Port of Iona · Pitu’paq / Bras d’Or Lake · Unama’ki / Cape Breton Island
Discovery Centre reopens in June 2027
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Port of Iona, 2583 St. Columba Road, Iona, NS
Admission by donation · Open June to October
Contact usSupport
Support Àros na Mara
Help more people discover the Lake.
Àros na Mara is a community-rooted, not-for-profit initiative operated by Central Cape Breton Community Ventures Inc. It is not government-owned or government-operated. Your support helps keep the Discovery Centre open, care for exhibits and marine life, create opportunities for youth, support learning and stewardship, and develop new ways for people to discover Pitu’paq / the Bras d’Or Lake.
What your support makes possible
Youth in meaningful roles
Young people guiding visitors, learning new skills and helping shape what comes next.
Underwater discovery for everyone
Films, imagery and technology that let people see beneath the surface without needing to dive.
Learning on the Lake
School visits, Ocean Week and hands-on discovery for curious minds of every age.
Learning that leads to stewardship
Helping people understand what they are seeing, what is changing and why caring for the Lake matters.
A Port in community hands
Helping maintain the Port of Iona as a community-owned place for public access, learning, events and partner activity.
Donate
Every donation helps keep the Discovery Centre open, care for exhibits and marine life, and support youth, learning and stewardship at the Port of Iona.
Donate with PayPalAbout tax receipts
CCBCVI is a not-for-profit organization but is not currently a registered charity, so donations made directly to CCBCVI do not normally receive an official charitable tax receipt. For some eligible projects, receipting may be arranged through a qualified partner where an appropriate agreement is in place.
Donate securely online through PayPal, using a card or a PayPal account. Prefer another way? Email [email protected] or use the contact form, and we will explain how to give.
Volunteer
Volunteers have always been part of the Port of Iona story. Opportunities vary with the season and may include welcoming visitors, helping with Ocean Week and other events, photography and communications, shoreline and Port activities, or contributing a particular skill. Tell us what interests you and we can explore where you might fit.
Use the contact form and choose Volunteer.
Contact usSponsor and partner
Sponsor
Businesses and organizations can support something tangible, such as Ocean Week, youth opportunities, Discovery Centre programming or underwater interpretation. Ocean Week 2026, its tenth year, recorded about 3,000 cumulative person-visits across its activities and venues.
Partner
Other organizations may want to bring expertise or work with us around a shared interest in learning, science, culture, tourism or stewardship.
Use the contact form and choose Sponsorship or Partnership.
Media
Media kit
The official logo, approved high-resolution photos, the Ocean Week 2026 film and a short description of Àros na Mara.
Ocean Week Canada in Iona 2026 video: Eva Carmichael and Rhys Healy; supported by the Ocean Frontier Institute and Dalhousie’s Oceanography Department.
Questions people ask
Is Àros na Mara run by the government?
No. It is a community-rooted, not-for-profit initiative operated by Central Cape Breton Community Ventures Inc.
Will I get a tax receipt?
CCBCVI is not currently a registered charity, so direct donations do not normally receive an official charitable tax receipt. For some eligible projects, receipting may be arranged through a qualified partner.
Thank you for helping keep the Port of Iona a place worth keeping.