ESODC Vision
The Eastern Shore is rich in marine history, natural beauty, and resilient communities — yet opportunities for ocean-based education, innovation, and year-round engagement remain limited.
The Eastern Shore Ocean Discovery Centre (ESODC) is a bold, community-driven response.
We believe the ocean is more than scenery. It is identity. It is economy. It is opportunity.
By creating a dedicated space for marine science, storytelling, and hands-on learning, we aim to:
- Inspire the next generation of ocean leaders
- Strengthen community pride and connection
- Support sustainable tourism and economic renewal
- Foster partnerships across education, research, and local enterprise
Our Vision
A thriving community hub where science, heritage, education, and exploration transform possibility into opportunity for generations to come.
The ESODC will grow in thoughtful phases — beginning with community engagement and programming, and working toward a permanent waterfront discovery centre featuring interactive exhibits, marine ecosystems, research partnerships, and flexible gathering spaces. This is not an overnight project. It is a long-term investment in the Eastern Shore’s future.
The Eastern Shore Ocean Discovery Centre will be a place where:
- Children encounter living marine ecosystems for the first time
- Students participate in real scientific inquiry
- Elders share coastal history and lived experience
- Researchers collaborate with community members
- Visitors discover the unique character of the Eastern Shore
- Innovation grows from local knowledge and global science
Rooted in Sheet Harbour and serving communities throughout the region, ESODC will celebrate the ocean not only as environment — but as identity, economy, and inspiration.
Move through the icons below to learn more about our key values and driving forces.
Connections
Meaningful relationships between people, place, and ocean life strengthen our coastal communities. We foster opportunities for visitors, residents, and partners to meaningfully connect with each other and with the ecosystems that sustain us.
Culture
The ocean shapes who we are. We honour the cultural knowledge, stories, and traditions of the Eastern Shore in the past, present, and future. We incorporate all perspectives, including local Indigenous knowledge, so that marine heritage remains alive and shared.
Confluence
Where waters converge, so too do ways of knowing. Science, art, and culture join in a living current—blending evidence, expression, and community wisdom to illuminate our evolving coast.
Protection
Safeguarding marine environments is essential for current and future generations. We promote stewardship, responsible practices, and science-based decision‑making to protect the species and habitats we depend on.
Economics
Healthy oceans support healthy economies. We support sustainable growth of the Eastern Shore through local jobs for local community members, stimulating other businesses, and diversifying the local economic. We believe in innovation and collaboration to attract more visitors to the region.
Education
Ocean literacy empowers communities. Through hands‑on learning, storytelling, and exploration, we help people of all ages understand the ocean’s influence on us—and our influence on the ocean. We strive to create the next generation of ocean leaders by providing opportunities for youth to explore future careers in blue economy.
Research
Knowledge drives better choices. We support science-based decision making by translating research into meaningful, community-driven outcomes. Through citizen science initiatives, we empower residents and visitors to contribute directly to conservation efforts, building a shared understanding of our changing ecosystems.
Monitoring
Long‑term monitoring gives us the baseline we need to understand where we are today, so we can clearly see how ocean health and biodiversity are changing over time. By building this foundation and turning those observations into action, we help ensure that science-based decisions and community priorities are grounded in real, measurable trends.
Meaningful relationships between people, place, and ocean life strengthen our coastal communities. We foster opportunities for visitors, residents, and partners to meaningfully connect with each other and with the ecosystems that sustain us.
The ocean shapes who we are. We honour the cultural knowledge, stories, and traditions of the Eastern Shore in the past, present, and future. We incorporate all perspectives, including local Indigenous knowledge, so that marine heritage remains alive and shared.
Where waters converge, so too do ways of knowing. Science, art, and culture join in a living current—blending evidence, expression, and community wisdom to illuminate our evolving coast.
Safeguarding marine environments is essential for current and future generations. We promote stewardship, responsible practices, and science-based decision‑making to protect the species and habitats we depend on.
Healthy oceans support healthy economies. We support sustainable growth of the Eastern Shore through local jobs for local community members, stimulating other businesses, and diversifying the local economic. We believe in innovation and collaboration to attract more visitors to the region.
Ocean literacy empowers communities. Through hands‑on learning, storytelling, and exploration, we help people of all ages understand the ocean’s influence on us—and our influence on the ocean. We strive to create the next generation of ocean leaders by providing opportunities for youth to explore future careers in blue economy.
Knowledge drives better choices. We support science-based decision making by translating research into meaningful, community-driven outcomes. Through citizen science initiatives, we empower residents and visitors to contribute directly to conservation efforts, building a shared understanding of our changing ecosystems.
Long‑term monitoring gives us the baseline we need to understand where we are today, so we can clearly see how ocean health and biodiversity are changing over time. By building this foundation and turning those observations into action, we help ensure that science-based decisions and community priorities are grounded in real, measurable trends.
Meet the Founding Team
Angela Cumming
Angela is an educator and project coordinator with a passion for helping people understand and care for the marine world. She has taught scuba diving and marine biology to youth in locations around the globe, completed a master’s degree in marine science and conservation to strengthen her ability to teach others with confidence and depth, and worked in citizen‑science data collection and conservation project management. Her background also includes time as an aquarium educator, where she introduced visitors of all ages to the species and stories of coastal ecosystems through hands‑on learning and interpretation.
She brings this blend of scientific training, global teaching experience, and community‑focused program development to the Eastern Shore Ocean Discovery Centre. Her work is grounded in the belief that curiosity, shared knowledge, and meaningful experiences can inspire people to protect the places they call home.
Reach out at angela.cumming@esodc.ca
Erich Schwartz
Erich provides consultancy services focused on developing and implementing strategic plans and solutions for a variety of organizations globally and across industries. Specifically, he has been highly successful with large scale transformation and infrastructure integration projects and sustainability programs for Fortune 500, Crown Corporations, various levels of Governments throughout the world.
He has built and managed globally distributed teams of professionals across multiple functions including engineers, program and project managers, trainers and educators, communication experts, business owners, and community stakeholders. Erich combines his breadth and depth of his business experience with a life-long passion for living in harmony with our natural world and building meaningful communities. He has also contributed significant volunteer time to the International Organizations for Community Sustainability Standards, Zero Waste Canada, and the Pacific Ocean Discovery Centre.
Reach out at erich.schwartz@esodc.ca
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