Public support strong for observatory project
By Laurel Campbell
TROUT CREEK: The Municipality of Powassan’s Public Observatory Committee has never faltered in its belief in the movie adage "if you build it they will come".
Close to 100 area residents who braved icy road conditions and heavy fog to attend the March 9th public information meeting at the Trout Creek Community Centre were told that business planning for the public observatory will start next month, with consultants working on a financially sustainable model that will allow for "direct contact with the stars," said North Bay consultant Stan Lawlor whose company is finalizing the feasibility study for the observatory.
Lawlor and his associates have completed extensive research and numerous consultations on both public and research astronomy facilities across North America and have determined the best option to ensure success for the local project is to "start small and provide amble opportunities for growth," Lawlor said.
Start-up costs for the observatory are estimated at $1.1 million "for the initial installation," he said, which will provide the facility, with not one large one metre telescope as originally perceived, but with a number of 10 to 16 inch telescopes.
"A number of smaller telescopes means that far more people will have access to star gazing at one time," said Lawlor, "as well as keeping start up cost reasonable and ensuring the observatory can open as soon, hopefully the summer 2007."
The telescopes will be permanently mounted in a 30 by 60 foot frame building with a slide back roof. The site will also feature a 30 by 30 foot multi-purpose domed hall, "providing for meeting and teaching venues, as well as other public gatherings," said Lawlor.
In addition to viewing night skies, the observatory’s telescopes will be fitted with special filters to allow for solar viewing opportunities for daytime visitors "so no matter what time of the day, there will be lots of viewing potential," he said.
The observatory will also include a Starlab Planetarium, a large enclosed dome where different constellations can be displayed electronically, and the site will be equipped with a number of cabins designed with viewing platforms to accommodate those astronomers wishing to set up equipment for overnight observation.
Lawlor was quick to point out that the consultants had rejected the idea of including any other overnight accommodation facilities in the observatory design. "Providing economic benefits for the community is one of the key pillars of this project," Lawlor said. "It makes no sense to include accommodations and restaurants at the site when these types of facilities are available locally. In fact, we anticipate an increased need for local accommodation, campgrounds and other local services such as gas and food and beverage, that could bring significant growth to the local commercial sector."
Following the feasibility research that has been conducted, Lawlor’s group has also concluded that the research and education components, as originally discussed, should be scaled back to student visits to the local observatory.
"We discovered there is already an extensive web site on astronomy, based in Saskatchewan and sponsored by the Canadian Space Agency, that more than adequately meets the classroom needs of students studying the Grade 6 and 9 astronomy curriculum," Lawlor said. "While it had been originally proposed that a similar web site be created for the observatory, it is our conclusion that funding would not be available to make this addition to the observatory financially feasible."
Students are anticipated to make up a significant number of observatory visitors "because they will have hands-on telescope time and be able to study both solar and star sciences up close," he said. "We also hope to develop a partnership with the Almaguin Highlands Secondary School where this will be their home astronomy base.
Lawlor also stressed the need for seeking out additional partnerships for the project that would include using some of the land on which the site will be located for eco-tourism and indicated that the Mattawa Ecology Centre has expressed an interest in incorporating the observatory in its ecology based programming.
"These partnerships will be fully explored during the business planning process which will start as soon as the feasibility study is completed the end of this month," he said.
"It is imperative that we build the foundations of this project on financially fundable and sustainable concepts," said Lawlor. "The municipality and Mayor Young have made it clear that they are giving the observatory a 100 per cent commitment. But they have also indicated that it must be financially sustainable, and in no way dependant on municipal taxpayers."
While some residents expressed disappointment that the proposal had wavered from the original concept of building the largest telescope in eastern North America, Lawlor was adamant that "We don’t want to build a one-trick pony," he said. "The observatory options that we are presenting tonight, are the ones we believe will bring the most long term economic benefit to the community."
The proposal will have no restrictions of any sort on local property use or lighting. "All this is is good news," Lawlor said. "There is no limit to where this project can grow, if you build a sound base."
As the final step in the feasibility study, those attending the public meeting were asked to fill out a questionnaire outlining any concerns they may have in regard to the proposal. It also asked for some indication of how local residents might see themselves being able to participate in the observatory’s ongoing operation.
"The survey response was absolutely phenomenal," Lawlor said following the meeting. "We haven’t tabulated all of the results, but the support volunteered was incredible in terms of people offering their time and other services. Of the four categories of volunteers we had outlined, some people went so far as to check each one and fill in the amount of hours they wanted to contribute. There is certainly strong community support for this endeavour, and that, more than anything else, is paramount to the observatory’s success."
With the final analysis of the questionnaires, the completed feasibility study will receive a final review by the Public Observatory Committee and its recommendations will then be presented to council.
"This observatory will bring thousands of tourists to our community," said Roger George, chair of the Municipality of Powassan Economic Development (MoPED) committee and member of the Public Observatory committee. “The Ministry of Transportation spent millions of dollars to bypass the Town of Trout Creek and wreak havoc to its economic prosperity.
"This project, with only $1 million of start up costs, will make the economy of the Town of Trout Creek, and the municipality of Powassan stronger than it ever was," he said following Lawlor’s presentation.
He urged local business owners to "start now to make plans to get your gas station back, and to provide all the additional services that these tourists will be looking for before someone from the south jumps on the economic potential we have here and starts to invest on our doorstep."