Save David Dunlap Observatory!

December 13th, 2007 at 11:26 am (Current Events)

Donor’s heir at odds with U. of T.

“I really can’t put it nicely,” said Donalda Robarts, granddaughter of Jessie Donalda Dunlap, who in 1927 and 1932 gave the U of T the land in Richmond Hill for the David Dunlap Observatory. “I would call it confiscation.”

The university voted last month to scrap the observatory and Canada’s largest telescope, and sell the land, in the heart of Richmond Hill, to the highest bidder. The school is accepting bids until Feb. 15; some estimates say the land could fetch $100-million.

Told about the U of T’s court application against Ms. Dunlap’s heirs, the mayor [of Richmond Hill] said, “Wow. It seems very high-handed to take people to court on the legacy of the family, or a gift to the university.”

It sure is. So let’s put a stop to it by signing a petition, shall we?

3 Comments

  1. Gravatar

    steph said,

    December 13, 2007 at 12:26 pm

    Already did a while ago. I will be so angry if it’s gone — that place pretty much got me interested in things astronomical back when i was like 7. Gragh.

  2. Gravatar

    WCG said,

    December 14, 2007 at 12:18 am

    It’s funny that, if it really wasn’t any good as an observatory and they wanted to close it for that reason, then the land would revert back to the heirs. WE CAN’T HAVE THAT! Greedy bastards.

    (On the other hand, I’m sure that, like all cash-strapped institutions of higher learning, UofT could really use the cash. Their method of fundraising, however - stealing from little old ladies - leaves a lot to be desired).

  3. Gravatar

    Rod said,

    December 17, 2007 at 11:15 pm

    Thanks for linking to the petition. Jessie Dunlap, the original donor, was hardly a little old lady, WCG! — but I know what you mean. Losing the DDO will also mean losing the largest remaining green space in Richmond Hill. After 72 years, why should U of T leave in such a hurry? Why not wait a few years and give the Town of Richmond Hill and other levels of government a chance to work out a deal. After all, the DDO is still producing good science — they published 19 papers in 2006. If U of T would simply listen to their own experts on climate change, conservation biology, bio-diversity, etc, they would never consider selling off the David Dunlap Observatory and Park, so that it can be paved over by developers. U of T would be giving up a local, working observatory that is bought and paid for in order to fund carbon-intensive astronomy that requires constant air travel to distant observatories. We need sustainable science and sustainable communities.

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