Todd Hirsch and Rob Roach of ATB Financial are co-authors of a new book entitled Spiders in Space: Successfully Adapting to Unwanted Change. What an intriguing title! The book profiles several Canadian individuals, organizations and businesses who have successfully adapted to change. Drawing on inspiring stories and lessons learned, the book provides insight on how […]
astronaut
Per ardua ad astra – through adversity to the stars
I am delighted to see a public service announcement about explorer David Thompson that has been aired repeatedly during prime time on CBC TV. Rick Hansen (the Man in Motion) narrates the short vignette. This is what he says: “In 1788, David Thompson was working for Hudson’s Bay Company when he suffered an accident, breaking […]
UCalgary engineer assesses bone strength in astronauts
I was at the NASA Johnson Space Center in Houston earlier this month for my annual medical exam. This exam is part of the Longitudinal Study on Astronaut Health, an occupational surveillance program for former astronauts (see my earlier blog about this proactive medical surveillance program.) In addition to the usual physical exam and laboratory […]
Astronaut selection requires Gideon-like wisdom
One of my favourite Old Testament heroes is Gideon. Gideon was a prominent judge who led the Israelites in several key battles around 1150 BCE. In one story, Gideon recruited 32,000 Israeli volunteers in preparation to fight the Midians. This army, however, was deemed by God to be much too large so Gideon was directed […]
Once an astronaut, always an astronaut
Although I retired as an astronaut several years ago, I remain engaged with the Canadian Space Agency. Human spaceflight is my passion and I continue to do whatever I can to advance Canada’s role in space exploration. I suppose ‘once an astronaut, always an astronaut’. I spent two days in Houston last week participating in […]
Difficult saying goodbye to beloved colleague Bonnie DuPont
I serve on the Board of Governors of the University of Calgary. Bonnie DuPont is our chairperson. Her term on our Board is sadly coming to an end. When she joined our Board in 2006, Bonnie worked to drive improvements in the university’s governance, risk management and human resources strategies. She brought a thoughtful and […]
Graduation 2016 at Robert Thirsk High School
I participated on May 19 in the graduation ceremony for the 2016 class of Robert Thirsk High School. What a joy that was! It was the second graduation for the school which has now been open for three years and has grown to 1400 ‘Comets’. Amazing. The ceremony was especially memorable since this morning’s graduands were the […]
Happy 100th birthday NRC!
I had a wonderful time participating in the National Research Council’s centennial kick-off event last week. The National Research Council (NRC) is Canada’s primary research laboratory. Its purpose is to provide industrial and innovative know-how to help our nation address critical scientific and technical issues. NRC has a distinguished past – some of its earliest […]
ISS crew and space community dodge another bullet
Last Thursday, three astronauts aboard the ISS took emergency shelter in their Soyuz vehicle over concerns that a piece of orbital debris would pass alarmingly close to the Station.
Magical evening with Diana Krall
My wife Brenda and I were at Place des Arts in Montréal last night to attend a concert by Diana Krall. Some dear friends and family members joined us for a memorable evening. The concert was superb. Diana and her band played a wide variety of music from 1920s jazz to American standards to blues. 3,000 […]