Dear Science North Members:
With the special exhibition Ends of the Earth: From Polar Bears to Penguins AND Dynamic Earth Phase 2 now open, we really can’t wait for you to experience it all!
Please click on the links below for more information.
Catch ‘Gold Fever’ at Dynamic Earth Phase 2! Now Open!
By Lisa Koski, Marketing Specialist, Memberships and Programs
There are strange things done 'neath the midnight sun
By the men who moil for gold…
The desire for gold is so deeply entrenched in the human psyche that most cultures have their own myths associated with this precious metal. From fabled King Midas to the poet Robert Service, gold fever’s been infecting the population for ages. When Dynamic Earth and its new Phase 2 expansion open on March 8th, visitors will have many ‘golden opportunities’ to have fun while learning about gold. Setting the charge is Dynamic Earth’s new Director, Tina Montgomery.
A native of Coniston, Tina herself is a rarity. A mechanical engineer by training, she was one of eleven women in her program at Queens University at a time when 91% of her fellow students were men. Following graduation, she worked for Inco and then Siemens in Hamilton for several years. Soon, Tina and her husband (who is originally from Sudbury as well) decided that Sudbury was the place they wanted to live and raise their young son.
Tina Montgomery in the new Atlas Copco Theatre.
With so many new things happening with the Phase 2 expansion, Dynamic Earth is proving itself to be as malleable as gold. Tina says that her favourite part of the expansion is the new Atlas Copco Theatre. It boasts "next generation" high-definition digital images and resolution beyond anything you can see anywhere else in Northern Ontario. Films will be played back digitally from a computer’s hard drive onto a 38’ wide x 22.5’ tall screen. Stadium seating for 125 will ensure that everyone has a good view. In keeping with the gold theme, the film Gold Fever – a Science North Production directed by David Lickley – will screen daily, and be included as a part of the Dynamic Earth experience. “This technology will allow us to change content to meet our programming needs with greater ease,” Tina remarked. The Atlas Copco Theatre will be available for rent to the public. It’s the ideal location for speaking engagements, corporate presentations, and other multi-media presentations. “It’s a wonderful space – intimate, warm, and inviting,” she added.
Complementing the Gold Fever film is the opportunity for visitors to ‘pan for gold’, like a Yukon prospector, in a simulated multi-level ‘stream’ that will allow for adults and kids to pan for gold simultaneously. “We’ll have actual gold flakes in there for visitors to find – and keep!” Tina explained. Visitors will also learn the difference between real gold and ‘fool’s gold’; determine their weight in gold with King Midas’s help, and take in a elaborate display of gold ore, jewelry, and coins.
Young visitors pan for gold with help from Staff Scientist Dan Chaput
The underground tour continues to be a popular part of the Dynamic Earth experience, and a new Inco Chasm Show will debut. The new Inco Chasm Show will illustrate how miners prepare for the workday and then simulate their descent into a mine just as visitors descend for the underground tour. Shot at CVRD Inco’s Garson and Creighton Mines, the new Chasm Show will provide a greater understanding of the work of a modern miner.
Finishing off the Phase 2 expansion are the Discovery Room – a multi-purpose space – and the huge floating granite globe fountain. “It weighs 3 tonnes, but a child can move it with his or her hands because of the water,” Tina said, and then added that the Discovery Room will be a fun place to hold children’s “A Rockin’ Good Time at Dynamic Earth” themed birthday parties.
With the perspective of someone who has returned to Northeastern Ontario after living away, Tina encourages local residents to come and experience Dynamic Earth because “…it’s a gem in our own backyard!”
More info…
Ends of the Earth: From Polar Bears to Penguins – Now Open!
A Science North Special Exhibition
Discover the unique nature of the Earth’s polar regions, the current science being undertaken there, and how these regions are indicators of climate change on our planet. Relive polar expeditions through the eyes of great explorers. Walk and slide like a penguin and learn why polar bears love the cold!
Science North and the Cochrane Polar Bear Habitat are collaborating to enhance the value of the Ends of the Earth travelling exhibition, and we recently installed some neat new exhibits in Cochrane!
March Break Blast
Before you know it March Break will be here, and we have everything you need to make it a memorable one for the whole family! It all starts with our March Break PA Day programs at Science North and Dynamic Earth on Friday, March 9th, and continues right through the week with a ton of fun activities for the whole family!
Don't forget that Science North Members receive free admission to the science centre and Dynamic Earth, discounts on IMAX and more!
March Break is the perfect time to make the effort to connect with friends and family living further afield. Why not invite them for a visit? Everyone could use a little fun at Science North and Dynamic Earth! Special savings coupons for your guests are available on-line.
If friends or family are considering becoming Science North Members, they should join soon to take full advantage of Member benefits during March Break.
Jennifer and Nancy’s Awesome Antarctic Adventure
Thanks to the generosity of the Ends of the Earth exhibition’s Supporting Sponsor, Quark Expeditions, Science North Senior Scientist Jennifer Pink and Media & Communications Specialist Nancy Griffin have departed for their Awesome Antarctic Adventure, and you can follow along on our web site as they call in an "audio blog" via satellite phone from the far reaches of the globe.
Explore Science Speaker Series: Gerard Courtin and The High Arctic
NEW DATE: Thursday, March 29th, 2007 at 7:30 p.m. - Inco Cavern
(was March 22nd)
 Dr. Gerard Courtin is Professor Emeritus at Laurentian University who has spent many years in the High Arctic and has inspired numerous students about this frozen but magical place. A botanist by background, Gerry is articulate and eloquent when it comes to talking about the Arctic. Gerry will make you realize why the Arctic is so fascinating, beautiful, and why we need to pay more attention to it.
 Lloyd Spencer Davis delighted the sold-out crowd with his humour and his love of penguins during his Marching With Penguins Explore Science presentation on February 8th. Lloyd is one of the world's foremost penguin researchers who is celebrating thirty years of studying penguins.
Prior to the public presentation, Lloyd met with the Sudbury chapter of Science North’s Science Quest Club to impart some of his knowledge of penguins and Antarctica. His public presentation was broadcast via a web link to Science Quest Clubs in Sault Ste. Marie, Cochrane, and Gore Bay.
The presentations in the Explore Science Speaker Series are the perfect complement to the Ends of the Earth special exhibition.
PA Day Alert: March 30th
There's still time to register your child in Science North's PA Day programs on Friday, March 30th.
Spring Has Sprung! PA Day Program
9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Science North
Ages 4 to 12
Science North Members $40 / Non-Members $45 (lunch is included)
Before & After Care: $6
Spring is nature's alarm clock telling all the plants and animals to wake up and grow! Among other fascinating subjects, your child will learn about how tulips and daffodils develop from bulbs, and how some animals and insects wake from their long winter hibernation.
More info…
Coming Soon: Summer Science Camps!
To help you make plans for your summer vacation, here is a list of dates when Science North’s Summer Science Camps will be in operation in your community:
Sudbury: July 3 to August 31
Sault Ste Marie: July 9 to August 17
Timmins: July 9 to August 17
Gore Bay: July 9 to July 13
Chapleau: July 9 to July 13
Wawa: July 16 to July 20
Parry Sound: July 16 to July 20
North Bay: July 23 to August 10
Hearst: July 23 to July 27
Kapuskasing: July 30 to August 3
Moosonee: August 7 to August 10
Barrie: August 7 to August 17
Cochrane: August 13 to August 17
Manitoulin Island: August 20 to August 24
Haileybury: August 20 to August 24
We are putting the finishing touches on all of our summer camps offerings. As a Science North Member, you will be first to know when you can book your kids for summer camps. Look for an e-mail from us in the near future.
Cinéfest Sudbury Presents the “Canadian Spotlight” Mini-Fest
March 26th to 29th
SilverCity Sudbury
The best in contemporary Canadian cinema.
More info…
Thank you for being a Science North Member!
Your support helps us to develop new exhibits and programming - for you!
We love to hear from our Members! If you have any comments about Membership or this newsletter, please e-mail them to koski@sciencenorth.ca.
See you soon at Science North and Dynamic Earth!
Lisa Koski
Marketing Specialist, Memberships & Programs (and a Science North Member)
koski@sciencenorth.ca
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