In 1995 I was chosen to create a PR campaign for Canada`s Space Agency. The concept was a complex collage in which I comped together a series of images and used early digital technology to make posters to be seen worldwide. It was, I felt, in keeping with our scientific advances and first steps into space. The guys were all remarkably accomplished Canadians but still retained the bravado of military pilots as their nickname for Julie was to reveal…
Julie was the diminutive one and wanted to be serious in her pose and expression. I convinced her to do this shot with a smile when the guys had left the room. A couple of years later I happened upon her bio and mused at how much of a groundbreaking Canadian woman she really was and what obstacles she must have faced to be the first Canadian Woman on the ISS.
Mme Payette has a Master of Applied Science degree in computer engineering at the University of Toronto . Her 1988 thesis focused on computational linguistics, a field of artificial intelligence . Payette was selected by the Canadian Space Agency as one of four astronauts from a field of 5,330 applicants. She is certified as a one-atmosphere deep sea diving suit operator. Julie flew on the Space Shuttle Discovery in 1999, as part of the crew of STS-96. On Discovery, Payette served as a mission specialist. Her main responsibility was to operate the Canadarm robotic arm from the space station.
Ms. Payette was the first Canadian to board the Space Station.
Oh, did I mention that she can speak French, English and hold down a conversation in Spanish, Italian, German and Russian, Payette is also an accomplished pianist and has sung with the Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal.
In 2017 she was chosen as Canada`s Governor General.
Despite all this…or perhaps , because of it, the media have not been kind to Julie Payette…savaging her candour and digging up the details of her divorce.
In her first year as Governor General she made the “error” of speaking strongly for greater public acceptance of Science, saying that “too many people believe in astrology, creationism, deny climate change and believe that ‘maybe taking a sugar pill’ will cure cancer.” I laughed when she was attacked for this, since this is exactly the kind of straight up talk I would expect from a tough science-geek-pilot, but in today`s world of political correctness of course it simply does not…er………. fly.
Julie Payette, some surmise, is unorthodox, independent and unprepared for the rigours of the office.
No kidding…
Julie Payette is simply put…a groundbreaking Canadian Heroine.