Just a reminder to our members to attend the hearings on the David Dunlap Observatory.  Please set aside time to attend for a hour, half or full day. The hearing for The David Dunlap Observatory is before the Conservation Review Board on:

When: January 15 & 16, and January 19 through 23rd, 2009.
10am – 4pm

Where: Town of Richmond Hill
Committee Room 2
225 East Beaver Creek,
Richmond Hill,
(North of Hwy #7, West of the 404 and East of Leslie Street)

Please also consider sending a letter to the Ontario and Federal governments calling for the full protection of the DDO.

The administration building, Observatory Dome, Pre-Confederation Homestead, and other buildings are set on a 189 acre farm property in Richmond Hill.  This site has a rich history in aboriginal, early Upper Canada pioneer, and later in 1933 the establishment of the University of Toronto’s Astronomical Campus.

The administration building designed in 1933 by the Toronto architectural firm, Mathers and Haldenby, and the Observatory Dome by Grubb and Parson were built to the specifications of Dr. Clarence A. Chant (Father of Canadian Astronomy) and Jessie Donalda Dunlap as a memorial to her late husband David Alexander Dunlap (founder of Hollinger Consolidated Gold Mines).

The surrounding community is supporting complete designation and re-use of this site as a working musuem allowing public outreach, astronomy research and education.  From 1995 with Canada’s first light abatement bylaw (light pollution is not an issue) and a new heritage designation bylaw that needs to be strengthen, this Provincial and Nationally significant site can be protected. The Richmond Hill Naturalists, Observatory Hill Ratepayers, the Town of Richmond Hill and Corsica Development will be before the CRB for adjudication.  Designation concerns related to this property, are the movable artefacts which are central to the heritage value of this site. Affixed assets have been removed from the site.

The Board chair will set aside some time for the the public opportunity to speak about the Observatory and/or history of the property.  We will let you know when this date is set.

Thanks and hope to see you there!

Marianne Yake

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