The Pacific Rim Whale Festival is readying its triumphant return after a two-year hiatus.
Every March, tens of thousands of grey whales splash through the Tofino-Ucluelet region during their roughly 16,000 kilometre migration from Mexico to the Arctic. To celebrate the annual phenomenal spectacle that migration brings to local waters, the West Coast launched the Pacific Rim Whale Festival in 1987 and the event brought an educational extravaganza to the townB次元官网网址檚 spring calendar for several decades.
In 2019 however, a led organizers to cancel what would have been the festivalB次元官网网址檚 33rd appearance and, just a week prior to the festivalB次元官网网址檚 anticipated return in 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic brought a lockdown that forced the event to be cancelled for a second time.
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This yearB次元官网网址檚 festival coordinator Sarah Watt told the Westerly B次元官网网址 on Sunday that Whale Fest is breaching to make its 33rd appearance this spring, though it will require an outside-the-box creative approach due to the ongoing pandemic-related restrictions.
B次元官网网址淥bviously, because of the current regulations in place, weB次元官网网址檙e not going to be putting out any events which encourage crowding of any type or outside visitors to the West Coast, so weB次元官网网址檙e putting the majority of the events online so everybody can be involved from the safety of their own homes,B次元官网网址� Watt said.
The festival is scheduled to run from March 15-21 and a calendar of events is expected to be posted to the festivalB次元官网网址檚 websiteB次元官网网址� pacificrimwhalefestival.comB次元官网网址攊n the coming weeks.
Watt suggested there will be some public festivities during the week targeting solo revellers and small groups, like potential art features, public displays and scavenger hunts.
She added that many of the West CoastB次元官网网址檚 local organizations are onboard with the online-based format and have all become well-adapted to online presentations during the pandemic.
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She also noted that hosting inspiring talks and presentations online could open the festival up to a much broader audience as marine life lovers across the globe will be able to tune in.
B次元官网网址淚 definitely think thatB次元官网网址檚 a plus. In future years, when itB次元官网网址檚 safer to travel, if it reaches people who may never have heard about the Whale Festival before or know the beauty of all the nature along our coastline here, hopefully it can plant the seed in their minds and it will inspire them to come visit us,B次元官网网址� she said adding sheB次元官网网址檚 excited to showcase the West CoastB次元官网网址檚 abundant research groups and organizations.
B次元官网网址淚t would be a great way to get it out there and reach potential crowds that maybe weB次元官网网址檝e never targeted before and also give them an idea of all the great organizations based on this coast and what theyB次元官网网址檙e doing to help conserve our ecosystem.B次元官网网址�
She said that while the festival is focused on grey whales, thereB次元官网网址檚 no shortage of wonders to celebrate locally.
B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 a great way to get the community together and feeling inspired about what is along our coastline,B次元官网网址� she said. B次元官网网址淭he main focus is on the grey whale migration, itB次元官网网址檚 an epic migration, the grey whales return to us every year and whale watching is one of the core activities in our communities, but also we just have so much great nature and wildlife and all the organizations in the area who celebrate it and put so much time and effort into serving our marine ecosystems as well.B次元官网网址�
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She said there will also be a keen focus put on the regionB次元官网网址檚 arts community and how the ocean connects with all West Coasts residents.
B次元官网网址淎s much as itB次元官网网址檚 about the wildlife, I think itB次元官网网址檚 a way to celebrate the people along this coastline and what theyB次元官网网址檙e doing for the wildlife,B次元官网网址� she said.
She added migrating the festival over to an online format has been challenging, but sheB次元官网网址檚 confident it will be a blast.
B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檓 definitely excited, but it is also nerve wrackingB次元官网网址ou want to make sure that itB次元官网网址檚 engaging as well and itB次元官网网址檚 keeping people interested,B次元官网网址� she said. B次元官网网址淧eople maybe think that it would be easier to go online, but I would say there is probably just as much work, if not more, involved because weB次元官网网址檙e exploring a new area. WeB次元官网网址檙e definitely excited for it and weB次元官网网址檙e not putting any pressure on this yearB次元官网网址檚 festival for it to include everything previous years have had, thatB次元官网网址檚 impossible, especially while trying to keep it safe, considering COVID-19, so it will just be a nice reintroduction back to our community and whoever else wants to be involved.B次元官网网址�
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She said the popular buttons designed by local students that have traditionally been used for entry to many of the festivalB次元官网网址檚 public events will still happen this year and strategies for displaying them and making them available to purchase as souvenirs are being worked out.
Information for how to participate in the festival will be posted to the festivalB次元官网网址檚 website at www.pacificrimwhalefestival.com as well as on its Instagram and Facebook pages over the next several weeks.
B次元官网网址淲e will be doing a call out for volunteers and IB次元官网网址檝e actually already had some people contact me, which is great,B次元官网网址� Watt said, adding sheB次元官网网址檚 also hoping to engage local businesses in adding to the pulse of the festival by decorating their storefronts and engaging with the weekB次元官网网址檚 events.
Anyone interested in reaching out, getting involved or sharing ideas is encouraged to reach out to watt at whalefest.coordinator@gmail.com.
B次元官网网址淭he dates are fast approaching,B次元官网网址� she said. B次元官网网址淎s much as this is for national and international visitors, we also just want it to be a celebration between our communities along the West Coast here.B次元官网网址�
andrew.bailey@westerlynews.ca
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