SEA LIFE BOAT TRIPS

March 2nd–3rd & 5th–7th (No trips on March 4th)

Our famous SEA LIFE BOAT TRIPS are back! Join CHI on the restored tug La Fille (thanks to Drew and Deb McVittie) and (new this year) the AFC Landing Barge (thanks to Alan Fletcher) to view herds of sea lions, seabirds, spawning herring and possibly killer whales and humpback whales. This popular trip is fun, educational and spectacular!

A minimum donation of $30 per person is suggested (if necessary, please feel free to inquire regarding our sliding scale option).

Water Worlds | Aboriginal Peoples Television Network | 7 PM

Presented by: Len Morisette, Director

Water Worlds is a documentary series that explores our planet’s fragile aquatic ecosystems through Indigenous eyes. It will take you on visually stunning journeys under the oceans, lakes, wetlands, and other bodies of water in Canada and around the world with an Indigenous perspective in mind. On these journeys you will learn about the impact humans have on our precious aquatic life and ecosystems that are an integral part of our planet.

THE SILVER HIGHWAY | Conservancy Hornby Island | 7:30 PM

Presented by: Grant Scott, co-producer

As the sun rises over the Pacific Ocean, a school of shimmering pacific herring scatter in all directions. They embark on an epic journey — a tribute to these fish's mysterious and powerful lifecycle. From their humble beginnings as eggs, to their adulthoods spent feeding and reproducing in the ocean depths, this film captures the magical moments of each stage in the life cycle of a pacific herring.

HUMPBACK COMEBACK: THE RETURN OF HUMPBACK WHALES TO THE SALISH SEA | Bob Turner | 7:50 PM

Presented by: Bob turner, filmmaker

Three young whales, playing in the bay, remind me of a remarkable week further north watching the whales feed on surface schools of herring using lunges, traps and other acrobatics.

SUPRISE PRIVATE SCREENING | Conservancy Hornby Island | 8:15 PM

Presented by: Grant Scott

This is an exclusive HerringFest surprise you won't want to miss! Be enthralled with an inspirational story sure to stir your passions and have you wanting more.

KITASOO XAI’XAIS HERRING FILM | Kitasoo Xai’xais Stewardship Authority | 8:30 PM

Presented by: Doug neasloss, kitasoo xai’xais stewardship director

For thousands of years, the Kitasoo Xai'xais people have stood as unwavering stewards and protectors of their lands and waters. Through careful monitoring and restoration efforts, they are carrying on their ancestors’ dedication to preserving resources – ushering in an unprecedented shift that has sent ripples across the globe.

CHIEF DOUGLAS NEASLOSS | Elected Chief Councillor & Stewardship Director for Kitasoo Xai’xais Nation

“Indigenous Protected Areas: The Way Forward”

As the elected Chief Councillor and Resource Stewardship Director of the Kitasoo Xai’xais First Nation, Douglas is intimately connected to the people and place in which he works. He has extensive knowledge of the history of the area and the traditional culture of the Kitasoo Xai’xais people, in addition to over a decade of experience working as a bear guide and cultural interpreter in this area. Most recently, Chief Neasloss has been at the forefront of indigenous-led conservation initiatives, including Kitasoo Xai'xais Nation declaring Canada's first indigenous protected area and signing a landmark agreement with BC Parks to launch an unprecedented pilot project that recognizes Kitasoo Xai'xais and Nuxalk Nations’ Coastal Guardian Watchmen with Park Ranger authorities.

DENISE SMITH | Lands and Resources Director for the Tla’amin First Nation

Denise Smith is the former elected councillor and current Lands and Forests Director for Tla'amin Nation. She is dedicated to conservation efforts, particularly the project she's spearheading to reintroduce salmon at Unwin Lake. Denise has an extensive background in indigenous community development, environmental stewardship and land use planning, using her skillset to help protect natural resources.

BRIAN PAYTON | Award-Winning Author

Brian Payton is an award-winning author of several acclaimed works, including Shadow of the Bear, a Barnes and Noble Book Club Pick and U.S. National Outdoor Book Awards Book of the Year; The Ice Passage, a finalist for the Hubert Evans Nonfiction Prize; and the national bestselling novel The Wind Is Not a River. 

Payton’s articles and essays have appeared in The New York Times, Smithsonian, The Atlantic, and Hakai Magazine. He lives with his family on Vancouver Island.

TASLI SHAW | Analyst, Bay Cetology

“Humpbacks in the Hornby Neighbourhood”

Tasli Shaw is the co-founder of Humpback Whales of the Salish Sea, a photo identification and sightings database project that tracks the individual Humpback Whales in the region. The project has identified more than 800 Humpbacks since 1997. In addition, she works with DFO’s longstanding photo-ID project on Bigg’s Killer Whales (in collaboration with Bay Cetology) and DFO’s CeMoRe project. Tasli has over 12 years of experience working on Salish Sea as both a captain and a naturalist. When she isn’t on the water, Tasli spends time in the studio where she paints the whales she has come to know through her research.

GARY SUTTON | Research Assistant & Data Analyst, Bay Cetology

“Bigg's Killer Whales: Our Seal Snacking Neighbours"

Gary has been working with killer whales in BC for nearly two decades. He has worked as a professional wildlife guide in BC, Hawaii, and New Zealand. Currently, Gary works part-time with the Bigg's killer whale monitoring team at Bay Cetology as a photo identification specialist. His full-time position is with the Ocean Wise Conservation Association as a whale research technician.

HONOURABLE JOSIE OSBORNE | MLA for Mid Island-Pacific Rim

Josie grew up on Vancouver Island and has lived in Tofino for over 20 years, first moving there to work as a fisheries biologist for the Nuu-chah-nulth Tribal Council and later as executive director of an environmental education non-profit organization.

She was the Mayor of Tofino from 2013-2020 and served as Chair and Vice-Chair for the Alberni Clayoquot Regional District. During her time in local government, Josie chaired the Tofino Housing Corporation and was a strong proponent for active transportation and regional transit. She has served as Chair of the Board for the Island Coastal Economic Trust, and in 2017, she was appointed by the BC Minister of Environment and Climate Change to the BC Clean Growth and Climate Action Advisory Council.

HERRING BALL DANCE

March 4th: Doors at 7 pm    

Jody Candlish-Rutherford and Friends 8 PM - 10 PM
DJ Jeff Rabena 10 PM - midnight

TICKETS $20 online, $25 at the door. Cash bar