Sunday, June 28th at 6pm, Gates Hall, 4107 Lake Road, Pultneyville

On Sunday, June 28, enjoy an evening of conversation and film about the veterans of FORCE BLUE and the work they do to protect our national marine sanctuaries.

Along with NOAA’s Lake Ontario National Marine Sanctuary, the Williamson-Pultneyville Historical Society will co-host this event, set against the backdrop of historic Gates Hall in Pultneyville, the most western terminus of the Lake Ontario National Marine Sanctuary. The evening will include a presentation of current sanctuary research in Lake Ontario, an introduction to the veteran volunteer group FORCE BLUE, and short films showcasing their work preserving our nation’s underwater treasures.

Sanctuary archaeologists and FORCE BLUE special forces veterans will also share a sneak peek of their work in the waters of Lake Ontario and the shorelines of central New York, documenting shipwrecks, collecting marine debris, and connecting with local youth.

What better way is there to spend a summer Sunday evening learning about our shared maritime heritage than in picturesque Pultneyville on the southern shore of Lake Ontario in air-conditioned Gates Hall . . . America’s oldest, continuously active small community theatre as it celebrates its 200th Birthday.

Please join us on Sunday, June 28th to learn more!

Doors open at 5:30pm. Due to limited seating, this event requires registration. To register please email: lakeontario@noaa.gov with your name and how many people will be attending with you.

This event presented by NOAA Lake Ontario National Marine Sanctuary is a free and open to the public community event.

Join us on Wednesday, April 8th at 7pm! Ben Ioset, Maritime Archaeologist, will present a program on April 8th at Gates Hall that explores Lake Ontario, its marine heritage, and historic shipwrecks.

In May 2025, NOAA and its partners at the Ocean Exploration Cooperative Institute surveyed deep water shipwrecks within the Lake Ontario National Marine Sanctuary (LONMS). The expedition documented numerous pristinely preserved shipwrecks dating from 1816 to 1927. In his presentation, Ioset will discuss the expedition, its objectives, and several of the shipwrecks that were explored, and he looks forward to sharing discoveries made during the trip expedition with attendees at the April 8th program in Pultneyville.

With the St. Peter Shipwreck just two miles east of Pultneyville, W-PHS is excited to reside within the LONMS and to also feature an exhibit of its artifacts recovered by Deep Star Enterprises in its History & Heritage Warehouse.  Nanette Peters Hance, President of W-PHS shares that the historical society is excited about the opportunities the sanctuary offers for research, community engagement, education and outreach activities, as well as the maritime heritage related tourism it will bring to the region.

Ben Ioset, archaeologist with the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation in support of NOAA’s LONMS, received his PH.D. in Anthropology with a specialization in nautical archaeology from Texas A&M University in 2021. His research focuses on the maritime history and heritage of the Great Lakes, and in particular, Lake Ontario, historic wooden shipbuilding, and historic preservation.

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