This article was first published in The Sheaf, the print newspaper of The University of Saskatchewan. It was a front page story of Volume 91, Issue 9.
In a ground-breaking ceremony at the U of S Monday, September 27, the Canadian Light Source (CLS) synchrotron project was officially launched.
The synchrotron, a football field-sized scientific facility, is estimated to cost $173.5 million dollars before its eventual completion and use in December 2003. The project is the biggest scientific and technological device to come to the U of S, and will be the first of its kind in Canada.
When fully operational, the facility will be able to accelerate electrons to nearly the speed of light, creating intense light beams able to probe the structure of matter. This technology could lead to more powerful computer microchips, new drugs, better engine lubricants, as well as many other useful applications.
Dubbed the “field of beams,” the synchrotron is a 25-year effort come to life. Ceremonies celebrated the realisation of this dream, as well as the unique federal-provincial-civic-academic partnership which was necessary for its completion. Federal and provincial dignitaries were on hand to oversee the ground-breaking ceremonies last Monday, as well as City of Saskatoon and university representatives. All panel guests had the opportunity to bring an item for a time capsule which will be included in the foundation of the CLS building. The capsule is to be opened in 25 years.
The project, while benefitting the University of Saskatchewan, will also be essential to both the province and Canada, making it a cornerstone of research and development. Premier Roy Romanow agreed and commended the synchrotron as a “state-of-the-art scientific facility to continue building Saskatchewan and Canada into the 21st century.” Mayor Henry Dayday also realised the potential of this project, and is predicting a bright future for both Saskatoon and the university. On behalf of the City of Saskatoon, his own contribution to the time capsule was a $500 bond, which when opened in 2025 will have matured into a $3,000 scholarship for one deserving student pursuing a post-secondary education.
Former U of S president Dr George Ivany outlined the positives the project will bring to the university, saying, “there will be opportunities, I suspect, for graduate students in connection with the research tasks that will be undertaken here.”
In total, construction of the synchrotron will create 500 jobs per year over four years. In 2008, when the facility is fully operational, more than 200 scientists, technicians, and operations staff will be employed at the centre. Many hope the new facility will encourage Canadian researchers to remain in the country, and also attract researchers from all over the world, bringing with them a global interest in the University of Saskatchewan.
Ivany affirmed that the project is all about the acquisition of knowledge.
“Through this project, our university can be at the front of science and technology in this country,” he said, adding that we should expect many more guest lectures to be taking place. With an increase of researchers in the various sciences using the facility, it is clear the university will make good use of these scholars. It is estimated that the CLS will attract more than 2,000 researchers per year once the station is fully operational.
The one thing agreed upon by the panel guests last Monday was that the future of Saskatchewan and its future researchers will remain a focus of the facility. As Premier Romanow stressed, “the synchrotron puts us on the leading edge of new, knowledge-based global economy, and creates jobs for our brilliant young researchers — our best and brightest minds.”
