Subject: Dominion Astrophysical Observatory closure during the COVID-19 pandemic
In March 2020, the Dominion Astrophysical Observatory (DAO) made the difficult decision to temporarily close public access to the site, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Under normal circumstances, we at the DAO are happy to welcome hikers to enjoy our trails, the cycling community to train on our hill and, through the Friends of the DAO, welcome the public to our historic site to share our knowledge and passion for astronomy. Our staff, who are all part of the Greater Victoria community, are proud to be able to share our site and our interests with the community.
When the pandemic began, we reduced our presence onsite and asked our employees to work remotely to do our part to support physical distancing and the fight against COVID-19. Only essential staff are onsite to allow our research operations to continue.
We have an important responsibility to care for this property and the people who use it, and to protect our employees and our community. As a research institution, and with a limited onsite presence, the DAO is not in a position to ensure safe public access to our site during the pandemic.
We recognize the disappointment this has caused within the communities of cyclists, hikers, nature and astronomy enthusiasts who enjoy our site. We ask for and appreciate your patience and support as we strive to continue to focus our efforts on supporting Canadian research under these unprecedented circumstances.
We sincerely look forward to welcoming you back and re-opening the site to our community and public outreach activities once again, as soon as it is safe to do so.
Clear skies,
Luc Simard,
Director General, Herzberg Astronomy & Astrophysics Research Centre
Dominion Astrophysical Observatory
National Research Council of Canada