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John H. Chapman Award of Excellence

Recipients

2010 – David A. Golden

David A. Golden has a distinguished 48-year career as a public servant and business executive in the satellite and telecom industry in Canada. A key achievement and highlight of his career was bridging the worlds of government and business and helping them work together better for the benefit of Canadians and Canada's telecom industry.

Mr. Golden enjoyed a meteoric rise in government. Three years after joining the Civil Service, he became Deputy Minister of Defence Production and, subsequently, Deputy Minister of Industry. Through the 1960s, Golden chaired the Parliamentary Centre for Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, served as President of the Canadian Institute of International Affairs, and was the Chairman of the Board of Carleton University. In 1969, he helped to establish Canada's domestic satellite company, Telesat Canada, first as President and later as Chairman. Read more

Nominated by Daniel Goldberg, Telesat; T. Gregory Kane, Stikeman Elliott

2007 – Peter C. Hughes

As an engineer, researcher, educator, author and entrepreneur, Dr. Hughes has had a tremendous impact on Canadian space technology and international space science. As a graduate student, his work for the Alouette program was the foundation of an extraordinary career. In the 1970s, he was involved with the development of the Space Shuttle's Canadarm, and Canadarm2 and Dextre for the International Space Station. Dr. Hughes also founded Dynacon Inc. The company specializes in satellite construction and control systems and led the development of the Canadian Space Agency's powerful astronomy microsatellite MOST. A Professor Emeritus of Space Systems Engineering at the University of Toronto, Dr. Hughes supervised over 80 postgraduate students, thus enhancing the talent and ingenuity of the Canadian space community.

Nominated by Dr. Anthony A. Haasz, Professor, University of Toronto for Aerospace Studies (UTIAS), and Dr. Bernard Etkin, Professor Emeritus, University of Toronto for Aerospace Studies (UTIAS)

2006 – Allan I. Carswell

Dr. Carswell's groundbreaking work perfecting the lidar technology, which uses laser light pulses to precisely measure distances and diagnose components of the atmosphere, has gained wide recognition in the global scientific community. Chairman of Optech, Dr. Carswell founded the company in 1974 to develop commercial systems based on lidar technology. Dr. Carswell is the Canadian co-investigator on the Phoenix Science team for the meteorological station (MET) that will be placed on Mars in 2007.

Nominated by Bob McDonald, Quirks and Quarks, CBC Radio

2005 – John D. Macnaughton

As president and CEO of SPAR from 1989 to 1996, Mr. MacNaughton led the company through innovative projects such as Canadarm, Anik E, MSAT, and RADARSAT-1. He is respected throughout the space community for his broad understanding of the value of space-based solutions in achieving Canada's objectives in communications, Earth observation and resource management, sovereignty and security, and international partnerships. This vision has been a major contribution in developing and applying national space policy.

Nominated by Ken Mackay, President, Policy Insights Inc.

2004 – Larry Clarke

As founder of SPAR Aerospace, Larry Clarke's courage, determination, and vision were instrumental in advancing the commercial aspect of the Canadian Space Program. SPAR developed Canadarm, one of this country's most recognized technological achievements. Successful projects, such as Canadarm, the Communications Technology Satellite, and RADARSAT, testify to Clarke's entrepreneurial abilities and his tenacity as a businessman who, despite adversity, recognized the potential of a space industry that benefits all Canadians.

Nominated by Sherry Draisey, President, Good Vibrations Engineering Ltd.

2003 – Gordon G. Shepherd

Professor Emeritus of Space Science at York University, Dr. Shepherd contributed to Canada's space community for 40 years and championed the ISIS program, WINDII, and SWIFT. He pioneered developments of new techniques for instruments and data analysis to help maintain Canada's pre-eminence in thermospheric physics and position the Canadian Space Program internationally. He is a role model for Canadian atmospheric physicists and space scientists.

Nominated by Suzanne Hurtubise, Deputy Minister, Environment Canada

2002 – Colin A. Franklin

From the start of the Canadian Space Program, which began with the Alouette satellite project, and throughout his career, Colin A. Franklin is recognized as a remarkable scientific and engineering leader. Alouette's success is one of Canada's ten outstanding engineering achievements of the last 100 years. This accomplishment is due in great part to Franklin, who was the Chief Electrical Engineer on this program.

Nominated by Gerry Turcotte and Jack Rigley, Communications Research Centre Canada

2001 – Valentine O'Donovan

Founder of COM DEV International Ltd., the largest Canadian-based and globally recognized designer, manufacturer, and distributor of space and ground-based wireless communications products and subsystems; O'Donovan was Chairman of COM DEV until he retired in December 2004 and served as Chancellor of the University of Waterloo between1997 and 2003. He was named a Member of the Order of Canada in 2003. His leadership, expertise, and commitment to excellence have inspired colleagues in the Canadian space industry for over 30 years.

Nominated by Mike McIntosh, Assistant Deputy Minister, Business New Brunswick

2000 – John Spencer Macdonald

Dr. MacDonald's passion, dreams, and commitment have contributed to the shaping of the Canadian Space Program for 30 years. In 1969, Dr. MacDonald cofounded the firm MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates, now MDA, which he headed until 1998. As advisor to government and as a member of the Science Council of Canada and the National Research Council of Canada, among others, Dr. MacDonald has helped position Canada as a world leader in many fields of space science and technology.

Nominated by Steve Kirchgessner, Director of Business Development, MDA

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