Earth, Water, Sky
Sudbury, Ontario

Keynotes, panels, events, tours
May 23-26 2009

Don't miss...

See how IMAX movies are made, with a presentation on Science North's giant IMAX screen: Science North is the world's only science centre with an in-house large-format production team.

During this special presentation Science North IMAX producer David Lickley will talk about how large format science films come together, using the IMAX screen for his Power Point presentation and to screen his latest film.

As the new J.J. Abrams remake of Star Trek opens, spend an hour with the world expert on the real-life science behind history's most enduring science fiction franchise.

Join "Physics of Star Trek" author and Arizona State University professor Lawrence Krauss for a look at the extreme possibilities of physics now and in the future.

As part of UNESCO's International Year of Astronomy, First Nations astronomers Wilfred Buck, Rockford McKay, and Ron Hallock from the Manitoba First Nations Education Resource Centre will present a groundbreaking Powerpoint tour.

Join them for a hands-on tour of lost Cree and Ojibway constellations, complete with original artwork and live related traditional music. Observing session outdoors after, weather-permitting.

Saturday, May 23 -- The CSWA's Science And Society Awards Gala is your chance to celebrate the year's best achievements in print, radio, TV, books, and student writing.

Take in science-themed entertainment and local fine cuisine in Science North's Inco Cavern, a beautiful underground cross-section of Canadian-Shield shatter cone. Grab a seat and rub elbows with Canada's top science journalists.

Monday, May 25 -- Internationally-celebrated Canadian science fiction author Robert Sawyer will become the first writer-in-residence at the Canadian Light Source synchrotron.

Before this multiple-award-winning author heads to the Saskatoon-based particle-accellerator, he'll drop by Sudbury to talk with CSWA members and walk conference delegates through the process of science research for fictional writing.

Sunday, May 24 -- Eat Your Way Through Science North with a multi-floor progressive dinner! Appetizers and entrees start up on the 4th floor. Rub elbows with Canada's top science writers and work your way down to the 3rd floor for dessert selections that include a chocolate fountain and liquid-nitrogen ice cream. Then finish things off on the 2nd floor with a popcorn and punch bar. You might just have a career-changing moment along the way.

CIHR Cafe Scientifique, May 25 --
7:30 pm to 9:00 pm
"Latest Developments in Cancer Research and Anti-Cancer Treatments"
(open to public)
- Dr. Amadeo Parissenti, Chair of Cancer Research, Sudbury Regional Hospital
- Dr. Hoyun Lee, Senior Scientist, Sudbury Regional Hospital

Tuesday, May 26th tours (all require pre-registration):

1)      “Healing the Landscape: The Regreening of Sudbury” – Dr. Peter Beckett, Laurentian University - Full day tour with picnic lunch at Jane Goodall trail

Description:  A guided tour of the Wahnapitae and Coniston areas of Sudbury. This trip will build upon the Monday afternoon conference session.  Visit the site of an old roast bed.  Witness areas of blackened rock (Sudbury’s past moonscape) and compare to areas that have been reclaimed.  Walk the Jane Goodall Reclamation Trail.  Hear from the scientists involved in the regreening project – what has been done, what has worked, what has not and what they are doing differently now. 

2)      “The Impact that Wobbled the Planet: A Geological Tour of the Sudbury Basin” – Brenda Koziol, Senior Scientist, Science North; Dan Farrow, District Geologist, Ontario Geological Survey - Full day tour with picnic lunch at Onaping Falls

Description:  The Sudbury Basin was formed from a massive meteorite impact 1.8 billion years ago. Tour around the Sudbury Basin and find shattercones, Sudbury Breccia and other geological wonders of the remnant Sudbury crater. Take a walk at Onaping Falls near the northern edge of the basin and explore the fascinating rock formations and beautiful waterfalls where the Apollo astronauts trained. The falls are also the site of a famous Group of Seven painting by A.Y. Jackson.

3)      “Path of Discovery: The 100 Year History of Mining around the Sudbury Basin” – David Pearson, Science North/Laurentian University - Full day tour with picnic lunch

Description: Visit the O’Donnell Roast Yard site which operated for 30 years in the early 1900s and see how nature has reclaimed itself, naturally. 

4)      SNOLab 2 (maximum 16 people) – led by SNOLab staff - Half-day tour with boxed lunch

Description:  Four groups of four people will be led deep underground into the former Creighton Mine for a 3 hour tour of SNOLab.  All visitors will be suited up in full mining gear (provided) and descend 2 km beneath the earth’s surface.  After a 20 minute walk down the drift, they will arrive at another change room where they will be required to remove all clothing, shower and change into clean clothing (provided).  Visitors will be given a full guided tour of the SNOLab facilities.  After the tour, the visitors will don mining gear again for the ascent.  A boxed lunch will be provided.