Campbell River will be celebrating Oceans Day right along with the rest of the world on Saturday, June 8 this year.
Oceans Day celebrates our living oceans and all the creatures that inhabit it. It also celebrates the working coast and looking at the sea as a place of recreation for boaters, divers and wildlife viewers.
This fun-filled and free family oriented event takes place at Discovery Pier, in the parking lot next to the Maritime Heritage Centre from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
This year, organization for Oceans Day has been taken on by the Centre for Aquatic Health Sciences, who stepped in when the Department of Fisheries and Oceans had no personnel to coordinate the event.
Also new is the Discovery Passage Aquarium, a project that came together as a result of work by the Discovery Sealife Society and Campbell River Rotary when they acquired the aquarium from Ucluelet last year. Sealife Society president Mark Wunsch promises visitors a hands-on educational experience, which is also the goal of Ocean’s Day organizers.
“We are excited about all the participants who have come forward this year,” says one of the event organizers, Cynthia Bendickson. “We have science guy Glenn Kachmar coming, a teacher who educates and entertains at the same time with his special style of hands on learning.”
The Coast Guard and DFO will be offering tours of their boats, and purely for fun, kids can enjoy Bouncerama. There will be music and a variety of food vendors, along with BBQ salmon samples from the BC Salmon Farmers Association. Inside the Maritime Heritage Centre, the Immigrant Welcome Centre is hosting ‘A Taste of Asia.’
Other participants include the Museum at Campbell River, Beaver Aquatics, Campbell River Whale Watching, the City of Campbell River, Quinsam River Hatchery, Comox Strathcona Waste Management, Ecole Phoenix Middle School, Young Professionals of Campbell River, and Eiko Jones Photography.
Don’t miss this chance to learn about the ocean at our doorstep. For inquiries or further information, call Cynthia Bendickson at 250-202-1320.
