Celebrate Ocean Week Canada with us!

Many people, especially inland, don’t realize that they’re connected to the ocean…

Join us in celebrating Ocean Week Canada from June 1 to 9, 2024! Water Rangers is an official partner of Ocean Week Canada — an annual event where we celebrate the ocean from coast to coast to coast (and, in our case, especially inland in our freshwater lakes, rivers and streams). We’ll be posting events here leading up to Ocean Week, so check back often for updates and new opportunities.

What is Ocean Week Canada?

Ocean Week Canada is an annual national celebration held around World Ocean Day (June 8). It’s a time to engage in events, learning activities, and community initiatives that highlight the importance of our oceans and their connection to our daily lives. Led by the Canadian Ocean Literacy Coalition (COLC), Ocean Week Canada aims to raise awareness, inspire action, and foster a deeper understanding of ocean issues across the country.

This year, we need your help to make the biggest splash!

You can contribute by participating in events or even organizing your own.

1. Ocean-themed parkrun!

We’re encouraging runners across the country to join their local parkrun and… dress as an ocean creature! This celebration of our ocean is a great way to get some fresh air, exercise and have fun while bringing awareness to our ocean (and all of our connections to it). At parkrun, you run, jog or walk 5km along a set course in your local park. It’s a quick sign up to get your bar code to get your time (you only have to sign up once, but remember to bring your barcode with you!). For those who prefer, you can walk the route, and some parkrun locations allow dogs and strollers (please check with your local event). With 47 parkruns across the country, there’s a great chance that there’s a participating parkrun near you!

We’re working with parkrun organizers to determine which ones will be officially encouraging this dress-up event! Don’t want to run, jog or walk? Why not volunteer? Volunteering at parkrun is a hugely positive experience, and is a form of participation that is inclusive, respected, and accessible to everyone.

Check out our latest blog post for some easy and creative DIY ocean-themed costumes that will be shore to turn some heads!

Participating parkrun locations

• June 1: Moussette parkrun, Gatineau QC
• June 1: Chain of Lakes parkrun, Halifax NS
• June 8: Riverside parkrun, Kamloops BC
• June 8: Cloverpoint parkrun, Victoria BC
• June 8: Kiwanis parkrun, London ON

As locations jump on board, we’ll add them here! You can view all parkrun locations here. If you’re a parkrun participant already and want us to reach out to your local organizer, please email us with your location name if you’d like to be added to our list!

(If you’re a parkrun organizer, we’re happy to make it as easy as possible for you by posting the listing and promoting the event as well as preparing some social media images. Please reach out!)

2. Invite friends and family water monitoring!

Did you know that 83% of Water Rangers volunteers teach others how to test water quality in their local community after participating in water testing?

Your impact comes not just from collecting data, but also from the action you encourage in others.

This Ocean Week, organize a mini event and invite new people to test the water with you. As part of our mini-grant program, we’ve distributed kits to over 100 families and organizations! Even if you missed the deadline, you can still get testing!

Even if you only invite a few people, we encourage you to register an event here on the Ocean Week Canada website. If you’d prefer us to help you post it, you can email us your details and we’ll put it up for you!

Here are some water testing events the Water Rangers team will be leading. If you’re in the area, come join us!

• June 4: Water Quality Testing at the Lake Erie Waterfront with Water Rangers , Fort Erie, ON
• June 5: Ocean Week at rare with Water Rangers, Cambridge ON
• June 7: Water Quality Testing at the Toronto Waterfront, Toronto, ON
• June 8: Water testing demo at Ripley’s Aquarium, Toronto ON
• June 8: World Ocean Day Community Cleanup and Water Testing, Vancouver, BC

3. Support other ocean events

Water Rangers and our partners are all working hard to organize activities across the country. Make it a priority to attend these incredible events throughout the week. Let’s get celebrating!

Here are some events we’re helping run:

• April 30 – May 3: Niagara Children’s Water Festival, Niagara ON
• May 24: Water Rangers at IAGLR, Windsor ON
• May 24 – 26: Water Rangers at Eureka Festival, Montreal QC
• May 31 – June 9: Canoe Scavenger Hunt , anywhere in Canada!
  • Download your Scavenger Hunt List .pdf here
• June 5: Ocean Week Giant Floor Map at EnviroFair, Ottawa ON
• June 6-7: Confluence: The Next Wave of Action on Community Water Monitoring, Toronto ON
• June 8: Ocean Day Celebration at Ottawa Market, Ottawa ON

Not in your area? Browse all the Ocean Week events to find an event near you!

4. Share your Ocean Week events

Do you know of an Ocean Week event that we can share and promote? Do you have an idea for an ocean celebration? Let us know by contacting us.