And Yet ... ? Shabby

Well, that's unfortunate. As a simple matter of courtesy extended where it's due. One would hate to think of it as a deliberate oversight. But it is such an obvious oversight, if it can be called that, it's difficult not to believe that politics and the inevitable jealousies and conflicts involved did not cause a man who has a well-deserved reputation for representing as an outstanding contributor to Canada's space program not to have been specifically invited.

Invited? Well, yes, of course. In recognition of having been an astronaut, of having been appointed to head the Canadian Space Program. Invited to a showing at the Canadian Museums of Science and Technology of the robotic Canadarm. A highly developed piece of scientific technology that has been instrumental in space flights, on the U.S. Space Shuttle, the use of which was quite vital to astronauts on various missions.

"NASA-donated Canadarm officially unveiled in Ottawa today. Would really have appreciated invitation from (government) to attend. No such luck." That was a message that Marc Garneau, the first Canadian to have gone to outer space tweeted to his followers about the unveiling of the permanent Canadarm exhibit at the Canada Aviation and Space Museum in Ottawa.

"I simply wanted to be there because it's the (Canadarm) that NASA gave us to thank us for our contribution to the American space program. I think it's rude, it's disgusting, and I am really disgusted by this government which is always hyper-partisan. I operated it on two of my missions. I've been involved with the space program."

Sounds like a legitimate grievance.
What's more, Mr. Garneau said to reporters, it was he who urged the government to locate the exhibit at the public museum in Ottawa, rather than placing it at the Canadian Space Agency, close to Montreal where, he says, nobody would have seen it. As former president of the Canadian Space Agency it seems to represent a peculiar oversight not to have ensured that the man was present on this occasion.

Protocol, simple courtesy, recognition where it is due, should have ensured that this would have been the case. His absence, given his connections with both the space agency, the instrument and Canada's collaboration with NASA, inclusive of his having taken part in an American space mission as Canada's first chosen astronaut, marks this as an absurd bit of inadvertence, if such it was.

And, Heritage Minister James Moore, present at the event, as he should have been, did regret Mr. Garneau's absence, while absolving the government of responsibility for issuing an invitation specifically to invite his presence. Invitations, he explained to reporters, came out of the museum and the Canadian Space Agency; they were not vetted by a minister's office.

In which case it truly was an unfortunate oversight, albeit one that shouldn't have occurred. "The museum and space agency could invite whoever they wished. Mr. Garneau was welcome to attend...  We didn't make a secret of it. Anyone could come."  A little disingenuous, it misses the point; perhaps Mr. Moore was embarrassed at the inadvertence of it all.

Heritage Minister James Moore, right, Stephen Quick, director general of the Canadian museum, and Denise Amyot, President and CEO of the Canadian Science and Technology Museum Corporation, point to the iconic Canada symbol on the robotic arm, now encased behind glass. After travelling 624 million kilometres and logging 944 work days in space aboard the Space Shuttle Endeavor, the Canadarm is now home, permanently on display at the museum.   Photograph by: JULIE OLIVER, OTTAWA CITIZEN

And yet... ?