By Nadine Manset (Director of Science Operations, on behalf of the CFHT ‘ohana)
Recently
Every three years, CFHT organizes a meeting for all past, present, and potential future users. This year,
the 3-day meeting was held May 26 – 28 at Lac-à-L’Eau-Claire, in Québec. A little over 80 on-site
participants enjoyed the quiet location. Surrounded by nature, they shared all meals together and
rekindled friendships around a bonfire at the end of the first day. The thirteen sessions of the program
ranged from CFHT and Maunakea updates and science talks to sessions about future opportunities with
CFHT, Community Astronomy, and CFHT’s Community Survey. We were delighted to be joined at all
times by 20-30 online attendees. To accommodate all 90 or so abstracts submitted, the Science
Advisory Committee balanced the length of the talks among the different sessions, offering longer
presentations for most science results talks and short talks to Early Career Scientists. The program also
included posters on-site and available on Slack.
Of note was the inspiring presentation entitled ‘What the Land teaches the Sky’ by Benjamin Kucher,
Chair of the Canadian Archaeological Association’s Indigenous Issues Committee, who reflected on his
experience as a Métis archaeologist and descendant of the Michel First Nation working at the University
of Alberta. The lessons learned from the two case studies he presented contain useful advice for
astronomers.
CFHT users also shared and discussed a dozen ideas of ambitious projects that could be carried out as
part of the planned Community Survey, using MegaCam, Wenaokeao (the co-mount of the
spectropolarimeters SPIRou and ESPaDOnS), and even WIRCam. Thoughtful exchanges during the
discussion period will guide the process and the following steps.
The Local Organizing Committee will put the slides and recordings of most presentations on the
Schedule page https://www.cfht.hawaii.edu/en/news/UM2025/scheduleprogram.php
… and Shortly After
CFHT was also at CASCA2025 in Halifax! In addition to a poster and part of a lunch talk, CFHT staff
members chatted with participants at our booth.
Soon
After the Users’ Meeting, the CFHT Scientific Advisory Council met and started to define the steps that
will lead to the anticipated Community Survey, starting with the formation of a Community Survey
Working Group. This will be followed by a Call for proposals in the fall of 2025, an external peer review
process, and the final design of two surveys that will be nominally carried out on MegaCam and
Wenaokeao from 2027B (at the earliest) to 2032B. The exact share of time reserved for PI programs
remains to be determined.