The annual NASS Conference was held 7-10 August, 2025 in Ottawa. As usual, the conference began late Thursday afternoon with an introduction social and a "grab bag give away", taking your chances with tickets to win the bag's prize. Will Grant was the final winner of the Walton Double Planar Polar Sundial, but Paul Ulbrich beat the statistic odds and won this prize three times, ultimately conceding the dial to Will.
Friday was a bus tour of Ottawa dials, including the corner dials at the Mother House of the Sisters of Charity (NASS #127) and the hemispherium dial originally located in Rideau Falls Park, but now located in Rockcliffe Park Pavillion (NASS #449). The highlight of the tour was a visit to the Canada Science and Technology Museum. We were greeted by David Pantalony, Curator of Science and Medicine, who introduced us to the archival collection of sundials and solar compasses. This was followed by historical remarks from Jean-François Lozier, Curator, French North America of the Canadian Museum of History. After examining dials (look but don't touch) we paused for lunch in the Archive room. The day ended at our Ottawa hosts home where Mike Moghadam showed his sundial and his wife Esther and family provided refreshments.
Saturday and Sunday consisted of a wide variety of dialing presentations. Frank King presented a double header on "Eine Block Sonnenuhr" and the mystery of the seven dials woodcut. Others discussed sundial projects (Paul Ulbrich, Mark Montgomery), odd sundials (Fred Sawyer), vector mathematics for sundials (Roger Goyder, Zoon Nguyen and Evan Boxer Cook), the sunlight itself and how it affects bio-rhythms (Pam Morris), navigating in the Arctic (Tom Kreyche), trips to exotic sundials (Geoff Parsons) and Will Grant's trip to Columbia and the Muisica Indian megaliths. All this and more. Read the attached Retrospective for details.
Group photo at Dominion Observatory in front of Bldg 9, the dome for the Astrograph seen at the museum.
12 (Back Row Left to Right) Steve Johnson, Bob & Bo Manning (barely visible), Bill Thibault, Geoff Parson, Jack Aubert, Mark Montgomery, Marvin Taylor (barely visible), Evan Boxer-Cook, Mike Moghadam, Steve Lelievre, Jeff Brewer, Maddy Lelievre, Russell Goyder, Christine Northeast, Jim Stegenga, Will Grant, José Montes, Tom Kreyche. (Front Row Left to Right) Dave & Joyce Robinson, Bob Kellogg, Frank King, Bryan & Kathy Preas, Thad Weakley, Pam Morris, Chris & Roger Bailey, Paul Ulbrich, Phil & Fred Sawyer. (Center-Front) Martha Villegas. Not in the photo were Marc Boon & Susan Hayes, Lizzy Longsworth, Phyllis Montgomery and Kate Aubert.
 2025_NASS_Conference_Ottawa.pdf | [ ] | 2746 kB |
