Col. Chris Hadfield speaks to students at the NBCHS on Oct. 22. The event was also live-streamed for other schools. (Angela Brown/battlefordsNOW Staff)

By Angela Brown

Col. Hadfield visit

Retired astronaut Col. Chris Hadfield inspires Battlefords youth to follow their dreams

Oct 22, 2021 | 4:16 PM

It was a thrilling afternoon for many youth Friday when retired astronaut Col. Chris Hadfield touched down in North Battleford as part of the Rotary Club of the Battlefords 100th anniversary celebration festivities.

The celebration was originally scheduled for April 2020, but had to be pushed back twice due to the pandemic before it could finally officially take off.

The first Canadian Commander of the International Space Station spoke at North Battleford Comprehensive High School (NBCHS) in the afternoon to about 600 students in the school’s gymnasium, in the first part of his visit. The event was also live-streamed so other schools could take in the presentation remotely.

In his presentation, Hadfield encouraged the youth to believe in themselves, follow their dreams, and never give up.

“My life was nothing but setbacks,” he said. “Nothing ever goes the way you want it. Things always go wrong. Big accidents happen. I had serious medical troubles in my life that disqualified me. Then, I had to fight to get back, to get re-qualified. How to solve it with my family. How to work through all those problems. It wasn’t hard to be an astronaut when I was a kid. It was impossible…So when you are thinking about life, look inside yourself for what is really exciting to you.”

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Hadfield said when students visit their school library or book store they should think about what books they are drawn to, what subjects interest them.

“Think about that because I bet you there are jobs that are in that area that’s fundamentally exciting for you,” he said. “Once you find out, hey, that’s maybe something I could do in life, then you can start deciding what you can do next. What can I do to change myself, so that I can maybe do something that I just dream about right now?”

Hadfield discussed everything from the history of space exploration, to what opportunities are available now for even the general public who are interested in space-tourism today.

He also discussed the rapid advancement of technology that offers many new potentials for the future.

After his talk, Hadfield grabbed his guitar and engaged the youth with a song.

(Facebook/Col. Chris Hadfield)

The retired astronaut continues to be involved in many projects internationally as a public speaker and educator. He also hosted a comprehensive online series about space exploration on the MasterClass platform.

Hadfield is also a bestselling author. His visit to the Battlefords coincides with the launch of his fourth book – The Apollo Murders, a thriller set in space that’s receiving stellar reviews since its release earlier this month. He is also currently working on a new book.

In February, 2021 Virgin Galactic announced Hadfield would be a member of the Virgin Galactic Space Advisory Board of leading experts from the aerospace sector that will “provide advice to senior management as the company moves forward to open space for the benefit of all.”

Rotary Centenary event co-chair Warren Williams said it’s great to have Col. Hadfield here in the Battlefords to share his insights and passion about space exploration.

“It was excellent,” Williams said of Hadfield’s presentation at NBCHS. “It’s exactly what we hoped he would do. I noticed there was some rapt attention. Chris [Hadfield] told me everyone was engaged. He thinks they are a fantastic group of kids.”

Gala event in evening

Hadfield will give a presentation Friday evening at a special engagement at the Dekker Centre. He is the honourary guest speaker at the sold-out Rotary gala.

Hadfield will be addressing 350 business and community leaders at the event.

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Angela.Brown@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @battlefordsnow