Cookie the octopus will be waiting.
The popular cephalopod at the Shaw Centre for the Salish Sea will be one of the first sights visitors see during Ocean Week Victoria, which runs June 1 to 8 and features more than 45 events across Greater Victoria aimed at inspiring awe, learning, and action around the ocean that surrounds us.
“We’re excited because our event kicks things off on Sunday,” said Tina Kelly, director of learning and communications at the Shaw Centre in Sidney. “It’s been six months in the making, and once we get through that (first day), I get to enjoy all the incredible events everyone else has put together. It really feels like a big community celebration.”
Now in its fifth year, Ocean Week Victoria has grown into one of Canada’s most robust regional hubs of Ocean Week Canada, a nationwide initiative promoting education and conservation in conjunction with World Ocean Day on June 8.
Greater Victoria is one of 11 regional hubs across the country, and one of three in British Columbia, alongside Campbell River and Vancouver.
The event brings together over 25 organizations, with programming that includes everything from interactive art installations to beach cleanups, kayak tours, pub trivia, science talks, and live performances.
“We have such a diverse offering this year, it’s stunning,” said Heather Murray, co-chair of the Ocean Week Victoria planning committee. “There are family-friendly events, opportunities to get out on the water, hands-on learning experiences, and even dance performances. And it’s not just in one place – it’s all across Greater Victoria.”
One of the highlights this year is "The Floating World" installation at Hillside Centre, led by longtime Tofino-based artist Pete Clarkson. The exhibit will comprise of four main elements. These artworks are constructed entirely from marine debris collected from the west coast.
“There’ll be four different pieces on display and a big group of kids helping build this whale,” Murray said. “It’s a hands-on way for people to understand the impact of marine debris while also creating something beautiful out of it.”
Art plays a big role in this year’s events. In addition to Clarkson’s installation, several other ocean-inspired exhibitions will appear at locations around the region, along with another marine debris sculpture being built in front of Prince of Whales in the Inner Harbour.
Events span from Sidney’s waterfront to Fort Rodd Hill, Esquimalt Gorge Park and Fisherman’s Wharf. Some of the major anchor events include the “Songs for the Gorge” concert May 31, a community day at the Shaw Centre June 1, and a documentary screening of Lost Orca: The Legend of Luna on June 4.
“It really is about collaboration,” Murray said. “Ocean Week Victoria exists to help bring these organizations together and give people access to all of it. It’s education, it’s fun, and it’s a call to action.”
The message behind all the festivities is simple: fall in love with the ocean, then fight to protect it.
“You protect what you know,” Murray said. “Our goal is to help people connect with marine life, understand what it needs, and build that sense of stewardship.”
Murray grew up on the Bay of Fundy and has spent decades involved in environmental education, currently working part time with the Habitat Conservation Trust Foundation. She’s also on the board of the Northwest Aquatic and Marine Educators (NAME), which is co-hosting Cinema of the Sea, a June 7 event at the Vic Theatre featuring three ocean-focused documentaries.
The films explore topics like First Nations-led salmon conservation in the Fraser River (The Spirit Who Swims), the growing importance of seaweed (Seaweed Chronicles), and the story of whale researchers in the Salish Sea (Call of the Orcas).
“You don’t need to be a scientist to be involved in ocean conservation,” said Kelly. “You just have to be curious and willing to learn.”
As for Cookie, the resident octopus who’s captured the hearts of so many at the Shaw Centre, she’ll be doing her part to spark that curiosity – whether by camouflage, acrobatics or just sitting calmly in her tank watching the world go by.
“She’s the perfect ambassador,” Kelly said. “People are fascinated by her – and that opens the door to talking about her habitat, her challenges, and why she matters.”
From art to education, exploration to entertainment, Ocean Week Victoria makes one thing clear: this ocean is ours to know, to enjoy – and to protect.
