Canada's only radio telescope is alive and well and living a refurbished life in the south Okanagan.

by Steve Arstad

The NRC Herzberg Institute of Astrophysics Dominion Radio Astrophysical Observatory (whew!) near Okanagan Falls has been in the Valley for over 46 years. The site of the only radio telescope in Canada, the institution is firing on all cylinders these days as the staff works hard to make it a major part of the Okanagan's high tech industry in the coming months and years.

The Radio Telescope, known more commonly as DRAO, has matured over the years since its establishment in 1959. As various links are forged between conservationist groups, industry and education, the radio telescope today is moving in directions not even considered less than a decade ago.

DRAO is situated in the White Lake Basin a few kilometers west of Okanagan Falls. A side valley of the Okanagan, the White Lake area was first seen by the traders of the Hudson's Bay Company when the Brigade Trail passed through the area. Later, during the pioneer era, coal seams discovered around White Lake were thought to have big economic prospects; the coal turned out to be low grade and dirty. For years after, only a few scattered ranchers and the remains of a tailings pile from the coal mining days were the only signs of human activity in the valley. The sparse population was a big reason why the site was chosen in 1959, after scientists conducted an exhaustive cross country search for a location with suitable natural attributes.

The White Lake Basin represents a unique natural environment in several aspects, some of which were important to the National Research Council. (A radio telescope is able to produce images of the universe by detecting radio frequencies emitted by gases in outer space, a phenomenon discovered in the late 1930's.) Susceptible to interference from man-caused radio frequencies, the area had to be uninhabited, sheltered from stray noise, and close enough to the equator to see southern sky. The location had to be dry, with relatively little snow, and close enough to a reasonable sized town in order to attract the skilled technical personnel needed to operate it - this was never meant to be a lonely boreal outpost for these astronomers!

Encircled by a system of low hills, the basin was essentially open grassland in 1959, with almost no habitation. It suited the requirements for low radio emissions perfectly. The NRC chose the site and acquired property adjacent to it in order to provide a buffer from potential intrusive sources of radio noise.

"We compete on a world stage here," says an ebullient Dr. Thomas L. Landecker, a scientist at the telescope. The week prior to the 9th annual open house on September 24, 2005 saw the institute win a three year extension of a research grant from the federal government, a grant that the institute had one chance in ten of acquiring.

"This radio telescope supports the research of Canadian scientists working in astronomy, mostly Canadian university researchers. We build radio telescopes for other nations. The sensitivity of our telescopes has improved since our beginnings by a factor of 10,000 times - we are always pushing the limits."

Consumer and commercial electronics have changed considerably since the early days of the radio telescope. Improving technology has resulted in much improved signal detection capabilities with the telescope, but at the same time has resulted in a corresponding increase in extraneous noise levels, caused mainly by consumer electronics. With this in mind, local regional government has pledged itself to protecting the environment around the telescope in the White Lake basin from large scale development in its Official Community Plan, a commitment that has been a guiding principal for years in dealing with land issues in the area.

The land buffer originally purchased by the NRC (National Research Council) in 1959 has increased over the past few decades, once in the 1980s, and then again when the Nature Trust of B.C. bought property and acquired grazing leases in the area. In 2001 the B.C. government established the White Lake Grasslands Park, and today the South Okanagan-Similkameen Conservation Program (SOSCP) coordinates stewardship of the lands.

The Observatory itself pays strict attention to controlling its own radio emissions. Buildings on the site have been designed around the requirement to limit radio signal leakage. DRAO's buildings are all metal - metal screen mesh covers all the windows, with copper mesh enclosing the office machines. All computers in the facility are housed in a shielded enclosure or room as well.

Research done at DRAO has typically been pure research - study purely for the sake of further knowledge. Nowadays, however, the focus is based more on applying the research to the solution of practical problems for earth bound businesses, while at the same time gaining new insights into the workings of the solar system.

"Scientists at White Lake represent a world class research group," Landecker says. "One of our current projects involves the construction of a special purpose computer for the largest radio telescope in the world, to be based in the United States - we were sought out for the project because of our special skills here." Similar equipment is being built to supply a telescope in the U.K.

Roughly ten years ago, DRAO looked like it could face closure because of burgeoning government debt and the subsequent slashing of federal programs. The Institute survived the lean times of the early 1990s; since then the feds have taken a renewed interest in the White Lake Observatory, and in 2002 a 4.5 million dollar expansion of the facility took place. The installation's research and development, administration, office and library facilities were expanded with the addition of the Arthur Covington Building. More recently, commercial concerns have worked alongside DRAO's scientific team; currently a small hi-tech firm known as RFind has taken up office space in the facility.

Today the telescope employs 50 people, who reside up and down the Valley from Keremeos to Kelowna. An annual budget of $3,000,000 finds its way into local coffers, and the institution is a tourist draw.

One of DRAO's community roles is as an educational tool. Presently, the institution plays host to more than 1500 school kids each year.

"Scientists volunteer their time for the kids," Landecker explained. "For many, it's the first time for them to meet a flesh and blood scientist." Landecker knows of at least one local student who decided to pursue a career in astrophysics as a result of his visit to the Observatory. DRAO supports the work of four undergraduates per year, including many students doing doctorates, engineering and other research work.

There is a lot of talk these days about building a high tech knowledge base in the Okanagan. Landecker sees the Observatory as a natural to support and build links in the industry. Private industry wishing to tap into DRAO's resources and expertise in such things as antenna development, radio-frequency shielding, software development and image and signal processing is constantly encouraged. Key to this initiative is Peter Haubrich, executive director of ORIC (Okanagan Valley Research and Innovation Centre). ORIC is an independent, non-profit society dedicated to bridging the gap between DRAO's research and development and industry needs.

With the recent creation of a university for the Okanagan, the Observatory provides an existing research structure that could support a prominent physics faculty - providing a link between DRAO's research and the local university.

"We are pushing hard to get things that the community can also use," Landecker adds. DRAO is in the process of bringing a gigabite internet link into the Okanagan (a technology involving extremely fast file transfer over the internet) - something that is sought after and may soon be available to other valley institutions like the Interior Health and UBC-Okanagan College facilities.

These days, the future looks generally bright for DRAO. A revolutionary new antenna is currently being researched (known as the Canadian Large Adaptive Reflector, or CLAR) that could have a dramatic impact on the facilities' ability to map the universe. Protecting the area from further development is a commitment local government has emphatically made through their community plan, a promise that also benefits the White Lake Nature Trust's efforts to retain pristine habitat like the White Lake Basin.

Dr. Landecker and the telescope staff very much value their commitment to the community and are optimistic about a future that looks increasingly busy and innovative for the facility. With the development of partnerships between business and education, the Observatory will become increasingly useful in creating opportunities for local industry and intellect. How far will it go? It would certainly seem that with this science, even the sky isn't the limit.