
ART SHOW
Hornby Community Hall
March 13-15
Opening Night, Thursday March 13
[Artist Drop-Off Wednesday March 12]
CHARTERED TOURS
Fords Cove
Multiple Trips on Various Dates
March 9-22
FILM NIGHT
Hornby Community Hall
Friday March 14, 7:00pm
(doors @ 6:30pm)
HERRING BALL
Hornby Community Hall
Saturday March 15, 8:00pm ‘til Late
(doors @7:00pm)
HERRING SCHOOL
Hornby Community Hall
Saturday March 15, 9:00am-4:00pm
ART SHOW
Conservancy Hornby Island is grateful to our partner, Hornby Arts, for offering the annual HerringFest Art Show Fundraiser.
This show featured well over 100 works of art from more than 50 local artists, with at least 50% of proceeds from sold art supporting CHI's Marine Conservation work.
We are grateful to all the artists who contributed their work, and all the volunteers who made this show possible.
Special thanks to Project Manager Emma Walter at Hornby Arts, and Larry Rossignol for his vision in hanging the show so beautifully.
FILM NIGHT
CHI thanks our partners at Central Cinema for a fantastic film night, complete with fresh hot food and buttery popcorn!
We showed three films to a full house:
Bob Turner introduced his film, The Extraordinary Salish Sea, which was an excellent opening that grounded our theatrical experience in the unique and beautiful location where we are so blessed to live.
Grant Scott introduced and took questions about The Silver Highway which he co-executive produced with Conservancy Hornby Island. The short film celebrates the herring spawn, and the importance of herring as a keystone species.
Matthieu Rytz’s feature length documentary, Deep Rising, though global in subject matter, came to us because of his connection to Denman Island through his sister. Hard to watch, this film exposed the grim reality of mining the ocean floor to feed human overconsumption.
Sold Out!
HERRING SCHOOL
Herring School was a smash!
Held on Saturday March 15 from 9am onward, a full house of community members and visitors enjoyed a full day of engaging discussions on the vital role of herring in our coastal ecosystem. Featuring expert speakers and researchers, and interactive presentations, the event offered a deep dive into the connections between marine life, conservation, and community effort. Each speaker was introduced by a student from the Hornby Island Community School. MP Gord Johns joined along with Sidney Dixon of Pacific Wild, who gave a “state of the herring” update.
Delightful fresh food was catered by Taste of the West Coast who generously are donating a percentage of profits from these sales to CHI.
SOLD OUT!
MEET OUR SPEAKERS
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Sean Boyd
RESEARCH SCIENTIST (RETIRED), SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY BRANCH, ENVIRONMENT CANADA & CLIMATE CHANGE CANADA
Dr. Sean Boyd started his professional career as a habitat biologist, and having retired from his role as Adjunct Professor of Biology at Simon Fraser University, continues to advise students and engage in long-term research on many duck and geese species and the ecology of Fraser River estuary tidal marshes.
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Fred "Orca Man" DeNisco
EDUCATIONAL CREATOR
Fred DeNisco is an educational creator out of Vancouver, BC focusing on connecting people to the Orcas in their local waters and around the world. By engaging his audience with research, current events, and resources to connect people to the species physically, he encourages people to engage with the natural world, especially this awe-inspiring species.
theorcaman.com -
Erin Gless
PACIFIC WHALE WATCHING ASSOCIATION
Erin Gless is the Executive Director of the Pacific Whale Watch Association, a community of ecotourism professionals dedicated to education and conservation in BC and Washington state. She holds BSc degrees in both Biology (Marine emphasis) and Public Relations, as well as a BA in Spanish. She has been a passionate member of the whale-watching community since 2008, and is particularly interested in the region’s baleen whale species.
pacificwhalewatchassociation.com -
Amorina Kingdon
SCIENCE WRITER
Amorina Kingdon is a science writer living in Victoria, BC. She is the author of Sing Like Fish: How Animals Use Sound Under Water, published 2024 by Crown. Previously she was the staff writer for Hakai Magazine where she received a Digital Publishing award and a Jack Webster Award, and was anthologized in Best Canadian Essays 2020. In 2017 she was awarded Best New Magazine Writer by the National Magazine Awards. Her fiction has appeared in PRISM Magazine, Flash Fiction Magazine, and Speculative North.
amorinakingdon.com -
Kyla Sheehan & Taylor Gardiner
PACIFIC SALMON FOUNDATION
Kyla is a biologist and Project Manager of Resilient Coasts for Salmon. With a background in Ecological Restoration, she is passionate about protecting and restoring coastal ecosystems as they are critical to the well-being of human beings and Salmon both. She and her colleague, undergraduate student Taylor Gardiner, will present the exciting progress of the Shoreline Mapping component of their work, which details the extent of coastal modification, overwater structures and log accumulation on beaches throughout the eastern coast of Vancouver Island.
psf.ca -
Amanda Zielinski
HORNBY ISLAND DIVING
Amanda Zielinski has lived around the Salish Sea all her life. She and her husband Rob Zielinski run Hornby Island Diving Ltd., which provides scientific diving for research and conservation. Amanda is involved in several citizen science initiatives that study marine biodiversity, marine invertebrates, and birds. Hornby Island Diving was Conservancy Hornby Island’s implementing partner in a 2024 Eelgrass Survey in Tribune Bay, and Amanda will present the findings of this study.
THE HERRING BALL
Thank you to all the volunteers and partners who made this such a success!
A full house rocked the night away in true Hornby Island style…
SOLD OUT!
BOAT TOURS
Fords Cove Marina
March 9-22
THANK YOU TO ALL WHO DONATED!
ALL TRIPS SOLD OUT as of March 13th.
CHI and our generous charter captains hosted over 300 guets to view herds of sea lions, seabirds, and possible spawning herring and even whales. This popular 1.5 hour ocean trip is fun, educational, and spectacular.
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Join Captain Drew McVittie and his crew of True North Tug Tours on their restored tug: ‘La Fille.’
This stunning vessel is a photographer’s dream. With its slow and steady course on a 1.5-hour tour, ‘La Fille’ is the perfect option for those wanting to take in the majesty of all that Hornby Island’s coastal ecosystem has to offer, including a heated indoor passenger area and plenty of deck space, for those who want to stay outside to enjoy the sights and sounds of the sea.
This vessel has an enclosed area and is equipped with washroom amenities.
Scheduled Trips for La Fille:
Sunday March 9:
10 am (trip completed)
1 pm (trip completed)Monday, March 10:
10 am sailing full (trip completed)
1 pm sailing full (trip cancelled due to high winds)Sunday, March 16:
10 am sailing full
1 pm sailing fullFriday, March 21:
10 am sailing full
1 pm 3 sailing fullSaturday, March 22:
10 am sailing full
1 pm sailing full -
Join Captain Denis Coulombe and first mate Angel Forrest on their classic wooden fishing boat the Sun Corona.
The Sun Corona is a family-owned classic wooden fishing boat that has been on the sea since the 1960s. It is a true testament to the boat building heritage of the region, its craftsmanship a unique memento for any traveller to experience. The Sun Corona is an old-fashioned fishing vessel with modern-day amenities. Enjoy the traditional charm of this classic boat, perfect for a leisurely cruise along the coast line.This vessel has an enclosed area and is equipped with washroom amenities.
Scheduled Trips for Sun Corona:
Sunday March 9:
10 am (trip completed)
1 pm (trip completed)Friday, March 14:
10am trip postponed due to weather
1 pm trip postponed due to weather -
Join Captain Jesse Berg and on his open-concept Panga!
Fully equipped with new electronics and comfortable swivel seats, the Panga is perfect for those who want a quick, fun, cozy, and educational 1.5 hour trip around Hornby Island to view our local wildlife during spawning season! The Panga makes a quaint 6 passengers and is hosted by a very seasoned and knowledgeable captain!
Please note there is no washroom aboard this vessel and is not enclosed. Please dress accordingly!
Scheduled Trips for Hornby Island Ocean Adventures:Sunday March 9:
10 am (trip cancelled)
1 pm (trip cancelled) -
Join the Zielinskis on the Hornby Island Diving dive boat. The boat can move swiftly around the island to visit various locations during a 1.5-hour tour. Rob and Amanda have spent many years on the ocean and are both wealths of knowledge when it comes to all things 'natural' around Hornby Island.
Please note there is no washroom aboard this vessel and is not enclosed. Please dress accordingly!
Scheduled Trips for Hornby Island Diving:Wednesday, March 12 (moved to Thursday March 13 due to weather)
10 am trip cancelled
2 pm (trip completed)Monday, March 17:
10 am sailing full
2 pm sailing full -
Alan Fletcher of Hornby Island Marine Transport Ltd. takes the helm on the ‘Island Transporter.’ This vessel is the perfect option for those who prefer life in the fast(er) lane.
The boat can move swiftly around the island to visit various locations during a 1.5-hour tour. The ‘Island Transporter’ has a small covered seating area for passengers to sit when the boat is on the move and a large deck area for passengers to get out and witness all that Hornby’s marine environment has to offer.Please note there is no washroom aboard this vessel and is not enclosed. Please dress accordingly!
Scheduled Trips for Island Transporter:Wednesday, March 12 (moved to Thursday March 13 due to weather)
10 am (trip completed)
2 pm (trip completed)Monday, March 17:
10 am sailing full
2 pm sailing full
Past Events
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Herring Fest 2024
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HerringFest 2023
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HerringFest 2022
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HerringFest 2021
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HerrringFest 2020