Canadian astronaut Dr. Robert Thirsk received honorary credentials at Vancouver Island University’s (VIU) winter convocation ceremony.
Held at the Port Theatre in Nanaimo, the ceremony recognized the hard work of VIU students, awarding more than 250 master and bachelor degrees, diplomas and certificates in a variety of disciplines.
The ceremony also recognized the contributions Thirsk and community fundraising champion Bruce Williams have made to Canada.
Thirsk adds his VIU honorary doctor of laws to his 2012 Order of British Columbia, his 2009 NASA Distinguished Public Service Medal and Outer Space Exploration Medal of Merit awarded by the President of the Russian Federation in 2011.
“It’s not my objective in life to receive these kinds of awards,” said Thirsk, in a telephone interview with the Peak on the morning before the ceremony. He finds the recognition gratifying, though, if it can help raise the profile of Canada’s space program and advance the idea that science and technology is the foundation of innovation and the national economy.
“It’s important to inspire the next generation of Canadians,” he said.
Thirsk said he is a great admirer of Ralph Nilson, VIU president, and his approach to engaging the community through education, and of chancellor Shawn A-in-chut Atleo, who also serves as National Chief of the Assembly of First Nations in Canada.
The former astronaut, who retired from the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) in 2012 after 28 years of service, was nominated by City of Powell River mayor Dave Formosa, councillor Chris McNaughton and VIU Powell River campus principal Arlette Raaen.
Thirsk received the key to Powell River in 2012 from Formosa, who was councillor at the time, during the Order of BC ceremony at Government House in Victoria. Formosa recalls the idea of nominating Thirsk for the honorary doctorate came up while he was speaking with Nilson during that ceremony.
“As a city, we can be very proud of one of our youth,” said Formosa, adding that Thirsk was chosen for the space program out of 4,000 candidates. “He is a very bright man and the stories he was telling us about space were just incredible.”
Thirsk’s nominators travelled to Nanaimo to participate in the convocation events.
“I’m very fond of the citizens of Powell River,” said Thirsk. “It’s a great community with strong family values and it definitely moulded me and gave me some educational inspiration when I was young.”
Thirsk’s passion for space exploration began in Powell River. His imagination was piqued when his Grief Point Elementary School grade three teacher Shirley Cole played a radio broadcast of astronaut John Glenn in the classroom.
Thirsk and Cole have stayed in touch over the years and he said he was eager to see her again at the convocation.
“She was very inspirational to me when I was a student to consider math, science and space as a future education,” he said. “I think it’s important for students to keep in touch with their teachers who are pretty formative.”
He started out as an undergraduate engineering student and was encouraged from his professors to pursue medicine as a career. He was chosen to join the Canadian astronaut program in 1983 while he was practicing as a family physician.
Since retiring from the CSA, he joined the Canadian Institutes of Health Research in Ottawa. As vice-president of Public, Government, and Institute Affairs, Thirsk oversees the 13 institutes dedicated to health care issues such as aging and cancer research.
“Whether it’s in space or exploring how the human body functions and what disease processes are all about,” he said, “I’m a person who loves exploration and discovery.”
