Every Sunshine Coast Ocean Festival leaves us with lasting memories, discoveries, conversations, encounters, stories, and scenes that linger long after the event. Below, we share meaningful moments, glimpses into the 2026 festival, that resonated deeply with us.
Suzanne’s Highlight – shíshálh Nation canoes and welcome at ts’uḵw’um
The arrival of the S-yewens lhems sila (Spirit of our Grandmothers) and the Yenka Dene canoes at ts’uḵw’um / Mission Point Park on June 14th was, for me, a profoundly meaningful part of this year’s Sunshine Coast Ocean Festival.
As the canoes became visible on the horizon and the rhythmic sound of the paddle song resonated across the water, a sense of anticipation filled the air. Community members hurried down the long stretch of beach at the lowest tide to greet them.
The canoes circled twice in the water before drawing close to shore. On the beach, shíshálh Nation Elder Calvin Craigan drummed the canoe family in.
In a moment that was both moving and profound, two young shíshálh girls, each in turn, stood to recite the traditional protocol, requesting to come ashore.
As the canoes landed, community members quickly stepped forward to help lift them onto the beach. The canoe family, led by Alfonso Salinas (Sito), gathered everyone together for the ceremony.
Sito drummed and sang a welcome song written by Robert Higgins and spoke of his family’s long history in this place.
He shared the story of the northern dancer canoes, explaining that they were built by Roy Vickers and given to First Nations as an apology from the RCMP for the grave harms they have caused Indigenous peoples.
Sito evoked his mentor, shíshálh elder and rememberer, xwu’p’a’lich Barbara Higgins, whose family, kwa’tle’maht Holly Ann and Robert Higgins, now own S-yewens ihlms sila.
He shared how important it was for xwu’p’a’lich to carry canoe traditions forward and invited the community to be part of this ongoing story. Sito also paid homage to his great aunty Clara, who was born at ts’uḵw’um, with the stalashen (killer whale) song.
Elder Craigan described this ceremony as a historic moment: the first time in 150 years that a community welcome protocol had been held for canoes arriving on shore at the mouth of Chapman Creek, at ts’uḵw’um.
Closing the ceremony, Sito raised his hands to all of us for taking care of the ocean in whatever way we can and left us with wise words.
“We need the ocean, the animals. It’s up to us to take responsibility and take care of the living creatures in our world because this world isn’t just for us. It’s for everyone. And we have to learn how to live together.”
Joining the canoe family tradition at the water’s edge was truly an honour. I feel deeply grateful to Alfonso, Calvin and the canoe family for bringing us together in this way, rooting our day and our work in unity and the understanding that all of us, the creatures and people, water, climate and the environment, are inextricably interconnected – and we need each other to thrive.
Hannah’s Highlight – Low Tide Discovery Walk
I found every part of the festival wonderfully engaging, but a personal highlight was the low tide exploration at the beginning of our Ocean Festival Celebration Day. The lowest tide of the week (just above 0m) coincided with the start of our Celebration Day at 11:30 am on June 14th, which gave us a fantastic opportunity to have Jenn Blancard of the Loon Foundation lead a low tide beach discovery walk.
After a week of learning via our online NEMO Talks series (also one of my favorite parts of the Ocean Festival) about some of the very cool creatures that live way below the surface of the Salish Sea, such as glass sponge reefs, and about the rich lives of some of the creatures that we do often see, such as Southern Resident Killer Whales and canopy-forming kelps, it was so fun to get down the tidal flats and see the way the flora and fauna I’d just learned so much about moved and breathed and interacted with the rest of the ecosystem.
For example, after hearing about how kelp forests regulate wave action, fix carbon, and provide habitat for many ocean creatures in Chris Neufeld’s NEMO Talk, it was so cool to then see the Northern Kelp Crabs scurrying around and taking cover underneath the kelp beds at low tide.
Another special moment happened when one of the participants spotted a plainfin midshipman fish, which typically live in the subtidal zone but have been known to migrate to shallower waters to breed– they definitely look like creatures of the deep with their spiny fins and bulging eyes, which made it even more incredible to see one up close.
We also got to interact with some other Salish Sea classics like shrimp, sea stars, anemones, and red rock crabs. We even said hi to a sea lion popping its head up in the shallows!
Gina’s Highlight – Alexandra Morton
My festival highlight was our screening of Salmon Secrets at the Sechelt Arts Centre, especially the discussion that followed with Alexandra Morton. The Arts Centre was a beautiful venue, and everyone who joined us filled the room with high levels of interest, engagement, and positivity.
Salmon Secrets explores fish farming in Clayoquot Sound, a topic with strong local and provincial relevance. Alex Morton is a powerhouse of a human being, and hearing her speak was a privilege. Her decades of work studying killer whales and salmon have made an invaluable contribution to our coastal ecosystems and to our understanding of the policies that affect them. She spoke with remarkable knowledge, insight, honesty, and conviction, and her passing humour and evocative storytelling felt welcoming and refreshingly genuine. I think all of us who attended left feeling inquisitive and critical, but also more informed, inspired, and hopeful. I certainly did.
A massive thank you to the entire SCCA team, and to Billie Carol, for organizing such a meaningful and memorable program.
Izabella’s Highlight – Community Collaboration
One of my favourite parts of this year’s Sunshine Coast Ocean Festival was seeing the incredible sense of community emerge through the stories, photos, videos, and updates that flowed in throughout the week.
While I spent the festival mostly behind a screen, balancing communications work and dissertation deadlines in Ireland, I had a front-row seat to the enthusiasm, creativity, and passion that so many people brought to the event.
From the arrival of the shíshálh canoe and the Celebration Day opening ceremony to citizen science activities, beach walks, film screenings, art installations, and community booths, it was inspiring to watch the festival come to life through the eyes of participants and volunteers.
As someone supporting communications remotely, it was especially rewarding to see people sharing their experiences, engaging with posts, submitting content, and helping tell the story of our ocean community. The festival reminded me that meaningful connections to the ocean can happen whether you’re standing on the shoreline or helping amplify those stories from afar. Thank you to everyone who shared photos, videos, updates, and moments throughout the week; you helped bring the festival across the Atlantic!
Link to Sunshine Coast Ocean Festival Website Gallery
