As someone who is used to out-of-this-world travel, Prince George Public Library staff are hoping retired Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield is willing to make a short trek to put some stars in children's eyes.
Hadfield will be in Prince George Saturday to deliver the keynote address at the 10th annual Dr. Bob Ewert Memorial Lecture and Dinner at the Civic Centre.
The Bob Harkins branch reached out to Hadfield's team back when news of his visit to Prince George was first made public last September, but were told his schedule wouldn't allow for him to visit the library. But that hasn't stopped staff from making less-than-subtle overtures via social media to attract the former astronaut's attention.
"I know that he is a busy man, and I completely respect that, but the distance between our facility and the Civic Centre is literally feet," said library communication co-ordinator Andrea Palmer. "It's not quite an intergalactic leap for him to, say, walk over from his hotel or pay us a visit."
In addition to his appearance at the dinner, Hadfield will also be signing books at Exploration Place between 11:30 a.m. and 1 p.m.
"We know he loves libraries, we know he loves education, we know he loves literacy, all of these things point him in our direction," Palmer said.
From 1 to 2:30 p.m. children between the ages of five and 12 are invited to the library's So You Want to be an Astronaut? event, where they will have a chance to hear space-themed stories and engage in cosmos-based activities including a chance to look like Hadfield with an astronaut helmet cutout - complete with moustache.
"We're having the event no matter what and it's going to be a lot of fun," said Palmer, noting the buzz around Hadfield's arrival is a good way to engage and involve young people with an interest in space and astronomy. "And if a certain interstellar traveler were to stop by, we would be thrilled."
