Canada’s largest telescope draws those captivated by the night sky
RICHMOND HILL, Ont. — Randy Attwood remembers visiting the David Dunlap Observatory as an eight-yearold and feeling awestruck as he looked up at the towering 1.88-metre reflector telescope.
He never imagined more than 40 years later he would deliver lectures about astronomy at the Richmond Hill, Ont., observatory as the executive director of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada.
This summer the observatory, which contains the largest telescope in Canada, reopened to the public after 10 years.
The town of Richmond Hill, which owns the observatory and about half the surrounding property, is looking to raise awareness of the site and reach the community through programming, said Maggie MacKenzie, the town’s heritage centre co-ordinator.
About a 45-minute drive north of downtown Toronto, visitors can every Saturday see the telescope being operated, star gaze with telescopes set up on the lawn around the observatory, and listen to a guest speaker.
Once a month on Sundays, tours of the observatory and administration building provide more information about the site’s history. A space camp for kids also runs in the summer during the week.
“It’s a gorgeous place. It’s a best-kept secret. People should certainly come visit it,” said Ian Shelton, chair of the David Dunlap Observatory Defenders, who runs programs out of the observatory and teaches astronomy at the University of Toronto.
David Alexander Dunlap was an avid astronomer, philanthropist and founding partner of the Hollinger gold mines.