An environmentalist speaks out to save the Dunlap Observatory
- February 11, 2009 12:52 PM |
- By Your Voice
Submitted by Kate Shapero
About/Bio: I'm an environmental activist and film producer from Thornhill, Ont. I have actively campaigned for environmental candidates in the York Region and a supporter of Animal Aid and Adoption, Haven of The
Heart and the Toronto Wildlife Centre.
My take: The David Dunlap Observatory and its surrounding 189 acres is in grave peril. It was entrusted to the University of Toronto by Mrs. Dunlap in 1935 in memory of her late husband with a simple request that the property never be put on the auction block or be sold.
It became a world renowned astronomical research facility, where the discovery of the first black hole was made. Many of the world's most facous scientists would walk the halls of this great monument, and scientists still come from all over the world to use this unique facility.
The astronomy campus is nestled within 189 acres of woodland and is home to a multitude of woodland creatures, a resident deer herd, birds, insects and butterflies. The site acts as a very important respite for migratory birds, on their annual journeys north and south. Where are these animals going to go? The site is in the middle of Richmond Hill and is such a valuable haven for us all - in the midst of a sea of development and cement.
The University of Toronto, betraying the trust that was placed in it, sold the land last year to one of the biggest and wealthiest developers in the province. The people of Richmond Hill have spoken out to say that they want it saved time and time again over the last year, but the will of the people has fallen on deaf ears. The town says that they want to save it, but are showing by their lack of action that they would really rather have the development money.
Lincoln Alexander wrote to the Minister of Culture in September and declared that the entire site should be preserved - that it is very significant under the Ontario Heritage Act, however Aileen Carroll (the Culture Minister) chose to ignore his recommendation, and it never went any further.
The people of Richmond Hill, and indeed this planet need help to preserve a very important site from the bulldozers and the cement mixers. The developers and the Universities of this world who seem in theory to be 'educated' but are in reality morally vacant .must be taught that they cannot and will not be allowed to run roughshod over the will of the people, and over the homes of our fellow creatures. There has been a public outcry in Richmond Hill and Thornhill over this matter for a year now, and it is time for more citizens of this province to speak out in favour of preserving this national treasure and get the province to realize that it must step in and do its job honourably.
Please help us to get the word out in the press so that more people know what is at stake in the Town of Richmond Hill. There is not much time left, but if we all pull together we can save this Canadian Treasure.
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Comment (1)
Nicely said, Kate! The Dunlap Observatory is a fond memory in the minds of tens of thousands of adults and children across the GTA who visited the site over the years. Paradoxically, the Observatory has also been all but invisible to thousands of Richmond Hill residents who either did not know it was there or believed (incorrectly) that they could not access the property or visit the observatory. This is what happens when a place grows too quickly (Richmond Hill has doubled to 181,000 people over the past 10 years and is still growing rapidly).
But for now the DDO is real and people can still visit the property, though the buildings are closed. If you do have a chance to visit this spring, please bring your camera and share your photographs of the buildings and grounds. Be respectful of the property and enjoy one of the most special places in the GTA. For a map, directions, photographs and more information about the DDO, please visit:
http://www.rhnaturalists.ca/save-the-observatory/
This past January, after a year of painstaking -- and expensive -- research, the Richmond Hill Naturalists appeared before the Ontario Conservation Review Board to argue for heritage designation and protection of the entire Dunlap property. In fact, many people believe the University of Toronto should never have been allowed to sell the Dunlap property at all -- at least not without first giving the public a chance to purchase the property.
The DDO is where Dr. Tom Bolton became the first astronomer to verify the existence of Black Holes (in Cygnus X1); where Dr. Helen Hogg and Dr. Ruth Northcotte broke ground as early women astronomers; where Canada got its start in radio astronomy; where Canada's longest-running public education astronomy program delivered thousands of lectures and allow many thousands to gaze through the eyepiece of the 74-inch mirror. The DDO is where Roman Kroitor and Colin Low made their award-winning 1960 film, "Universe" and for many decades is where the media and Torontonians turned to ask questions about astronomy, space and even UFOs! There are hundreds of stories about the DDO in the archives of the Toronto Star and Globe and Mail.
During the opening ceremonies in 1935, the Dunlap property was said to be a "gift to the people of Ontario and Canada". Why can't we make it so? In recent years, too much of our country and too much of our heritage has been destroyed or passed into the hands of private developers for a pittance. This property deserves better than to be paved over with more houses and condo.