If all goes according to plan, 2020 will be a milestone year for the Sunshine Coast, and for Pender Harbour especially, because it will see the launch of the Pender Harbour Ocean Discovery Station – PODS – at Irvines Landing.
PODS is the project the Coast has been waiting for. It has everything. As a world-class research and education facility, PODS will be dedicated to preserving marine and freshwater species-at-risk and will take an active role in protecting the region’s rich aquatic biodiversity. It will offer field schools, co-ops, workshops, conferences, cultural programs and international exchanges. It will also serve as a model for similar research facilities on the B.C. coast.
Socially, PODS will attract and retain a younger demographic to the area and provide young people with meaningful opportunities in a field of vital importance. As a visually stunning destination, with three distinctive “pod” buildings, a subterranean interactive aquarium and a 200-seat conference centre, it will also give a substantial boost to the local economy.
This was the vision laid out last Saturday at the Painted Boat Resort as the Ruby Lake Lagoon Society officially launched its $10-million fundraising campaign. The event saw the premiere of a promotional video, “PODS Away,” which can be seen at www.openpods.com. At just over five minutes, it’s well worth a viewing.
With a net $9.5 million to raise, the Lagoon Society is seeking funds from a large variety of sources. They are looking for private donations, but there are also other ways to help – by becoming a patron or member of the Lagoon Society or serving as a volunteer at the Iris Griffith Centre, the EarthFair Store in Madeira Park, or even driving the Wood Duck Bus. More information can be found at www.lagoonsociety.com.
While PODS will be, as one local business owner put it in the video, “a game-changer” for Pender Harbour, it will also have ripple effects all the way down the Sunshine Coast. In Gibsons, for example, there will be a natural synergy with the Nicholas Sonntag Marine Education Centre, due to open next June as part of the Gibsons Public Market.
This is a big one. The whole Coast should get behind reeling it in.
