It's been 25 years since the Sault's own Dr. Roberta Bondar became the first Canadian woman to go to space.
To celebrate this momentous occasion, the Canadian Mint has designed a special silver collector coin and that coin will be unveiled in the Sault on Tuesday morning.
Not only was Bondar the first Canadian woman in space, she was the first neurologist in space and she was the first astronaut to hone her considerable photography skills during her mission producing breathtaking images of the earth from a point of view seldom seen.
That point of view continues to inspire young Canadians to understand their place within our country's complex ecosystems and Bondar challenges them to elevate both their photography and their understanding of biodiversity through the Bondar Challenge and the Roberta Bondar Foundation
The full text of a release from the foundation follows
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TORONTO - Dr. Bondar was touched to learn that her hometown of Sault Ste. Marie was chosen as the location to officially unveil a new commemorative coin minted in her honour. The Royal Canadian Mint will host the event at Sault College’s Multimedia Room on Tuesday, November 1 in the morning. A number of special guests, several of whom attended the launch of her space flight aboard Space Shuttle Discovery on January 22, 1992, will be in attendance along with local dignitaries, friends and family.
“Recognizing this historic moment in Canadian history in this way is such a deserving tribute,” said Elaine Paterson, Member of the Board of The Roberta Bondar Foundation. “I was at the launch 25 years ago and it was mind blowing then and she continues to be out of this world in her many contributions to the world today.”
In 1992, Roberta Bondar became Canada’s first woman astronaut and the world’s first neurologist in space. She continues to inspire and encourage people of all ages to reach for the stars.
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