The Conservative government needs to keep the Mont-Mégantic Observatory open

The Mont-Mégantic Observatory is set to close down because of the Conservative’s budget cuts. The NDP is urging the federal government to keep this one-of-a-kind research centre up and running, as it is essential to the scientific community.

“We are once again facing ill-conceived cuts with very serious consequences for the scientific community. This time, they have targeted astronomy. The Mont-Mégantic Observatory is an extraordinary tool for training and research in that field,” said NDP deputy Science and Technology critic Laurin Liu.

The NDP is worried about the consequences of this decision, and is urging the Conservative government to simply cancel the cuts. The Mont-Mégantic Observatory is also a major tourist attraction in the region.

“Closing the Observatory would be catastrophic not only to the scientific community, but to the local economy. Any possible savings the Conservatives are trying to make here are far outweighed by the benefits of keeping it up and running,” added NDP MP Jean Rousseau (Compton-Stanstead).

Time is of the essence in this case. If nothing changes, the Observatory could close down as soon as April 1 – just as tourist season gets underway.