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The reports provided here as PDFs were pivotal (especially the "Rose Report") in defining the direction of Canadian astronomy in the last 3 decades of the 20th century. They provide a historical context to Canada's participation in the CFHT and other subsequent international projects.
Dominion Astrophysical Observatory
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In 1917, a report by W.E. Harper appeared in the
Publications of the Dominion Observatory (vol. 11 # 11) detailing the
site selection for the Dominion Astrophysical Observatory which was about to open.
This PDF file provides that report (English only, 3.6 MB).
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Queen Elizabeth II Observatory
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In the early 1960s, Canada embarked on a project to build a large optical telescope.
To be sited at apx.. 1980 m (6148 ft) on the top of Mt. Kobau, B.C., it was intended
to address Canada’s lagging capacity for optical astronomy. In 1964, in honour of the
Queen’s impending visit to Canada, the facility was named the Queen Elizabeth II
Observatory. The brochure provided here describes the project and the intended
capabilities. (14.7 MB)
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Later in the decade, site testing was ongoing, access to and preparation of the site
was completed, and a small 16" Boller & Chivens telescope erected to take observational
tests to a higher stage. However, dissension arose over the quality of the site for
such a large, expensive ($150 million in 1964 terms) facility and over the creation
of an Institute of Astronomy at UBC to operate the observatory. By 1968 the project
was in such jeopardy that a Working Group of senior scientists was struck to review
the project. Their report to Cabinet proposed alternatives that involved
extra-territorial sites and greater expenditures. These conditions were deemed
unacceptable and the decision to end the project was taken in 1969.
The failure of the project had important and far reaching implications for Canadian
astronomy until the 1980s. However, it was a valuable lesson; in recent years the
astronomical community has been able to benefit from those lessons and placed Canadian
astronomy in a leading position within the Canadian scientific endeavour and globally.
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Canada's Future in Astronomy ("Rose Report", 1970)
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In June, 1968, the Science Secretariat set up a working group under the chairmanship
of Dr . D.C. Rose (with C.S. Beals , W.H. Wehlau et D.I.R. Low), to consider the relative
merits of completing the Queen Elizabeth Telescope on Mount Kobau or of joining the
Carnegie Institution in constructing a telescope in Chile -- the so-called CARSO project. In so far as time permitted, the working group was also to consider the organization and appropriate position of astronomy in relation to the total scientific effort in Canada. The group presented its report i n August, 1968. (6.5 MB)
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Astronomy in the 1980s
By: Ian Halliday, (Chairman) Georges Michaud, and David Routledge (13.6 MB)
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Following the collapse of the Queen Elizabeth Observatory project in 1968 when
Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau withdrew Federal funding, Canadian astronomy had
a period where major projects had little chance of success, In 1983, Ian Haliday,
Georges Michaud and David Routledge completed a report (Astronomy in Canada in
the 1980's) for the NRC's Associate Committee on Astronomy which provided direction
for the astronomical community and the projects to be supported over the following
decade or more. Click here for the full report (14.0 MB)
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