Kilometer Array (SKA) radio telescope, the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). And these are only a few of the projects that Canadian astronomers are engaged in. They are of a scale to require wide national support, involving both time and money, if Canadian participation is to be a reachable goal, At the same time many of us are focussed on our own
individual research programs, based on the facilities we already have in place and may not be terribly interested in thinking about long term plans.
But
I think the reality is that, for our community to continue to be strong
and viable, there will need to be continuing attention
given to
long term planning.It is now almost 3 years since the Long Range Plan (LRP)
was released and
we have made considerable gains since then. We have been seen and heard
by politicians and ministry people in Ottawa, to such an extent that the
LRP is almost a brand. But it is now time to begin to take stock and
undertake a mid-coursereview of the LRP. How is it holding up? What do
we want to keep the same? What needs changing? How have the scientific
and political landscapes changed and how might that affect our vision of
the future of Canadian astronomy? What evidence will we be able to muster
in two or three years to show that we have made good use of government
investments in astronomy - so they will continue to support us in the
future? To help us all see where things are right now, I have asked those who
are
involved in new and ongoing initiatives to give CASCA members a brief
update on their projects; their updates are slightly different from the
regular reports often seen in E-Cass and will constitute a major part
of this issue. There will also be an LRP discussion session at CASCA2003
during which you will all have an opportunity to contribute your
thoughts. So please read this E-Cass with that in mind.
I look forward to seeing you in Waterloo.Gretchen Harris