When I was 11 years old I was formally initiated as a member of “NASA for kids” web-portal. To commemorate this achievement, some rocket scientist and astronauts took the time to send me a letter of induction to their prestigious club. I can not tell you exactly how long I waited for that letter, however, it was somewhere in the range of the time it takes for mail to get from Florida to Newfoundland, or the shortest possible round trip to mars. When it finally arrived, it was obvious that my letter had been mishandled. It looked as if it had once been part of a papier-mâché piñata, and thus, was completely illegible. With that, my dreams of spaceflight were crushed. Like so many others my age, and of modest means, the land where they hoard rocket ships, roller coasters, Mickey Mouse, and large amphibious reptiles, was beyond my fiscal reach. However, if one waits long enough, sometimes the good things come to you.

Last month, a company named Maritime Launch Services, expressed their interest in building a launchpad just outside of Canso, Nova Scotia. With their Ukrainian built Cyclone M4 rockets, they intend to shoot satellites and lucky stowaways into a permanent geosynchronous orbit. Though other launch sites are still being considered, Canso is currently the top prospect. The area is sparsely populated, and well surrounded by water to quench flaming debris. As I am sure is the case for many weekend psychonauts and fans of Pink Floyd, I will be thoroughly devastated if this plan does not go ahead. The launches are expected to bring a noticeable tourism boost to the area, as the site will be the only commercial spaceport in Canada.

In an era in which the governing bodies of Atlantic Canada are trying to resurrect long dead industries, we can sleep soundly knowing that we have not regressed from the space age. If everything goes according to plan the company hopes to have its first launch in 2019. I for one, will be there, ass in folding lawn chair, making unnecessary spaceship sounds.