President's Message - June 2009

by John McDonald

The big news this month is the progress on our Victoria Centre Observatory. We have used funds received from the BC Gaming Commission to purchase more of the equipment needed to compete the observatory. That includes a HyperStar camera lens and QSI 583 astro camera for remote and local imaging as well as a Tele Vue 127mm scope to complement the 14 inch Meade. In addition, Bruno Quenneville has organized to get a concrete pad and walkway with the help of a generous donation of concrete from TRIO Ready Mix. (Project Report)

In another significant milestone, the DAO has cleared a major hurdle we faced in making the VCO remotely accessible. Thanks to their generosity, we now have the necessary high speed that is essential for remote use. Their support of the VCO project has been crucial at every stage of the project and they have once again been there for us when we needed help.

Additional bits and pieces needed to complete the facility will be purchased with the rest of the grant funds through the summer. Once the new equipment is installed we will have a flexible facility for remote and local use with state of the art equipment we can all be proud of.

A big thank you to Sid and all the volunteers who have been keeping us on track to reach our goal of 20,000 Galileo experiences by the end of the year. With the year half way through, we are on target with half of the target already met. Well done everyone. (IYA 2009 in Victoria)