THUNDER BAY - The Canada-crossing aquarium - known as AquaVan for short - made its stop in Thunder Bay on Wednesday at Boulevard Lake.
According to AquaVan educator Holly Neate, the local turnout to see the aquarium was among the best in the country.
“I can’t remember, we’re at least at the 100 mark,” a laughing Neate said in regards to the amount of stops they've made during their cross-Canada tour.
“This is pretty amazing,” she said.
A line-up mostly made up of families stretched into the hundreds as locals were eager to check out what the aquarium had to offer.
“I liked the sea urchin,” said youngster Brooklyn DeFelice, who was particularly intrigued by the aquarium section.
The stand also featured a number of displays from local animals such as turtle shells and bear fur.
“We try to bring in animals from the wetland, drylands, arctic, and really try to tie in those ecosystems together,” Neate said.
The AquaVan was not the only attraction featured at Boulevard Lake Park on Wednesday. As a way to help children understand the importance of keeping shorelines free of pollution, officials at EcoSuperior hosted a cleanup event in conjunction with the AquaVan visit.
“We are really fortunate to live around so many lakes and rivers - it’s important people do their part,” EcoSuperior’s Shannon Costigan said. “We’re very dependant on our water system for our health. We drink our water, we use it for recreation. So it’s important everyone realizes
Brooklyn DeFelice seemed to get the message after grabbing a garbage picker following the exhibit.
“We want to help the animals,” she said. “When they see it in their path they might eat it or get hurt,” said Brooklyn.
The AquaVan 150 will make its way back west to Vancouver and is expected to end its cross-Canada trip in October.
