Kick-off to a Canada-wide 2-year space education program Begins in Toronto, Ontario in the Canada Life Environmental Room

TORONTO, Nov. 28 /CNW/ – When the first manned space ship leaves Earth
for Mars chances are the astronauts will be growing and eating Canadian
tomatoes in space. In preparation for that voyage, Canadian astronaut Dr.
Robert Thirsk will be in Toronto on December 3rd to give a 10:30 am briefing
to 20 school kids and to enroll them in Tomatosphere “Mission to Mars”, a
cross-Canada research / education program.

WHO:

  • Dr. Robert Thirsk – Canadian Space Agency Astronaut, CAPCOM Mission Control Centre, Houston, Texas

  • Dr. Mike Dixon, University of Guelph, Associate Professor and Head of the Horticultural Science Division

  • The students and teachers from the Toronto Catholic School Board, Peel District School Board and Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board

WHAT:

Dr. Robert Thirsk and Dr. Mike Dixon will talk to the students
about space farming on the Red planet. They will enroll the
students in a research program called Tomatosphere, “Mission to
Mars,” in which children from 5,000 classes across Canada will
engage in hands-on experimentation with Heinz tomato seeds
exposed to a simulated Martian environment.

WHY:

When man begins long term space travel, tomatoes will be an
excellent source of food as well as helping to maintain the
atmosphere in the closed environment. The project offers
students the opportunity to engage in real and relevant science
inquiry and expand their knowledge of science through the
exploration of space and plant agriculture.

WHEN:

Tuesday, December 3, 2002
11.00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. ET

WHERE:

Environmental Room
Level 1, Canada Life Building
180 Simcoe Street, Toronto

MEDIA:

Interviews with Bob Thirsk, Mike Dixon, the students and
representatives from the Canadian Space Agency, Agriculture and
Agri-Food Canada, Heinz Canada, and the Centre for Research in
Earth and Space Technology (CRESTech).

Tomatosphere “Mission to Mars” is a national educational
outreach program sponsored by The Canadian Space Agency,
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Heinz Canada, the Centre for
Research in Earth and Space Technology (CRESTech), and the
University of Guelph.

For further information: or to arrange interviews, please contact: Anna
Relyea, Heinz Canada, Communications Manager, Office: (416) 226-7587, Cell:
(416) 708-2644, anna.relyea@hjheinz.com