June 27, 2025
Ocean Week 2025 Recap
By Claire, Conservation Campaign Manager
Here at CPAWS Manitoba, we champion our Arctic Ocean 52 weeks a year, but every once and a while a special occasion comes along that we just have to celebrate in a big way! June 1 – 8, 2025 was Ocean Week all across the country and here in Manitoba, where we had not one, but two events to celebrate our Arctic Ocean.
Not everyone might be aware that Manitoba is a coastal province but most people do know we’re famous for our arts, culture and music. We decided to combine Manitobans’ love for arts and music with marine conservation in our Ocean Soundscapes event. Nearly 100 people gathered in the Winnipeg Art Gallery – Qaumajuq’s Ilavut hall on Thursday, June 5th. Ilavut means “our relatives” in Inuktitut and showcases a brilliant central glass tower of Inuit carvings. Guests were able to flow like water around this beautiful space while listening to the musical stylings of Rob Knaggs, celebrated cellist.
Music, Mingling, and Flowing like Water
Guests at Ocean Soundscapes were immersed in Rob’s ethereal cello sounds and visuals of Manitoba’s north including stunning shots of belugas. His cello at times reminiscent of their haunting underwater calls and cheerful chirps and whistles. Rob spent many years living in Churchill and had the privilege of playing cello for belugas through a special gentle underwater speaker called a hydrophone. Belugas are great listeners, known to be effective communicators over long distances. They use echolocation to find family or food and to avoid predators. (This also means they are sensitive to very loud noises like ships).
Book-ending the performance were opportunities to share personal connections with water through a participatory video art piece. Participants were encouraged to share their story about their own connection to water while a video of flowing ocean was overlaid onto their face. Prompted with a few questions like, “What does water mean to you?” and “Why is water important?” people soon went deeper, sharing their stories, connection, and songs about the ocean. The video speaks for itself, here’s our Voices of the Ocean.
While the ocean may not have a voice of its own, it found a powerful advocate in Executive Director, Ron Thiessen who spoke on behalf of the ocean, sharing opportunities for marine conservation in Hudson Bay. We were also honoured to receive greetings from the town of Churchill delivered by Deputy Mayor, Verna Flett, a reminder of the deep connection between northern communities and the waters that surround them.
Guests went home with full hearts, bellies, and many with empty wallets as they took home a special treasure from our Indigenous Artisan market . Our hand-crafted market featured the following artists: Lucas Corbin Cole, Elise Chambers, Jedrick Thorassie (Tipi in the Sky), and Gretchen Kingsley (Good Medicine Woman). Click here to read detailed bios on these talented artists!
Major thanks to the Canadian Ocean Literacy Coalition who provided funding for this incredible night and subsequent video art piece through their Blue Creator’s grant.
But Ocean Week wasn’t done quite yet! We took our love of the ocean and educating Manitobans to the streets with our Water Walk.
Walking 1000 km in One Hour- How is That Possible?
Ocean Week celebrations continued on June 6th, with our Water Walk, a family-friendly guided walk through Winnipeg’s downtown, where participants traced the journey of water from southern Manitoba to Hudson Bay.
48 participants in two time slots took one hour to metaphorically travel through the Red River, Lake Winnipeg Watershed and all the way to Hudson Bay while physically travelling through the Exchange District. Led by our Conservation and Education teams, we stopped at key moments along the way for reflection on our connection to water, education on aquatic species, and discussion on human impacts to our watershed. Interactive stations included exploring the lifecycle of sturgeon and the impacts of phosphorus on aquatic environments.
Hosted in partnership with Manitoba Museum for First Fridays, we were able to start and end our journey at the Manitoba Centennial Centre’s Steinkopf gardens, surrounded by classic Manitoba Tyndall stone, remnants of an ancient sea.
After our walk, participants were free to go into the Manitoba Museum and explore all the amazing permanent and seasonal exhibits. (Did you know you can get free or discounted entry for youth all summer?) The CPAWS crew was lucky enough to be able to experience the immersive Critical Distance exhibit, now in the Science Gallery until the end of August.
How Can You Help?
Here in Manitoba we have a huge population of beluga whales. Every summer, nearly ⅓ of the world’s beluga population raise their young in Western Hudson Bay and its estuaries. That’s a staggering 55, 000 whales that have been economically and culturally important for thousands of years. In recent years, beluga tours have become part of an important tourism industry that highlights the amazing jewels of our northern coast.
This ocean region is under increasing pressure from a loss of sea ice and potential increase in shipping. We don’t have to sacrifice protecting these fantastic creatures in exchange for economic opportunities; industry and protection can work hand in hand. That’s why CPAWS is advocating for the creation of a National Marine Conservation Area in Western Hudson Bay.
This designation from Parks Canada would help safeguard the region’s fragile biodiversity, including polar bears, beluga whales, and hundreds of other species. It would also support local economies through sustainable jobs, protect regional cultures, encourage infrastructure investment, and bolster tourism.
The time for action is now. The next step would be for the federal government to launch a feasibility study to explore this opportunity. Thousands of Manitobans have sent postcards and emails asking the federal government to move the process forward. But this critical next step has yet to materialize. Parks Canada must take it to the next level by conducting the feasibility study to explore establishing the NMCA.
You can help by using our quick letter writing tool to send a letter to the federal government telling them you support marine conservation in Hudson Bay!
Ocean Week Every Week
We had lots of fun this Ocean Week, but remember, our oceans are important all year! If you are interested in more information about Manitoba and our Arctic ocean check out our campaign: Protect Hudson bay, and sign a letter to show your support!
Thank you to everyone who helped organize and host our Ocean Week events. Thanks to the CPAWS team, our staff and volunteers, for all their hard work. Thank you to our partners the Manitoba Museum and the Canadian Ocean Literacy Coalition.
Many thanks to Rob Knaggs for playing for us! Thanks to the artisans Lucas Corbin Cole, Elise Chambers, Jedrick Thorassie (Tipi in the Sky), and Gretchen Kingsley (Good Medicine Woman). Thanks to Winnipeg Art Gallery for the beautiful space. And thanks to you! Guests travelled from all across the province to attend! We couldn’t have done it without the amazing support of everyone who attended.
Ocean Soundscapes was made possible thanks to grant funding from the Canadian Ocean Literacy Coalition’s Ocean Week Canada Community Events program. We’re grateful for their support in helping connect more people to the ocean and the waterways that lead to it.
Learn More:
Sign a letter to help protect Hudson Bay
Learn about Belugas in Churchill through Assiniboine Park and Zoo’s “Beluga Bits” Citizen Science
Learn more about Ocean Week Canada and their programs.
Learn more about ocean noise through Nature Canada’s special exhibit at the Manitoba Musuem–”Critical Distance.”