The Ocean Wise Gala

Event Information

In 2019 Ocean Wise introduced a new signature event. The inaugural Ocean Wise Gala, presented by RBC, took place on November 7, 2019 at the iconic Vancouver Club. Ocean conservationists gathered to celebrate and #TurnTheTide for our oceans. The event raised awareness and critical funds for the variety of issues marine life is facing today, including the growing crisis of ocean plastic pollution. Guests also experienced a culinary treat; some of Vancouver’s award-winning and most distinguished chefs imagined and curated a unique dining experience. Each course drew attention to plastic pollution and the opportunity for innovative solutions.

Interested in joining the movement and supporting our oceans? You can take action for our oceans today! To inquire about tickets and tables for the 2020 Ocean Wise Gala event please email [email protected]. Together, we can turn the tide on plastic pollution.

Photos from the 2019 Ocean Wise Gala

Tickets

Food and Beverage

Some of Vancouver’s most distinguished chefs imagined and curated a unique dining experience for the inaugural Ocean Wise Gala in 2019. Each course drew attention to plastic pollution and the opportunity for innovative solutions.

This culinary journey was a collaboration involving Chefs Ned Bell, Will Lew, Hamid Salimian, Todd Bright, Stacey Johnston and more.

Chef Ned Bell

Long-time sustainable seafood ambassador Ned Bell is the Ocean Wise Executive Chef based at the Vancouver Aquarium. Bell’s cooking philosophy is globally inspired and locally created. Bell’s dedication to sustainable seafood has inspired many Canadian chefs to get involved in the cause – a movement that is having a meaningful impact on the way consumers think about the seafood they eat, where it comes from and how they, too, can help protect our oceans by making ocean-friendly seafood choices.

Chef Will Lew

Coming soon

Chef Stacey Johnston

Stacy Johnston is a Sous Chef for the Ocean Wise Association working out of the Vancouver Aquarium. Born and raised in Saskatchewan, her love for prairie flavours began at a young age on her grandparent’s seed farm. After studying at SAIT Polytechnic she went on to work at the Wascana Country Club where she had the opportunity to compete in the Canadian Culinary Championships in 2015. In 2016 she became the Head Chef at 641 Grill, a farmer owned and locally sourced restaurant. Here she continued to hone her craft and started dreaming about the potential that prairie flavours could have with a more global perspective. In 2018 Stacy relocated to Vancouver to work with Ocean Wise. Here she strives to combine her Saskatchewan heritage with Pacific Northwest flavours to create dishes that comfort and intrigue.

Chef Mark Burton

Chef Mark's career began in a small restaurant in St. John's, Newfoundland, working as a line cook. Due to a scheduling error, he had to cover a pastry position... and the rest is history!

Chef Hamid Salimian

Born in Iran, Hamid grew up on the Caspian Sea. He learned the essential skills to combine the heritage of Persian cuisine with influences of the Pacific Northwest and began to define a uniquely creative and contemporary approach. Hamid has built a reputation as a “chef’s chef,” winning the respect of his peers for his eye for detail, insistence on quality, and his commitment to mentoring the next generation of chefs. He was recognized for his innovative and voted Georgia Straight newspaper’s Best Chef in the City by his restaurant peers.

Chef Todd Bright

Born and raised in Australia, Todd Bright began his career at age 17 as an apprentice at Ming Jade Restaurant under Cantonese Chef, Kevin Lowe. Having traveled through Europe at age 22, his valuable experience overseas led to a position at Vino’s, the largest, and multi-award winning, fine-dining restaurant in Queensland, Australia. In 2007 he ventured to Vancouver, Canada. His talents were immediately discovered by Wild Rice where, after one year, he rose to the position of Restaurant Chef. Partnering with Andrew Wong in 2011 they expanded Wild Rice into New Westminster. Todd left the restaurant in 2015 and moved to Halifax, Nova Scotia where he took over Envie, a casual dining vegan restaurant. In July of 2019 Todd joined the Water Street Cafe team as Sous chef and is excited to work with Executive chef Alan Tse to continue the success of the Gastown institution.

Special Giving Program

Make more of a difference in the fight against plastic pollution. All donations to the Ocean Wise Gala Special Giving Program will be entitled to a tax receipt for 100 percent of your contribution.

Donors who make a gift of $1,000 or more will become members of the Ocean Wise Conservation Circle, a group of donors who receive exclusive updates and invitations to unique events that deepen their involvement with Ocean Wise.

To make a donation, please do so online or call 604.659.3753

Auction and Raffle

Where your money goes

Plastic in our oceans is a global crisis. Stories of sea turtles
feasting on plastic bags mistaken for jellyfish and of coral
reefs sprinkled with a confetti of plastic fragments happen far too frequently.

Funds raised at this inaugural gala will support Ocean Wise efforts to address this urgent problem. From research in microplastics to the Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup and protecting marine mammals to encouraging the public to reduce their plastic use, Ocean Wise is leading the search for solutions.

Together we can turn the tide on plastic pollution.

Some of our initiatives include:

Great Canadian Shoreline Clean-up

A national shoreline cleanup program, running successfully for the past 26-years

Learn more

Microplastics Lab

A cutting edge facility aiming to gain insight into the source, transport, fate and effects related to microplastics in Canada’s aquatic environments.

Learn more

Arctic Research

Ocean Wise researchers are studying the impact of microplastics on the Arctic foodweb.

Learn more