The critters temporarily dwelling in the aquarium at the Gibsons Public Market don’t know it but their home has a new name.
On April 11, the Nicholas Sonntag Marine Education Centre officially became Nicholas Sonntag TidePools Aquarium. The society that oversees it has also rebranded from the Gibsons Marine Education Centre Society to BlueAct Marine Society.
Since 2017, the aquarium and society have operated a collect-and-release program in Átl'ḵa7tsem/Howe Sound to teach more than 2,000 students about marine life in the Salish Sea. Displays and touch tanks help visitors of all ages get close to more than 70 species of sea creatures from sunflower stars to juvenile rockfish to the occasional octopus.
Nancy Cottingham Powell, the executive director, said the new names come after a two-year process. The committee felt there was a disconnect between the society and aquarium’s names and mission. Instead TidePools was chosen to “set the scene and the expectation” of what people will experience at the aquarium, Cottingham Powell said. Tide pools, she pointed out, are common in this region and many of the species at the aquarium are from the intertidal area (and some from deeper waters, like the rockfish).
The society opted to keep Nicholas Sonntag’s name in the branding to continue to honour one of its founding members. Sonntag was the inspiration for the collect-and-release facility and Sonntag himself led a career dedicated to sustainability and the importance of protecting the environment.
“His legacy will continue to inspire us to explore, protect, and cherish our precious ocean, ensuring its sustainability for generations to come,” Cottingham Powell said in a press release. “We are very excited to be working closely with School District 46, and other partners, including the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw/Squamish Nation, to develop experiential ocean and marine life curriculum and content focused on preservation and sustainability.”
The aquarium’s educational programs, field trip opportunities and spring and summer camps will continue. A former School District No. 46 principal, Debbie Amaral, is the board chair of the society. She expressed how place-based and active participation enhances learning in young students and helps their “understanding of the world around us.” In the press release, she said the multi-sensory approach offers “an extremely rich learning environment” of habitats that stimulate children’s curiosity, critical thinking and creativity. It all helps connect the visitors to the ecosystems they also inhabit.
Fresh eyes, new events
“The new brand is just making us look at everything with fresh eyes,” Cottingham Powell said. The new name of the BlueAct Marine Society also highlights the group’s active conservation work. “We’ve been doing conservation work, but we haven’t been really noisy about it,” she said. “So this is our chance.” That includes several new events this summer: World Oceans Day on June 8 and OceanFest on July 14.
For June 8, BlueAct Marine Society partnered with Raincoast Conservation Foundation to launch an ocean listening station. A hydrophone will be installed in the water off the Sunshine Coast and introduce “a new way to experience our local ocean,” Cottingham Powell said. “We’ll be able to hear what’s going on under the water.”
Then on July 14, the society is hosting a conservation day during OceanFest. It will bring together conservation partners to connect and learn what work is happening in the region. Cottingham Powell said it will be a great event for people to find volunteer opportunities.
“The idea of the society now, through conservation, is for people to still learn as a gateway about what's going on through TidePools Aquarium and learn more about their local ocean, and the wonder that is around us, and maybe grow a deeper appreciation for that. Then, with the society, they can take steps to take action to help protect the ocean,” Cottingham Powell said.
New at the market
The Gibsons Public Market has also welcomed some new attractions. Plethora Fine Foods is open for business on the merchants’ floor. And next door, work is underway to bring a new play area to life, thanks to a $1 million donation from the Libin family. The park is anticipated to open this summer.
