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BC Ferries sponsors marine education centre in Gibsons

Public Market
sonntag
BC Ferries has announced it is supporting Gibsons’ Nicholas Sonntag Marine Education Centre as a platinum sponsor. They will provide a financial contribution as well as assistance with promotion.

BC Ferries has announced it is sponsoring the Nicholas Sonntag Marine Education Centre at Gibsons Public Market through a mix of funds and promotional support.

“It’s going to help us get our name out there, and also comes with resources that will allow us to extend our programming to many more coastal residents and visitors,” said Colin Stansfield, executive director at the Gibsons Community Building Society. Platinum is the top sponsorship rung at the marine education centre. “It means they’re not only bringing with them a financial contribution that is helpful, but also resources that their organization has that we don’t,” Stansfield said.

That includes advertising the centre on the ferry and at their terminals, and the inclusion of the marine education centre in BC Ferries’ vacation packages. As well, BC Ferries’ SeaForward program will sponsor two of the centre’s collect-and-release days and family days.

“Providing support for special events and family days throughout the year, SeaForward looks forward to engaging with the wonderful communities visiting the centre,” said Joanna Daley, manager of SeaForward in a release.

SeaForward is a branch of BC Ferries focused on conservation and sustainability projects and community investments. According to its website, its goal is to “effectively communicate BC Ferries’ efforts to reduce our environmental footprint, improve the sustainability of our operations, and support coastal
communities.”

Dates have yet to be set for the collect-and-release activities but the centre is planning to include the public where possible. “There may be limited opportunities for people to join us out on the water for some of the releases, but in every case we certainly make sure to throw good farewells at the centre and involve the public that way,” Stansfield said.

Family days will take place throughout the year, with BC Ferries’ SeaForward presenting two of them. “They’re days when we open up the marine education centre to everybody at no cost,” Stansfield said.

BC Ferries will also be supporting the development of the centre’s K-12 curriculum that will be taught to school groups visiting the aquarium. “By taking some of the marketing and advertising off our plate, that allows us to continue to grow it,” Stansfield said. The centre has been collaborating with School District No. 46 to ensure the lessons fit within the province’s curriculums. “This is a way to act as an extended classroom,” he said. A pilot version was launched earlier this summer, with 40 education groups participating. The aim is to increase the number of groups to 200 over the next year.

The marine education centre, a registered charity, is aiming to raise $200,000 this year on top of income from admissions, annual passes and program revenue. To do it, the organization relies on grants, sponsorships, private donations and fundraisers. So far the centre has raised close to $100,000. Stansfield said the sponsorship with BC Ferries arose through networking at fundraising galas for the centre, and was a “confluence of good connections and good timing,” because BC Ferries is in the midst of relaunching the SeaForward program.