, first -serve basis.
• Your HFAC conference registrations fees include most of your meals; however, there is no scheduled conference meal on the night of Tuesday, July 8 (dinner-on-your-own)

Spa and Fitness Facilities

• The spa offers a variety of spa services
• To book a spa service, please call 604-938-2086 or email WhistlerInfo@vidaspas.com
• The hotel offers an outdoor 60-foot heated lap pool, an indoor/outdoor heated leisure pool, and four whirlpools.

Weather

The weather in Whistler in July is warm and dry with occasional rain, typically ranging from 10-25 Celsius or 50-77 Fahrenheit. The average maximum daytime temperature lies around 25°C (77°F).

Wildlife/Parks Safety Tips

The conference hotel is surrounded by astoundingly beautiful wilderness. Please click here for some wildlife safety information.

Activities

Whistler transforms into an outdoor enthusiast’s paradise during the summer months, offering diverse array of activities that cater to all interests. Please click here for information on local activities and adventures. 

The hotel’s concierge team can help you book and plan for some outdoor activities during the conference (cwr.concierge@fairmont.com).