‘Impractical’ research lights the way

MONIQUE KEIRAN / TIMES COLONIST 

AUGUST 31, 2013

No lights shine in the Centre of the Universe today. The staff who ran the interpretive centre at Little Saanich Mountain’s Dominion Astrophysical Observatory cleaned out their desks Friday, turned out the light and vacated the building. So ends 12 years of educational programming about astronomy and Canada’s place in scientific research.

As Centre of the Universe readies to close, fight to keep it open continues

Saanich South MLA Lana Popham plans to collect signatures outside
the Centre of the Universe today in a bid to keep the Saanich facility
open. The act is more a celebration than a protest, she says.
Photograph by: BRUCE STOTESBURY, Times Colonist 

AMY SMART / TIMES COLONIST 
AUGUST 23, 2013

After members of the public peer through the telescope at the Centre of the Universe for the last time tonight, a campaign to save the science education centre will continue.

Saanich South MLA Lana Popham plans to be at the centre today collecting signatures for a petition asking the federal government to restore funding to the centre, the public education arm of the Dominion Astrophysical Observatory.

“I don’t believe that closing the Centre of the Universe is an option,” Popham said Friday.

“Whether or not the federal funding comes back, for me at this point, it’s beside the point. We have to figure out a way to keep it going.”

Stephen Hume: Federal budget cuts to close renowned astronomy centre

Photograph by: Diana Nethercott , Vancouver Sun

BY STEPHEN HUME, VANCOUVER SUN COLUMNIST AUGUST 23, 2013

There are people, as Oscar Wilde famously said, who know the price of everything but the value of nothing.

So, with that in mind, I made my way to the top of Little Saanich Mountain last weekend to bid a bittersweet farewell to The Centre of the Universe, due to close its doors at the end of August, one of the least deserving victims of Ottawa’s spending cuts.

Support the Saanich Observatory!

Don’t let the Centre of the Universe go dark!

Visit the Centre, see the telescope in action, and:

Demonstrate your support for public access to the Saanich Observatory!

Sat Aug 24

Observatory Hill, 5071 West Saanich Rd.

This is the last day the Centre & Observatory are

scheduled to be open to the public.

Local MLAs and MPs will be there to hear your views about this issue

and with a petition you can sign.

Hours 3:30pm    Centre of the Universe opens 5-7:00pm See the Sun through a telescope* 9:00pm    Plaskett telescope turns on* *Weather willing, limited space - arrive early to avoid disappointment.

Admission: Sliding scale, from $5.75 to $13.50 Children under 4 free Family passes available

For more info:

Saanich South MLA Lana Popham | 250.479.4154 | | lana.popham.mla@leg.bc.ca

saanichsouth.ca or saanichobservatory.ca

Momentum growing to maintain public access to the Saanich Observatory

The Centre of the Universe is perched atop Observatory Hill, next to the most important astrophysical facility in Canada, the Herzberg Institute, and right beside the Dominion Observatory which holds one of Canada's largest and most powerful telescopes. Soon we'll celebrate this telescope's 100th birthday - but will the public be invited to the party?

The Federal Conservative government has announced it is withdrawing the $250,000 needed annually to keep the Centre open.

I'm also concerned that this change could be a prelude to further cuts to the Observatory's funding and that it could be followed by additional restrictions on the public's access to Observatory Hill.

The Saanich Observatory is an important part of Victoria. It is a tourist draw, a regular component of the training routine for many cyclists, a beloved destination for star-lovers and amateur astronomers and -- most importantly -- a place where thousands of students have been awed by space and even inspired to pursue the sciences.

Observatory Hill is located within the provincial Constituency of Saanich South and dozens of residents have contacted me already to ask that I work to maintain public access. I will do my very best!

The value of this asset to the public far exceeds the cost of keeping it open. Our challenge is to make that argument persuasively to both levels of government. With your help I am confident we can do it.

This Global News piece to the right will give you an overview of where things are at right now.

I've also included the complete Hansard video of a Question Period exchange on this subject from last week so you can see for yourself what the Provincial Liberal Government is doing about this situation.

This week I am consulting widely with individuals determined to keep the "Centre of the Universe" open and preserve public access to Observatory Hill. I will share our strategy for moving forward soon.

Warm regards,

Lana

Lana Popham
MLA, Saanich South
saanichsouth.ca

Join the fight to save the 'Centre of the Universe'

Thousands of students (and many adults too!) have benefited from visiting the "Centre of the Universe".

And if you haven't, you best not delay as there will be only a few more opportunities to do so if the Federal Government carries through on its misguided plan to shut down the public's access to this interactive education Centre at the end of August 2013.

It is one of the only places on the south Island where the public can directly engage with high-level scientific endeavors. Every year many students visit the Centre and gain an appreciation of the power and awesomeness of outer space. Canada needs new generations of scientists and we know that the Centre has inspired many to pursue education and work in scientific fields. We must increase opportunities for our youth to engage with science. The decision to close the Centre takes us in the opposite direction.

The Official Opposition in Ottawa has released a formal petition calling on the government to keep the Centre open. It will be presented to the Federal Parliament in the Fall. You can sign it at my office, 4085 Quadra, Monday-Thursday 9:30am-5:00pm.

Please contact me at lana.popham.mla@leg.bc.ca if you would like to help in the fight to keep the Centre open.

Best,

Lana.

PS. You can also download the petition here, print it out and collect your own signatures!

Save the Centre of the Universe petition launched

Media Release

July 19th, 2013 - 2:23pm

19 July 2013

NDP MPs speak out against cuts to science on Vancouver Island

VICTORIA, BC - Today, Official Opposition Science and Technology Critic Kennedy Stewart (Burnaby – Douglas) and Member of Parliament Randall Garrison (Esquimalt – Juan de Fuca), launched a petition calling on the Government of Canada to restore the funding for public outreach in astronomy and astrophysics at the Centre of the Universe at Saanich’s Dominion Astrophysical Observatory.

“The Harper Conservatives have abandoned science in their rush to focus support on resource extraction industries,” said Garrison. “For many years, The Centre of the Universe has provided students, families, and amateur astronomy buffs with opportunities to explore space. This facility and its staff inspire the next generation of Vancouver Island scientists, but instead of investing in our future the Harper Conservatives once again ignores the needs and the aspirations of our region.”

“The closure of Centre of the Universe is just another example of how this Conservative Government is undermining science capacity in Canada,” added Stewart. “Labs across the country are closing down or cutting their workforce because fundamental research is no longer seen as worth the investment – and short-sighted decisions like these undermine long-term scientific progress and the necessary transition we must make towards a knowledge-based economy. New Democrats will continue to stand up for fundamental research, scientific freedoms and evidence-based policymaking.”

MPs Garrison and Stewart were joined by MLA Lana Popham (Saanich South) who stressed the negative impacts on her community. "The Centre is one of the few places on the south Island where the public can interact – and be inspired – by science in action. It is a tourist attraction, and a rare public asset that inspires our youth to pursue the sciences. The decision to let the Centre of the Universe go dark shows a fundamental misunderstanding of the value of engaging the public in the pursuit of science. " Popham said.

Please print and sign the petition attached to send to Randall in Ottawa. Postage is free, just address it to Randall Garrison, MP - House of Commons - Ottawa, ON - K1A 0A6

Files
• 2013-7-18 Petition-Centre of Universe.pdf

Comment: Outreach facilities can help launch careers

Megan Tannock

MEGAN TANNOCK / TIMES COLONIST / June 28 2013

Everyone who has lived in Victoria has seen the iconic white dome of the Dominion Astrophysical Observatory on Observatory Hill. I remember asking my parents what it was when I was very young; when they explained to me what a telescope is for, I begged for one of my own.

One year for Christmas, my parents had a special surprise for my brother and me — our very own telescope, which I use to this day. Later, I was able to visit the Centre of the Universe on Observatory Hill and see the Plaskett Telescope.

Seeing the telescope and learning about the research that can be done with it helped me realize I wanted to devote my life to science. I attend the University of Victoria and I am completing my bachelor’s degree in physics and astronomy, with the intention of continuing on to graduate school to obtain my doctorate in astrophysics. Because of the accessibility of the facilities on Observatory Hill, I was able to make the decision of what I wanted to study at a young age. Thanks to the opportunities in my hometown, my career in science is well on its way.

Outreach for astronomy, and for all sciences, is extremely important to the future of scientific research and the knowledge of the public in Canada. One of the top outreach facilities in Victoria is the Centre of the Universe. It is an important learning facility, tourist attraction and landmark. It provides summer camps for children, outreach for local schools, an interpretive centre open to the public and tours of the Plaskett Telescope, a national historical site which has been in operation since 1918.

In addition to the public outreach, it provides valuable opportunities for post-secondary students from across Canada to work in the field they are studying and share their passion for science with the public.

The decision to close the centre is simply outrageous. A facility like this, so closely linked with a world-class research centre (the Herzberg Institute of Astrophysics), is unique and irreplaceable.

If the Centre of the Universe closes, many children and adults will miss out on learning about the universe we live in. What will be closed next?

Without the Centre of the Universe, who knows if my passion for science would have been sparked at all? Thanks to the centre, I will have an exciting and valuable career in science, helping to push Canada forward in the scientific world.

Without the centre and similar facilities, how will the young scientists of the future discover their passions? Yes, it can be argued that some people will find their passions in science regardless, but most people require access to these facilities to learn about the possibilities of a future in science. Some of the most brilliant, life-changing scientific ideas of the future exist within Canadians; without outreach programs like this, they may never be discovered.

Canadians need to find ways to make their government realize that it is not OK to take facilities like this away from the public. Saving a small amount of money is no excuse to close something as valuable as the Centre of the Universe.

Politicians focus only on their four-year terms, investing in projects that show immediate results to impress the public; perhaps they have forgotten the importance of long-term investments that extend past their re-election date.

Canadians deserve access to outreach facilities to learn about science. We owe it to children and young people to give them the tools they need to make choices about their lives. Instead of thinking about ways to save money right now, the government needs to make investments to inspire the scientists of the future, continue making scientific advances and keep Canada in the forefront of scientific research.

Megan Tannock, born and raised in Metchosin, is a University of Victoria student studying physics and astronomy.

© Copyright 2013

http://www.timescolonist.com/opinion/op-ed/comment-outreach-facilities-can-help-launch-careers-1.336404

Listen to MP Kennedy Stewart speak to this issue on CBC's "ON THE ISLAND"

http://www.cbc.ca/ontheisland/2013/06/21/world-refugee-day/

Times Colonist: Centre of the Universe in Saanich closing by summer’s end in bid to pare costs

General Manager Greg Fahlman says it's unfortunate the
Centre of the Universe is closing, but tough choices had to
be made. Photograph by: ADRIAN LAM, Times Colonist

The astronomy interpretive centre adjacent to the Dominion Astrophysical Observatory on West Saanich Road will shut its doors to the public, the federal government confirmed Thursday.

Cost-cutting was cited as the reason; $245,000 will be saved in wages for three staff — one full time and two part time — plus $32,000, which includes maintenance, utilities and taxes. The full-time staffer will be moved to another federal job.

“The activities of the centre will no longer be sustained due to financial constraints,” said Charles Drouin, chief spokesman for the National Research Council Canada, in a phone interview.

The centre opened in 2001 as an educational arm of the observatory, a national historic site. In 2012 it attracted about 10,000 people, including busloads of school children, seniors groups and tourists to see things such as an iron meteorite — bringing in $47,000 in revenue.

“It’s unfortunate those things are going to stop,” said Greg Fahlman, general manager of the centre and the observatory, which employs 110 people.

Education for the public is a necessary part of astronomy research at the observatory — it’s why the centre was built — but tough choices had to be made and priorities chosen, Fahlman said.

The observatory is anchored by the Plaskett telescope, built beginning in 1914 and in operation since May 1918. For six months, with a 1.8-metre aperture, it was the biggest telescope in the world, said Chris Gainor, national vice- president of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada. “I am very sorry to hear this news,” Gainor said. “The telescope is quite historic … and it’s nearing its 100th anniversary.”

There are no plans to repurpose or “bulldoze” the centre, said Fahlman.

“The building itself will not be torn down and we are very mindful that this is part of Victoria. This [adjacent observatory] dome is visible almost everywhere in the city,” Fahlam said.

“What we are currently doing is searching for ways of delivering appropriate levels of access to the grounds and the telescope and we just haven’t got our heads around how to do that without the Centre of the Universe.”

Drouin said the hope is that volunteers will open the building on weekends.

He said in the absence of the centre, young people will have access to astronomy websites and smartphone applications.

Esquimalt-Juan de Fuca NDP MP Randall Garrison, who represents the observatory area, said he can’t grasp axing a hands-on community program promoting science and technology. “It drives you crazy.”

Green party Leader Elizabeth May called news of the centre closing “outrageous” and said the interactive centre is irreplaceable. “It’s one of those penny-wise, pound-foolish decisions which so typifies the Stephen Harper administration,” said the Saanich-Gulf Islands MP.

Victoria NDP MP Murray Rankin called the closure “a serious blow” to the community. “This has to be understood in the broader context of what the Conservative government is doing to the scientific base of Canada,” Rankin said.

ceharnett@timescolonist.com

© Copyright 2013. http://www.timescolonist.com/news/local/centre-of-the-universe-in-saanich-closing-by-summer-s-end-in-bid-to-pare-costs-1.327637