Canadian Space Agency St. Hubert, Quebec
The Special ceremony marking Canada's pioneering achievements in space was held at the David Florida Laboratory near Ottawa, the Canadian Space Agency's world-class research and testing facility for satellites, space robotics and other space technologies.
``Thirty-five years of Canadian innovation and dedication to excellence have produced milestone after milestone in Canada's primary space mission -- namely, to enhance the lives of all Canadians here on Earth,'' said the Honourable John Manley, Minister of Industry. ``The great Canadian architects of ``Alouette'' began to build something far larger than their remarkable satellite. They began to build the Canadian Space Program. And in so doing, they began building a better Canada and greater prosperity for all Canadians.''
Mr. William (Mac) Evans, President of the Canadian Space Agency, called Canada's history of pioneering in space ``a truly remarkable legacy of world-class achievements involving thousands of Canadians in all regions of the country.''
As a result, the Canadian Space Program today is a significant engine of economic growth in all regions, and has made Canada an international leader in satellite telecommunications, environmental monitoring from space, advanced industrial robotics, and space-based medical research.
While the Canadian-built ``Alouette'' was internationally recognized as a technological marvel of its day, Mac Evans pointed out that it was only the first of many international ``firsts'' achieved by the hundreds of Canadians companies, universities, and research institutes -- and the thousands of Canadian workers involved in the Canadian Space Program.
Canada was the first country in the world to establish a national commercial satellite telecommunications system; the ``Hermes'' satellite paved the way for modern direct-to-home television; and the Canadian Space Agency's ``Radarsat'' satellite is the most sophisticated commercial Earth-observing satellite in orbit today.
The President of the Canadian Space Agency paid tribute to Canada's astronaut team, more of whom have flown Shuttle missions than any other country outside the United States and Russia, and to the thousands of Canadian engineers and scientists who have created world-class industrial technologies such as those in Canada's world-famous ``Canadarm'' robotic space arms.
Dr. Dave Williams is scheduled to be the next Canadian astronaut to fly into space aboard the Space Shuttle in April, 1998, a 16-day mission dedicated to researching neurological disorders.
The Canadian Space Agency is committed to leading the development and application of space knowledge for the benefit of Canadians and humanity.
For further information: Isabelle Hudon, Canadian Space Agency, (514) 926-4355, cell.: (514) 943-6808, www.space.gc.ca
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