Ottawa's suburbs are launching more than just hockey players — Stittsville is sending a future planetary scientist to the stars.
Lucy Hambly, a 17-year-old from Stittsville, has been writing a space column for community outlet Stittsville Central for years. This fall, she'll take her passion to the next level, heading to the University of Toronto to study planetary science. And if you're wondering what lit that fire? Look up — way, way up.
Artemis II and the Dream of Deep Space
NASA's Artemis II mission — the first crewed lunar flyby since Apollo 17 in 1972 — has captured imaginations around the world, and Lucy is no exception. In a conversation with CBC Ottawa's Rachelle Elsiufi, she described just how much the mission has meant to her sense of possibility.
For a generation of young Canadians, Artemis II carries extra significance: CSA astronaut Jeremy Hansen is one of the four crew members, making him the first Canadian ever to travel to the Moon. Watching a Canadian suit up for deep space exploration has a way of making the dream feel a little more attainable — even from a quiet subdivision in Ottawa's west end.
Writing About Space from Stittsville
Lucy's space column for Stittsville Central is a reminder that local community journalism can inspire in unexpected ways. She's been breaking down complex astrophysics and mission updates for her neighbours — many of whom may not otherwise follow space news closely — and in doing so, she's built her own voice as a science communicator.
It's a skill set that will serve her well. Planetary science sits at the crossroads of geology, chemistry, atmospheric science, and astronomy, and communicating those ideas clearly to the public is increasingly valued in the field.
Ottawa's Next Generation of STEM Leaders
Lucy's story is part of a broader trend across the Ottawa region, where a strong STEM ecosystem — fed by institutions like the University of Ottawa, Carleton University, the National Research Council, and a tech-dense Kanata corridor — is nurturing young people with outsized ambitions. The region has long punched above its weight in science and engineering, and stories like Lucy's are a reminder of where that pipeline starts: in classrooms, community websites, and backyard telescope sessions under wide Ottawa skies.
For parents in Stittsville and beyond, her trajectory is a quiet encouragement. You don't need to be in Houston or Cape Canaveral to dream about the cosmos. Sometimes all it takes is a supportive local platform and a mission that makes the impossible feel real.
What's Next
Lucy heads to U of T this September to begin her undergraduate studies in planetary science. Given her early start as both a scientist and a communicator, it's not hard to imagine her name popping up in a very different kind of news story a decade from now — perhaps one datelined from a mission control somewhere.
Ottawa's rooting for you, Lucy.
Source: CBC Ottawa / Rachelle Elsiufi interview, via CBC RSS feed. Read the original at CBC Ottawa.
