Friday, July 27, 2012 dawned with a mixture of clouds and grey skies. Vancouver was keeping to its international reputation for being overcast when people are thirsting for summer. Fortunately, TRIUMF had a bright spot already scheduled into its day: a visit from the Honourable Ed Fast, Minister of International Trade, and MP for Abbotsford in BC. Accompanying him were several staff members and Ms. Wai Young, MP from Vancouver South, an emerging leader of discussions on science and technology that enhance the future of Canada.
Minister Fast arrived at TRIUMF on schedule, and introduced himself as a former physics student of Erich Vogt, director emeritus of TRIUMF who was also a famous professor at nearby UBC, who taught literally thousands and thousands of university students about the marvels of physics.
With a tight schedule, Minister Fast and his delegation met with TRIUMF’s senior management team for 15 minutes. After a brief introduction from director Nigel Lockyer, he learned about TRIUMF and Canada’s involvement in the hunt for the Higgs boson from Rob McPherson, professor at University of Victoria and spokesperson of the ATLAS Canada team. He learned from Lia Merminga about an accelerator science and technology collaboration between TRIUMF and the VECC laboratory in Kolkata, India. Paul Schaffer, head of TRIUMF's nuclear medicine division, commented on the role that TRIUMF plays in medical isotopes, and Reiner Kruecken, head of TRIUMF's science dividision, spoke briefly about how isotopes are used to advance fundamental understanding of nuclear physics.
The group then departed for a focused tour of TRIUMF. Stopping at Nordion to meet General Manager Jerry Porter, the Minister and MP Young learned about the partnership between TRIUMF and the company Nordion in producing medical isotopes for commercial sale and distribution. The delegation then walked through ISAC-I and visited the VECC Test Area and met scientists and students involved in the international project of building the heart of TRIUMF’s new electron accelerator for the ARIEL facility. Minister Fast also met Dr Vaishali Naik, a visiting Indian scientist who was leading a parallel effort in Kolkata. On the walk back to the site entrance, the minister took a look at the ARIEL construction site and learned about the new capabilities that would be available in 2014 and 2015.
Posing for a photograph alongside the TRIUMF logo, the minister and his colleagues thanked TRIUMF for the visit and tour and expressed support for the great work that TRIUMF is undertaking. He was intrigued by the role that science and national laboratories play in connecting Canada and Canadians with other countries.
We salute the minister and his team for their visit to TRIUMF. Thank you for making the time available to “come over and learn some physics.”
-- By Tim Meyer, Head of Strategic Communications and Planning