Every year on June 8, Newfoundlanders and Labradorians and people around the world celebrate World Oceans Day.
In Newfoundland and Labrador, the ocean is more than a natural resource. It is central to the province’s history, culture, and identity. World Oceans Day highlights the importance of protecting our oceans and animals that rely on them.
The Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture holds a World Oceans Day Art Contest each year, open to kindergarten to Grade 12 students throughout the province. This year’s theme was Celebrate the Oceans and 439 entries were submitted. Category winners are listed in the backgrounder below and will be posted on the World Oceans Day NL Facebook page.
In addition, World Oceans Day events were held today and throughout the past week, both in person and virtually, to celebrate the strong connection Newfoundlanders and Labradorians have with the ocean. On Saturday, June 6, people gathered at the Marine Institute, St. John’s, for an all-ages event which included games, arts and crafts, touch tanks and science demonstrations.
Interactive virtual events were also held highlighting citizen science, marine species, and local Ocean Heroes through songs, recitations, and spectacular coastal drone footage.
Officials from the Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture are members of the Newfoundland and Labrador World Oceans Day Committee, along with representatives from Fisheries and Oceans Canada, the Marine Institute of Memorial University, FFAW-Unifor and volunteers.
Quote
“This World Oceans Day, let’s celebrate the resource that connects our communities, supports our livelihoods, and shapes who we are as Newfoundlanders and Labradorians. As a lifelong resident of Bay Bulls, I have witnessed firsthand the value and enjoyment the ocean provides. I will continue to work to ensure this vital resource is protected, respected and sustained for future generations.”
Honourable Loyola O’Driscoll
Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture
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BACKGROUNDER
2026 World Oceans Day Art Contest Winners
Kindergarten
Winner: C. Charles – Fogo Island Central Academy, Fogo Island
Honourable Mention: Y. Hu – St. Peter’s Primary School, Mount Pearl
Grade 1
Winner: S. Williams – Memorial Academy, Peterview
Honourable Mention: A. LeDrew – Fogo Island Central Academy, Fogo Island
Grade 2
Winner: G. Galaviz-Nelson – Forest Primary Park, Grand Falls-Windsor
Honourable Mention: O. Abbott – Forest Primary Park, Grand Falls-Windsor
Grade 3
Winner: C. Rudolph – Octagon Elementary School, Paradise
Honourable Mention: D. Eddy – Bayside Academy, Port Hope Simpson
Grade 4
Winner: Z. Stratton – Eastside Elementary, Corner Brook
Honourable Mention: O. Watton – Random Island Academy, Hickman’s Harbour
Grade 5
Winner: J. Piercey – Riverside Elementary School, Clarenville
Honourable Mention: R. Clarke – Labrador Straits Academy, L’Anse-au-Loup
Grade 6
Winner: R. Dawe – All Hallows Elementary, North River
Honourable Mention: B. Peach – Southwest Arm Academy, Little Heart Ease
Grade 7
Winner: S. Perona – St. Paul’s Junior High, St. John’s
Honourable Mention: E. Barney – Labrador Straits Academy, L’Anse-au-Loup
Grade 8
Winner: M. Hurley – A.R. Scammell Academy, Change Island
Honourable Mention: M. Sibley-White – A.R. Scammell Academy, Change Islands
Grade 9
Winner: G. Campbell – William Gillett Academy, Charlottetown
Honourable Mention: H. Marshall – William Gillett Academy, Charlottetown
Grade 10
Winner: J. Smith – Southwest Arm Academy, Little Heart’s Ease
Honourable Mention: M. Kendall – Prince of Wales Collegiate, St. John’s
Grade 11
Winner: M. Meldrum – Southwest Arm Academy, Little Heart’s Ease
Honourable Mention: N/A
Grade 12
Winner: M. Neville – Holy Heart of Mary, St. John’s
Honourable Mention: D. Clarke – William Gillett Academy, Charlottetown
2026 Oceans Day Art Contest Class Winners
Hodder – Larkhall Academy, St. John’s
Sutton – Elwood Elementary, Deer Lake
Carter – A.R. Scammell, Change Islands
Penney – William Gillett Academy, Charlottetown