'The Star Dude': B.C. man building the world's largest pair of binoculars
Port Alberni’s David Gibney has had stars in his eyes for decades, and is about to realize his life’s ambition — creating what he claims is the world’s largest pair of binoculars.
“I’ve been an astronomer for 50 years, and this really will be impressive, like you can see amazing cosmic views,” Gibney says.
He began his love of astronomy trying to document an eclipse of the sun in 1979. A photography store put him in touch with a Catholic priest who also loved star gazing.
“I owe this project in memory of my mentor Father Lucian Kemble, he was a Franciscan monk here in Port Alberni. He had a telescope and a place to observe down by the Paper Mill Dam and after the first night of looking through the telescope, oh yeah I was amazed and interested,” he says.
Gibney, who calls himself “The Star Dude," has put 19 years of planning and an estimated $400,000 into the binoculars. He created them hoping they can be used by others to observe sights during the daytime and do stargazing at night.
“The first paragraph of the plan was to provide access to the general public to high performance, optical and imaging systems for a nominal fee, like make it accessible and indeed at high traffic tourist locations I’m able to set it up, deploy it, share the experience with others,” Gibney says.
The astronomer hopes to be able to share his creation at Port Alberni’s Harbour Quay, but says he’s facing some resistance from the city because they don’t know how to license him.
“You’re not a food truck, you’re not like brick and mortar, you’re mobile, it’s kind of like where do we fit you in?” he says.
MOTIVATION TO FINISH
Gibney first came up with the concept many years ago, but says life kept getting in the way of his project. A near-death experience provided motivation for him to get back on track.
“I was a musician and I was living at the recording studio in Edmonton, and somebody passed out with a cigarette. The place was burning and I barely made it out of the burning building, and I thought if I live through this, I won’t waste any more time. I’ll go to a lawyer, I’ll go to a patent agent, engineer. I built a scale model and they loved it.”
Because the 70x600 strength binoculars will be placed on a mobile platform, he says he can take it anywhere and is hoping it can be taken to local schools.
“I want to get a business license and be able to perhaps share this with people at different locations anywhere in western Canada, you know it’s on a trailer, I can take it anywhere,” he says.
In order to complete his project, Gibney is looking for some GoFundMe financing or investors to help him get to the final roll-out stage. He firmly believes he has something that will be an instant tourist draw, wherever his Binocular Observatory Project travels.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Parents of infant who died in wrong-way crash on Ontario's Hwy. 401 were in same vehicle
Ontario’s Special Investigations Unit has released new details about a wrong-way collision in Whitby on Monday night that claimed the lives of four people.
Three Quebec men from same family father hundreds of children
Three men in Quebec from the same family have fathered more than 600 children.
'What have we done?' Lawyer describes shock at possible role in Trump's 2016 victory
A lawyer who negotiated a pair of hush money deals at the centre of Donald Trump's criminal trial recalled Thursday his "gallows humor" reaction to Trump's 2016 election victory and the realization that his hidden-hand efforts might have contributed to the win.
B.C. mayor stripped of budget, barred from committees over Indigenous residential schools book
A British Columbia mayor has been censured by city council – stripping him of his travel and lobbying budgets and removing him from city committees – for allegedly distributing a book that questions the history of Indigenous residential schools in Canada.
New scam targets Canada Carbon Rebate recipients
Fake text message and email campaigns trying to get money and information out of unsuspecting Canadian taxpayers have started circulating, just months after the federal government rebranded the carbon tax rebate the Canada Carbon Rebate.
Universities grapple with the complicated politics of campus encampments
Montreal police are facing pressure to move in and dismantle a pro-Palestinian encampment on McGill University campus on Thursday, as a growing number of universities across this country grapple with the tough decision of how to handle the protests.
Conservative MP says Chinese hacking attack targeted his personal email
A Conservative MP is challenging claims by House of Commons administration that a China-backed hacking attempt did not impact any members of Parliament, because the attack was on his personal email.
Loblaw leaders call criticism 'misguided,' say they aren't to blame for high food prices
Loblaw chairman Galen Weston and the company's new CEO are pushing back against critics who blame the grocery giant for soaring food prices, as a month-long boycott of the retailer gets underway.
Heavy police presence at McGill University as counter-protesters assemble opposite pro-Palestinian encampment
A heavy police presence was at McGill University on Thursday morning, as counter-protesters assembled opposite the pro-Palestinian encampment at the school.