A Centennial History of the Victoria Centre The Royal Astronomical Society of Canada 100 YEARS AND NEVER FELT BETTER! PREFACE OME YEARS AGO a fortuitous rummage been reproduced in this book. Nevertheless, an through the Victoria Centre’s library re- inclusive historical record has finally emerged. Svealed that an earlier attempt had been Also, it stands to reason that the last 20 or so made to start a Centre in Victoria in 1907. years have been given greater prominence in this We were completely unaware of this unex- history due to the availability of richer and more pected event, buried as it was, and when we next diversified material. discovered that we were unknowingly on the In a record of this nature it has not been pos- verge of celebrating our centenary in 2014 it sible to delve into the history of every prominent added to the surprise. member or officer, or cover every minor event Someone had to do a ton of digging into our pursued by the Centre history. That someone turned out to be me! However, an effort has been made to mention Soon, our ever-helpful librarian, Sid Sidhu, members who have contributed something of presented me with piles of musty, decades old value to the Centre’s membership. flotsam that had accumulated in the bowels of PRINTED COPIES AND CD’S his library cupboards. It was decided to produce a few printed copies Boxes of papers mixed with stacks of ancient on acid-free paper and burn some CD’s for ar- RASC Journals, the Centre’s monthly Skynews chival and longevity reasons. They will be stored magazines and assorted bits and pieces, stared in the Victoria Centre’s library, the Provincial me in the face. Archives, UVic and the DAO. Fortunately, 1907 to 1918 had been well Computer technology ever advances, so a documented, along with a few prized photo- hundred years from now the CD technology we graphs. But after 1918 everything we know are familiar with could be long forgotten. about those early years has had to be mined from secretaries’ annual reports to head office or from Much of what is stored on today’s CD’s could Centre newsletters. be lost forever and equipment for replaying an- cient year-2014 digital storage discs may be very Mysteriously, there were very few photo- difficult to find. graphs to be found anywhere in the Centre’s archives covering the period from about 1920 For that reason we expect paper copies will through to about the 1990’s. It’s possible that easily survive the test of time even if CD’s don’t, they could have been abandoned in some librar- providing they are properly stored. We still have ian’s house after he or she died or moved legible letters from the beginning of this century. house—and they ended up in the city dump. We sincerely hope that the Victoria Centre We do know that the Centre’s records were will still be in existence in 2114.Your world will moved around from place to place over the years, be vastly different from ours, hopefully for bet- so anything could have happened to them. To- ter, not worse. You will have solved the puzzle day, our records are safe and sound in a of dark matter and dark energy. permanent and well-stocked library in the De- partment of Physics and Astronomy at UVic. The Victoria Centre wishes to express its appreciation to An appeal to Victoria Centre members for R. Peter Broughton, author of the 1994 edition of “LOOKING UP A History of the Royal Astronomical any available old photographs resulted in a few Society of Canada” for his permission to draw from the being generously donated, but we have virtually book’s text. no portraits of past council members for the years 1914 to the 1990’s, and only a handful of early telescopes, observatories and events. The RASC head office kindly sent copies of Bill Almond whatever they had in their library—mostly cop- Victoria Centre Historian ies of early documents—some of which have 2014 CONTENTS Section One 1868: A SHORT HISTORY OF THE RASC’S GENESIS A FALTERING START THEN GREAT SUCCESS Section Two 1914: AN OPPORTUNE TIME TO FORM A CENTRE DR. J. S. PLASKETT BRINGS THE VICTORIA CENTRE AND THE DAO INTO BEING WORLD WAR I AND AN INFLUENZA EPIDEMIC DECIMATES MEMBERSHIP Section Three WHAT IS THE VICTORIA CENTRE? PRIZED WRAY-BRYDON TELESCOPE VICTORIA CENTRE’S PAST PRESIDENTS CENTRE’S NATIONAL MEDAL WINNERS CENTRE’S PERSONAL SERVICE AWARD AND OTHER AWARDS Section Four WHAT ARE ALL THOSE PEOPLE DOING OVER THERE? HIGHLIGHTS ALL THE CENTRE’S ACTIVITIES PAST AND PRESENT Section Five THE CENTRE’S LOCATION IN THE UNIVERSE INDIVIDUAL OBSERVATORIES BUILT BY CENTRE MEMBERS Section Six THE VICTORIA CENTRE’S NEW OBSERVATORY BUILT ADJACENT TO THE DAO ON TOP OF OBSERVATORY HILL Section Seven REACHING THE MAIN SEQUENCE SELECTED CENTRE HIGHLIGHTS FROM 1914 TO 2014 Section Eight ANNUAL SECRETARIES’ REPORTS FROM 1914 TO 2014 When I see your heavens, the work of your fingers, The moon and the stars that you have prepared, What is mortal man that you keep him in mind? And the son of earthling man that you take care of him? PSALMS 8: 3, 4 1 ASHORT HISTORY OF THE RASC’S GENESIS NDREW ELVINS is credited with founding the to discuss or display anything to do with bodily functions first astronomical club in Canada in 1868, named and so she wanted the offensive word “physical” removed Athe Toronto Astronomical Club. It underwent vary- from the name. ing fortunes for a number of years, never being successful In 1900 George was successful in having the offensive or fully functional. Then, in 1884, Elvins and a few inter- word dropped, thereafter becoming known as the Toronto ested amateur associates formed another club and named it Astronomical Society. However, during the following year, The Astronomical and Physical Society of Toronto. in 1901, circumstances were once e again destined to change the course of the Society—and its name. A ROYAL ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY NEEDED In September and October, the Duke and Duchess of York made a coast-to-coast tour of Canada, setting off a great wave of patriotic sentiment, so much so that the mem- bers of the newly-named Society decided that it would be Andrew Elvins highly desirable and fashionable to become a Royal emigrated from Society. England to Can- The minutes read: “After considerable discussion con- ada at 12 years cerning the expediency of making application to the of age. Moved to Crown for the privilege of styling the Society ‘Royal” and Toronto in 1860. The revamped Society was more successful and in 1890 it resulted in a decision to incorporate the Society under Ontario law. A constitution and bylaws were drafted on Tuesday, February 25, 1890, and “two weeks later, the committee reported that they had appeared before Judge MacDougall and that he had made the necessary declara- tions recognizing the society as a legal entity.” However, George Lumsden, one of the charter members and the secretary, tried on numerous occasions to have the name changed on account of persistent objections raised by the prim and proper Mrs. Lumsden. Like many other re- fined Victorian ladies of the day, she took great pains never The Duke and Duchess of York visit Toronto City Hall in 1901. in the event of doing so whether of “Toronto” or of “Can- formed and as a result Centres began springing up across ada” should be asked for.” the land. King Edward VII approved the request, however a copy FIRST CENTRES ESTABLISHED of the charter never materialized resulting in a 100-year-old puzzle. For more details: By 1908 Ottawa and Hamilton were well established and after that came Regina and Winnipeg. By the time the http://www.rasc.ca/societys-royal-charter First World War assailed the world in 1914 some five Cen- THE NEWLY MINTED tres were active and growing. Dr. Chant, also proposed name, bylaws and guiding ob- ROYAL SOCIETY jectives in order to enhance governance and the promotion What was next required was a suit- of astronomy. a Royal Seal to adorn its Many Centres across the country have incorporated un- majestic, elevated status and der Provincial Society Acts, principally for tax purposes, as its printed matter. Accord- did the Victoria Centre in 1981. ingly, two years later, in 1905, the original Royal Seal design That landmark year saw our Centre incorporated under was completed. Over the years the B.C. Society Act on September 22, thanks to the efforts modifications have been made of Robert Bryden a lawyer and Centre member. to keep the design modern looking. In the Seal’s centre a seated RASC CENTRES woman is shown with stars arrayed above her head—the woman is Celestial Urania, 1906 to 1918 the Greek muse of Astronomy, or more accurately, she should be called the muse of astro- Ottowa logy since the science of astronomy, as such, was un- Hamilton known to the Greeks. Winnipeg The motto over her head reads: Quo Ducit Urania, Regina meaning, “Where Urania leads, we follow.” Victoria Montreal A once in a lifetime image! In December 2011 Victoria Centre member Guy Walton imaged a rare supernova in M101. Orion SSPro camera, Astrotech AT8RC telescope, EQ6 mount. Lights: 7X900 seconds. Excellent seeing at Pearson College Observatory. Dr. Chant with his daughter, Elizabeth, in front of their summer home in Go-Home Bay in 1904. Note the geometrical design in the railing.