Inspiring Young Canadian

My six-year old daughter has been singing an unfamiliar song a lot lately. She often sings songs repetitively so I've trained myself to drown them out but a few words in her song broke through that filter and caught my attention. International... Space... Station.

I had to stop doing what I was doing and listen a little closer. I heard her correctly so this required a few questions, the first being ‘What are you singing?’ She was learning a song at school for the year end performance. That answer was followed by her knowledge that a Canadian astronaut named Chris Hatfield was commanding the International Space Station right now.

My first thought was what an amazing role model Chris Hatfield is. Years ago at Conestoga College I actually got to meet him at an event and remember being impressed back then by what he stood for. Now a whole generation of young Canadians can be inspired by his example and can keep the dream of space exploration alive. Truly his reach is international so it is more than Canadians he is inspiring, but we get to experience that extra pride as a nation for his achievements.

The second thought is what a great social media marketer Chris Hatfield is. If you haven't been following Chris Hadfield's tweets you should be. He has been sharing amazing photographs of our planet and they are really something everyone should see. I can see my house in this one. He's done an amazing job creating visibility for the Canadian space program through his pictures on Twitter. And as well with the song I have now been exposed to that he sings with The Barenaked Ladies “Is Somebody Singing” which can be viewed on YouTube video down below. Commander Hatfield put a lot of thought of what he was planning on tweeting since he only had one chance to bring up any needed props. It is a great idea for companies to have a social media calendar and plan ahead; so kudos to Chris for showing us how its done.

Have you seen any images from the International Space Station? Do you have any favorites?