Episode 14: The Astronaut Politician- Marc Garneau
Interviewing Marc Garneau for Wordfest, November 2024. Photo Credit David Kotsibie.
Marc Garneau was the first Canadian ever to leave our planet for the cold void of outer space. It was 1984, the year Madonna released Like a Virgin, the Edmonton Oilers won their first Stanley Cup, and Pierre Trudeau gave way to John Turner and the Liberals gave way to Brian Mulroney’s Progressive Conservatives. He left the earth aboard the Space Shuttle Challenger a relative unknown, but he landed a full blown Canadian hero.
That monumental achievement, now etched in Canadian history as one of our country's proudest moments, inspired a nation and ushered in a new era of space exploration for Canada. Twenty-four years later, Garneau made history yet again, becoming the first astronaut to be elected as a Member of Parliament.
In between those two milestones in Garneau's unprecedented career, he was the first Canadian, and the first non-American, to serve as CAPCOM, the voice of Mission Control for the astronauts aboard the Space Shuttle. In the years that followed his historic first voyage to space, Garneau returned to space two more times, becoming the first Canadian to log three trips into orbit, and led the Canadian Space Agency through its most dynamic years. As a politician, he ran against Justin Trudeau for the Liberal leadership, and served as Minister of Transport and for a shorter period, Foreign Affairs Minister.
His whole life has been A Most Extraordinary Ride. Which, not surprisingly, is the name of his new autobiography.
When Calgary’s premier literary festival, Wordfest, asked if I’d like to interview him in front of a live audience, I jumped at the chance. We cover topics as wide-ranging as Canada’s space program, the rise of commercial space travel, his roll in navigating the country through the Covid pandemic, and his frustrations working with Justin Trudeau and the Prime Minister’s office.
Thanks to Wordfest and Penguin Random House Canada for the opportunity. Here’s our conversation.