There is an excellent introduction to growing hazelnuts from the folks at Rutgers University linked below. It focuses on hybrid (american x european) hazelnuts which are not yet available on the west coast, but the principles still apply. Please keep in mind that the current CFIA directive on Corylus spp. prohibits importing hazelnuts trees to BC from the US or eastern Canada except in tissue culture and under an import permit.  This is an important safeguard to ensure that we don't import more virulent variations of the pathogen commonly found east of the Cascades that can overcome the genetic resistance to EFB, a devastating disease of hazelnuts.  Nature Tech is working with the Hybrid Hazelnut Consortium with a goal to safely obtain some of their cultivars that may be useful in colder areas of BC, so watch this space for more developments.