Hadfield to Tosorontio PS students – “Love every step”

October 31, 2013 · 0 Comments

As part of a Canada-wide event involving over 200 schools, one of Tosorontio Central Public School’s own students was given the opportunity to ask astronaut Chris Hadfield a question via web cam last week.

Out of the all schools to participate and submit questions, grade six student Lilliane Dionne, was one of the lucky 20 chosen to ask the famous astronaut a question.

Dionne, although admittedly “a little nervous” prior to asking her question, was eager to ask Hadfield the question that her and her classmates came up with.

When her turn came up and with many of her fellow students watching, Dionne asked: “What was the most concerning aspect related to our impact on the environment that was evident to you from space?”

She also thanked Hadfield on behalf of her fellow students for being an inspiration to so many.

Hadfield’s response was one that had all the students listening intently:

“To me it’s water. Water is really the key. The vast majority of water on earth is salt water and only a tiny, tiny fraction is fresh water and if you look at some of the big seas in the world, because of really bad planning and bad management, we as people dry it up…Without water we’re done. Water is really important just for life and if you look at the Great Lakes in Canada and the United States right now, as long as we’ve been measuring the Great Lakes, they have never been lower than they were last year. So it’s really something to think about and it’s one of the things I worry about the most when I look at the impact on our environment and the long-term symptoms of the division of fresh water and something we need to think about every time we flush the toilet and run the tap. We all need to think about our particular influence on the environment and think about water and ways to conserve it and think about leaving enough water for the people who come after you.”

He also told the students that the decisions they make inspire those around them every day.

Afterwards, Dionne said Hadfield’s answer somewhat surprised her and some of her classmates.

“I didn’t expect it to be about water, I would have thought it would be like how much trees we cut down or something. And I didn’t feel as nervous as I thought I would be,” she said smiling.

Dionne also said there was another message from Hadfield that resonated with her.

“I like how he said love every step when you’re going toward your dream and the inspirational part when he said it makes you feel good when a random person comes up to you to say thanks for being inspirational.”

The question and answer opportunity with Hadfield was organized and hosted by The National Film Board of Canada (NFB), the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) and the Canadian Museum of Nature (CMN).

Questions from the schools mainly centered around Hadfield’s journey to becoming an astronaut and his experiences while aboard the International Space Station last year that captivated the country.

Tosorontio Central PS principal, Don Shackell, said students had been looking forward to hearing from Hadfield.

“They’ve been very excited,” he said. “Chris Hadfield is a hero to them and we focused on him a lot last year when he was up in space and it’s great to be able to do this because it links what’s happening in the world to our school and the curriculum.”

By Jeff Doner