It was an astronomical amount of work — 10 years of sweat, toil and sometimes tears from Richmond Hill residents, nature lovers, developers, town staff and scientists — but the David Dunlap Observatory (DDO) property is open again to the public, this time as a town-owned public amenity. An open house has been set for Saturday (June 9).

The famed facility closed its doors in 2008 and programs had been offered at the observatory by a charitable organization.

“I’m just thrilled,” said Richmond Hill Mayor Dave Barrow. “I believe we have a destination park. ”

Godwin Chan, in whose ward the DDO resides, reminisced about the long battle to turn the 100 acres into a parkland and heritage site, with local residents protesting the University of Toronto’s 2007 decision to deem their telescope surplus; battles with developers vying to fill the land with subdivions; and ongoing calls from neighbours keeping an eye on trees being chopped down.

Now town staff, councillors and scientists are celebrating a unique amenity focused on sustainability, inclusion, discovery and education.

“And it’s all within walking distance to the Yonge St. corridor,” Barrow added.

The old laneway that residents hiked will be refurbished and become a gateway bridge for the many condos being built along Yonge, he said.

The gates are open now and residents are welcome to explore the property and pathways forged by locals, picnic on the rolling lawn and see the iconic buildings up close.

The DDO property — 189 acres bordered by Hillsview Dr., Bayview Ave., 16th Ave. and the CN Railway line — was purchased in 1815 to be the farmstead of Alexander Marsh. The Marsh home, Elms Lea, still stands hidden in a hollow of trees, rented out temporarily but slated to be a visitors centre.

In 1932, Jessie Donalda Dunlap bought the farmstead for $28,000 and donated it to U of T as a memorial to her husband who had amassed a fortune in mining and gold but held a passion for astronomy. U of T’s downtown observatory could no longer function due to light pollution and the land was perfectly perched on a hill north of the city.

By 1935, the dome, housing a 74-inch reflector telescope, and administration building with three smaller telescope domes were completed. The telescope was the second largest in the world and a leader in Canadian astronomical research, achieving advances in radio astronomy and the first direct evidence that Cygnus X-1 was a black hole.

As development moved north, light pollution once again caused trouble. To the community’s consternation, U of T abandoned its facility and, after a nasty battle with builders culminating at the Ontario Municipal Board, the town was able to save half the property for public use.

The buildings today look much like they did during their heyday, said Maggie Mackenzie, heritage services co-ordinator.

“Just look at that, the green patina, the weathering,” Mackenzie said, sweeping her arms toward the limestone-clad administration building, the massive wooden doorway, the marbled, compass-inlaid foyer.

Built at a cost of $109,000, the building holds neoclassical details, ornate stair rails, transom windows and Corinthian columns.

The Royal Astronomical Society of Canada Toronto Centre and the David Dunlap Observatory Defenders (DDOD) are working in tandem, sharing their mutual passion for astronomy through public outreach.

The two groups have partnered to provide a variety of activities including astronomy-themed lectures and family-themed events at the new town amenity.

“The DDO is well known in the science community and now that it’s up and running again, everyone’s dying to come back and look at the telescope and do their own lawn viewing,” says Bhairavi Shankar, RASC outreach co-ordinator and planetary geologist.

With Mars at its best since 2003 (when the planet was at its closest in 60,000 years), “people are going to get a good view this summer,” adds DDOD’s astronomer Ian Shelton. ”They can fall in love with the planets again.”

As well, there will be stargazing for amateur astronomers, a YLab MakerSpace in the building’s basement and Western University’s Centre of Planetary Science and Exploration will hold Space Explorer summer camps.

“Kids see it as awesome,” says Jan Cami, associate professor with Western’s department of physics and astronomy. “They get to talk to real scientists, living the dream … We take their curiosity and channel it and that’s what leads to breakthroughs.”

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Archie de Ridder is thrilled to be back. The retired machinist ran the telescope “back in the day,” and has been enlisted by the town to maintain and operate it as a public facility.

“I love this place and I’m glad to see it’s going to be used to let kids see what the universe is like.”

Tours to the public will happen on June 9. Pre-registration for tours is encouraged on the town’s website or 905-771-5513. For more information about the David Dunlap Observatory, visit richmondhill.ca.

Clarification - June 13, 2018: This article was edited from a previous version to make clear that the observatory was closed in 2008 but programs had been offered at the observatory by a charitable organization. However, the property is now open again to the public as a town-owned public amenity.