Roberta Bondar’s breathtaking photos on display
Telus Spark was the place to be Jan. 23 as none other than Dr. Roberta Bondar presided over the opening of Within the Landscape — Art Respecting Life, a travelling exhibition featuring breathtaking photographs depicting seven biomes. That the photographs are the work of Bondar made opening night that much more special.
And if you want to read an amazing C.V., read on. Other than being the first Canadian female astronaut in space — which, in and of itself, is pretty darn cool — Bondar is holder of the NASA Space Medal and was inducted into the International Women’s Forum Hall of Fame and Canadian Medical Hall of Fame for her groundbreaking research in space medicine. Bondar has also received 24 honorary doctorates from Canadian and American universities. She holds medical licences in New Mexico, Ontario and is a Canadian Board Certified Neurologist with a subspecialty in neuro-ophthalmology. And did I mention she takes a heck of a photograph? The limited-time travelling exhibition and learning experience features fine art photography from The Roberta Bondar Foundation, capturing natural landscapes from forests, lakes and rivers, coastal and marine, desert and semi-desert, grasslands, wetlands and ice across biomes.
Guests in attendance at the VIP opening included: Telus Spark president and CEO Jennifer Martin with colleagues Dr. Devon Hamilton, Alison Pidskalny, Megan Douglas and Jorge Aviles; Telus Spark board chair Brent Poohkay; Redpoint Media’s Kathy Randle and Jocelyn Erhardt; Parks Canada CEO Alan Latourelle; Bonnie Patterson, chair of the Roberta Bondar Foundation; RBC’s Lori McLaren and Debbie Ehrstien; LDH Energy vice-president Toby McKenna and his wife Michelle, who is on the Telus Spark board; Calgary Herald editor Lorne Motley; and old-dear friends-and colleagues of Bondar’s, Dr. Marian Hill and Dr. Betty Roots.