[getsmart-l] U of T pressured Dunlap heirs :National Post Story

[Gloria Boxen]

The National Post relates how the University has pressured the Dunlap heirs to allow the sale of the Observatory and Park.  Richmond Hill wants the U of T to give them time to protect the land and Observatory.

http://www.nationalpost.com/todays_paper/story.html?id=162397&p=1


Residents have expressed how important the DDO is to Richmond Hill's identity.   Over the years, the Town has accommodated the Observatory by placing height restrictions on buildings to keep the sky unobstructed.  Street lights now only emit part of the light spectra, leaving the remaining available for observations.   Electronics allow the telescope to view stars 1000 times brighter than when it was first installed and skies were dark.  A mere $10,000 of new equipment could improve that up to 10 fold.

Telescopes have been shut down across the continent, leaving the DDO's in demand for studying our galaxy.

Some quotes from the Richmond Hill Naturalists's online petition, http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/savetheddo/: 

I know that the DDO has been part of our heritage, but I didn't, until now, realize how important it is. I had no idea that the first black hole was discovered there. That's, in my opinion, a monumental scientific discovery. And something like that is USUALLY preserved as a symbol of Canadian innovation and what not. I'm thoroughly disappointed in UofT for not supporting this innovation.

So typical. The almighty dollar is more important than life itself and history.

Not a resident of Richmond hill, but an alumnus of U of T. Used the DDO for my 2nd year Astro paper. Beautiful building, great history... it should be preserved and used for as long as possible.

This is so important part of Richmond Hill as well as part of Ontario and part of Canada. I totally support the petition.

I think it would be a real disappointment to sell this natural and historic land to a developer. This completely goes against all "green" efforts to help the environment, let alone destroy the homes of thousands of wildlife.

I seen an owl in a tree in our subdivision on the weekend. It is so sad to see so much of the natural habitat gone in Richmond Hill.

Gloria Boxen
  
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