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
In a news release, Bondar said she was touched to learn that her hometown of Sault Ste. Marie was chosen as the location to unveil a new commemorative coin minted in her honour.
The Royal Canadian Mint hosted the unveiling this morning at Sault College. A number of special guests, several of whom attended the launch of her space flight aboard Space Shuttle Discovery on Jan. 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, a board member 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.
