AQUAQUEST MARKS NEW ERA OF AQUATIC EDUCATION FOR THE AQUARIUM

Largest philanthropic gift in 50-year history sets stage for November launch of Aquaquest – the Marilyn Blusson Learning Centre

Vancouver, BC: Next month’s official opening of the $22-million Aquaquest – the Marilyn Blusson Learning Centre ushers in a new era of leadership in aquatic learning and conservation education for the Vancouver Aquarium and is being made possible by the largest philanthropic gift in this internationally-recognized institution’s 50-year history.

Aquaquest, which will officially open in early November 2006, will triple the Vancouver Aquarium’s capacity for delivering education programs to BC students as it strives to meet growing demands for its conservation-based school programs.

“Aquaquest - the Marilyn Blusson Learning Centre marks a new era in our 50-year history,” said Dr. John Nightingale, president of the Vancouver Aquarium. “It takes our commitment to and capacity for education and conservation programs to the next level and solidifies our place as one of the world’s leaders in marine research and learning.”

The project has been made possible in large part through a $5 million gift by leading Canadian philanthropists Marilyn and Stewart Blusson. We have developed the name Aquaquest to embody the essence of the facility, which will be a place where BC schoolchildren can embark on a journey of aquatic exploration with hands on learning experiences in wet lab classrooms and galleries that are unmatched anywhere in Canada.

“We were inspired to help the Vancouver Aquarium keep pace with the growing demand it has from schools across the province,” said Marilyn Blusson of Vancouver.  “We are pleased that Aquaquest will offer them the kind of learning experiences that will help make a new generation of Canadians more aware than ever of the essential connections between humanity and aquatic life.”

The Vancouver Aquarium hosts more than 80,000 students in school programs annually and has touched the lives of over 1.2 million BC students since 1956.

Aquaquest was inspired as part of the Aquarium’s commitment to educating children, inspiring action in conservation, and enhancing the community through economic, cultural and social means. The Vancouver Aquarium’s mission is to conserve aquatic life through display and interpretation, education, research and direct action. The not-for-profit society’s vision is a world in which our grandchildren know the beauty and bounty of nature we enjoy today.

For further information, please contact:

Brenda Jones

Manager, Public Relations                                                  

publicrelations@vanaqua.org