Canada In Space
Canada has a rich history in space exploration. From 1839 when Sir Edward Sabine established the first magnetic observatory at the University of Toronto to study the northern lights; to producing the landing gear used on the Eagle for the first landing on the moon in 1969; to the development of the Canadarm which was used on the Space Shuttle orbiters to deploy, manoeuvre and capture payloads; and, in looking forward to a Canadian rover landing on the moon within the next five years.
Canada also produced a few actors who portrayed people in space.
James Doohan – Scotty
James Doohan was born in 1920 in Vancouver, British Columbia.
He led a very interesting life, beginning with enlisting in the Royal Canadian Artillery in 1939. He was in the second wave on D-Day on Juno Beach. After shooting two snipers, Doohan led his men to higher ground through a field of anti-tank mines, where they took defensive positions for the night. Crossing between command posts at 23:30 that night, Doohan was hit by six rounds fired from a Bren gun by a nervous Canadian sentry: four in his leg, one in the chest, and one through his right middle finger. The bullet to his chest was stopped by a silver cigarette case given to him by his brother. His right middle finger had to be amputated, something he would conceal on-screen during most of his career as an actor.
Although he was never actually a member of the Royal Canadian Air Force, Doohan was once labelled the ‘craziest pilot in the Canadian Air Force’. In the late spring of 1945, on Salisbury Plain north of RAF Andover, he slalomed a plane between telegraph poles ‘to prove it could be done’, earning himself a serious reprimand.
After the war he had several roles for CBC radio and in the 50s he played a variety of television roles. In 1966 he began his most famous role of Scotty on Star Trek in which he inspired many fans to choose engineering as a profession. Astronaut Neil Armstrong personally told Doohan on stage at Doohan’s last public appearance in 2004, ‘From one old engineer to another, thanks, mate.’
Doohan died in 2005 due to complications of pulmonary fibrosis, which was believed to be from exposure to noxious substances during World War II.