As a petition to keep the lights on at the Centre of the Universe approaches 800 signatures, the federal government remains on course to shut it down next month.
The Centre of the Universe, an interpretive centre adjacent to the Dominion Astrophysical Observatory on West Saanich Road, is scheduled to shut its doors to the public on Aug. 24.
“It could be the last day for a while,” said Greg Fahlman, general manager of the centre and observatory, which employs 110 people in total. “We’re not giving up hope, but it’s going to be hard.”
The National Research Council, a government agency reporting to Parliament through the Industry Ministry, said in June it was closing the educational arm of the observatory due to financial constraints — with the promise it would look at maintaining some form of public access on weekends and during special events.
No such plan is yet in place, said spokesman Patrick Bookhout on Tuesday. The government continues to “explore possibilities,” he said.
Don Moffatt, who conducted public education out of the observatory in the 1990s — before the interpretive centre opened in 2001, has started a petition he hopes will prompt the government to reconsider.
The petition, which had 788 signatures as of Tuesday, is directed to National Research Council president John R. McDougall and new Minister of State for Science Greg Rickford.
“I would ask [Rickford] to work with the interested parties to find a solution to this,” Moffatt said. “We realize that there is restraint in terms of budgets, but surely there are options.”
Before Moffatt’s observatory stint, astronomers would try to inform the public themselves.
“It’s something to think about, that this public program was going on even in the 1930s. Even during the worst times, they kept the doors open for people — and here we are closing it for budgetary reasons now,” Moffatt said.
“That’s what incenses me. I think times are not quite so bad that we can toss away the future.”
Robert Kowalewski, chairman of the physics and astronomy department at the University of Victoria, said the budget reductions imposed by the NRC have required difficult choices.
“These reductions will have negative impacts both on the capacity to maintain Canadian leadership in astronomy and on the ability to engage the public through the Centre of the Universe,” Kowalewski said in an email.
“Providing opportunities to inspire and excite Canadians of all ages about the quest to understand the nature of our world is a public good that is deserving of support, and I hope there will be some way to reopen the centre.”
Oak Bay-Gordon Head Green MLA Andrew Weaver said he continues to work to save the interpretive centre with Saanich South NDP MLA Lana Popham.
The argument that the government is cutting the centre to save money makes no economic sense, he said. The cuts — which include three regular jobs and four to six seasonal jobs — would save $245,000 in wages, utilities, maintenance and taxes.
Weaver argues the federal Conservative government has found millions to support new federal scientific research to strengthen the Northern Gateway ocean oil spill response capacity in support of industry, something he believes industry should fund. Yet the government is cutting a successful science program to save barely $250,000, he said.
“It’s all a question of priorities,” Weaver said. “It’s just backward thinking.”
Tours will be offered July 30 through Aug. 24.
The petition can be found by searching for “Centre of the Universe” at change.org/petitions.
