Regional hubs coordinate Ocean Week Canada festivities in Campbell River (BC), Fundy (NB), Fogo Island & Change Islands (NL), Halifax (NS), Ottawa (ON), Québec, Saskatoon (SK), St. John’s (NL), Sunshine Coast (BC), Toronto (ON), Vancouver (BC), and Victoria (BC).
Landmarks across the country will light up blue, including:
- Ottawa Sign in Byward Market, Ottawa – May 31st
- Canadian Museum of Nature, Ottawa – June 5th
- CN Tower, Toronto – June 8th
- Ripley’s Aquarium of Canada, Toronto – June 8
- Vancouver Aquarium, Vancouver – June 1-8
- Punt Premises, Fogo Island – June 1-8
- Victoria Parliament Building Fountain, Victoria – June 8
- Vancouver Sails (Canada Place) and Convention Centre, Vancouver – June 8
- Government House, St. John’s – June 8
In addition to the hundreds of dedicated community and virtual events, Ocean Week Canada will be at festivals and community celebrations from coast to coast to coast, including:
- Victoria’s Gorge Ocean Festival, British Columbia (May 30)
- Ottawa’s Ocean Week Canada Kick-Off at Byward Market, Ontario (May 31)
- Victoria’s Fisherman’s Wharf festival, British Columbia (May 31)
- Iona’s Àros na Mara Ocean Week, Nova Scotia (May 31 – June 8)
- Ocean Week with Wonderhub at the Children’s Festival in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan (June 4-7)
- Ocean Week at the Huntsman Fundy Discovery Aquarium, St. Andrews by-the-Sea, New Brunswick (June 4-7)
- Campbell River’s Ocean Week Festival and Maritime Market, British Columbia (June 6)
- Quebec’s Beauport River Festival, Quebec (June 6)
- Halifax’s Ocean Celebration, Nova Scotia (June 7)
- The False Creek Ocean Festival, British Columbia (June 7)
- The World Ocean Day Celebration in Sidney, British Columbia (June 7)
- The Sunshine Coast Festival, British Columbia (June 8-14)
Twelve esteemed ocean voices serve as Ocean Week Canada ambassadors this year:
- Bob McDonald: Science journalist & host of CBC’s Quirks & Quarks
- Jill Heinerth: Underwater explorer, writer, and filmmaker
- Alanna Mitchell: Journalist, author, and playwright
- Nick Hawkins: National Geographic Explorer and wildlife filmmaker
- Sophia Jensen: Olympian sprint canoeist
- Moronke Harris: Deep-sea scientist, communicator, and TEDx speaker
- Tom Cochrane: Director, videographer, and photographer
- Jill Taylor: Puffin researcher, underwater videographer, & host of Dive Newfoundland
- Kendra Nelson: Marine conservationist in species recovery and coastal restoration
- Ashlyn George: Travel writer, content creator, and speaker
- Amanda Round: Marine conservationist and science communicator
- Meg Schmieder: Community builder, educator, and researcher
Along with Alanna Mitchell’s Imagine the Ocean event at the Ontario Science Centre’s KidSpark at Harbourfront Centre, six other featured artists will be creating ocean-themed art, film, and dance experiences with support from the Centre for Ocean Literacy Collaboration:
- Julie Kim (Vancouver)
- MANYBIRDS (Tara Rose Morris & Graham Steinman, Montreal)
- Mocean Dance (Halifax)
- Myrah Graham (Arctic-Quebec)
- Kimberly Orren and Fishing for Success (Petty Harbour)
- Frannie Potts (Toronto)
Details for all events are available at oceanweek.ca.
About Ocean Week Canada
Ocean Week Canada (June 1-8) is coordinated by the Centre for Ocean Literacy Collaboration in partnership with regional hubs and hundreds of partners across the country. It is the largest national ocean engagement event of its kind, helping to build a society that values and cares for the ocean.
Why Ocean Week Canada?
- With the world’s longest coastline (243,042 km), Canada carries both a unique responsibility and a unique opportunity to be a leader on ocean engagement
- Canadians care deeply about the ocean, but the gap between caring and acting remains wide and ocean health is in decline
- Better understanding of ocean impact is the #1 factor people say would inspire them to change
- With nearly 30-million people living away from the coast, media, exhibits, and storytelling play an essential role in helping people understand their connection to the ocean
- Ocean Week Canada coincides with World Ocean Day on June 8
Contact:
Regional spokespeople are available for interviews across time zones. Contact us to arrange. Photographs from regional hub events are also available upon request
Meghan Callon
Communications and Design Manager
media@centreforoceanliteracy.ca