NAOMI McGUIRK
naomi@ontarioplanetarium.com
With an extensive performing arts background that includes a Bachelor of Music Theatre Performance (Honours) from Sheridan College, Naomi can ‘edutain’ space explorers in our dome with panache!
After several stints in the hotel industry at a variety of small and large resorts, Naomi trained as a dome and telescope presenter at our sister organization The Jasper Planetarium, showcasing the wonders of the universe in multiple types of small planetarium domes and with a variety of different telescopes at locales such as Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge and The Jasper Skytram.
Now ‘back east’, Naomi is our latest edition to the Ontario Planetarium team, using our latest 4K projector to provide our best cosmic views yet…just down the hall from you!
BLAKE PATENAUDE
blake@ontarioplanetarium.com
Blake Patenaude graduated from the University of Western Ontario in 2014 and flew directly to the Alberta Rocky Mountains. He spent the next three years living in one of the most beautiful Dark Sky Preserves in the world, Jasper National Park. This is where he spent many nights stargazing and pursuing his interest in our Universe, and expanding his knowledge from the Astronomy courses he took in University through direct observation of the night sky.
Blake is well travelled and has had the opportunity to stargaze atop volcanoes and on rural beaches in Indonesia, and spent a week trekking in Patagonia where he witnessed the incredibly bright stars of an area with zero light pollution.
Blake is an engaging and entertaining presenter who is certain to edu-tain all visitors to the Ontario Planetarium!
OLIVIA LONGO
olivia@ontarioplanetarium.com
Olivia is an accomplished outdoor stargazing and planetarium presenter with a universe of experience hosting thousands of people under the stars.
An accomplished world traveller, Olivia has trekked to numerous iconic stargazing destinations, including the wilderness of Chile.
Olivia holds an honours degree in Cognitive Science from Carleton University (which she sometimes puts to use when asked questions about our perception of the night sky and the universe around us.)
PETER MCMAHON
peter@ontarioplanetarium.com
Peter is an award-winning science journalist who has worked for CTV News (where he currently serves as a TV science commentator), Discovery Channel, and written for MSN.ca, The Toronto Star, CAA online, and Frommer’s Travel.
He’s also written print science features for such magazines as Canadian Geographic, Reader’s Digest, Today’s Parent, Air Canada’s in-flight magazine enRoute, OWL Magazine, the U.S. magazine Sky & Telescope, and Sky News: The Canadian Magazine of Astronomy and Stargazing where he writes the “Wilderness Astronomer” column in each issue and serves as a contributing editor.
In February of 2010, he covered health science stories at the Vancouver Winter Games for CTVolympics.ca
Peter has spoken on science communication and astronomy at countless universities, science centres, conferences, and national parks, as well as delivering science communication workshops at Science North/Laurentian University’s Science Communication program and The Banff Centre.
Peter’s second installment in the Machines of the Future science experiment book series – Space Tourism (Kids Can Press, 2011) was an Official Selection for the prestigious U.S. Junior Library Guild. His current book, the critically-acclaimed best-selling Space Adventurer’s Guide (Kids Can Press, 2018) is nominated for an Ontario Library Association Red Maple Award (part of the prestigious Forest of Reading program.)
Interested in booking? Call or email:
bookings@ontarioplanetarium.com / 905.885.9471