Star Trek fans, you won’t want to miss Star Trek: The Starfleet Academy Experience at the Canada Aviation and Space Museum! It’s the must-see event this summer for the whole family, young and old!
STAR TREK : The Starfleet Academy Experience
I had the pleasure of attending the launch gala of the world premiere Star Trek: The Starfleet Academy Experience thanks to the Canada Aviation and Space Museum. William Shatner (Captain James T. Kirk) was the guest of honour and delivered a heartfelt speech on his first attempt to fly a plane, to flying the Star Trek “spacecrafts”, and a book and documentary he wrote called “Get a Life”! Mr. Shatner also reminisced on how the Star Trek television show only lasted 3 years on the major television channel, but with the help of local television stations, the franchise survived and continues to proper 50 years later.
Mint President and CEO Sandra Hanington and William Shatner unveiled the Royal Canadian Mint‘s $10 silver coloured coin picturing the commander of U.S.S. Enterprise, Captain James Tiberius Kirknew (Captain Kirk). The coin is part of a set that includes Spock, Scotty, and Uhura.
Other Star Trek alumni, René Auberjonois (“Odo” in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine) and John de Lancie (“Q” in Star Trek: The Next Generation, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and Star Trek: Voyager) as well as William’s beautiful wife, Elizabeth Shatner, were also attending the gala.
The gala was hosted by David Schellenberg, Co-Host of Live 88.5 Morning Show. You also had the opportunity to meet cosplayers from the IKV Phoenix and the Ladies Who Trek. They ran activities at themed lounges: Vulcan, Klingon, and Uhura. Attendees were able to participate in photo-ops, trivia, crafts, and Klingon and Vulcan themed games. Other entertainment performances included an aerial act from Cirque du Soleil Academy and martial arts performance to Star Trek music from 100% Martial Arts & Fitness.
Delicious #KHANS of Star Trek beer were crafted for the occasion. Servers were in Star Trek team member costumes giving us intriguing drinks, and we were all amazed by the glow in the dark rainbow cotton candy!
As I was heading to take photos and videos of William Shatner on the Star Trek mock-up bridge from the USS Enterprise, I took a few photos of the STAR TREK : The Starfleet Academy Experience, an interactive exhibit, set in a 10,000-square-foot shed adjacent to the Canada Aviation and Space Museum.
Memorabilia include uniforms and costumes from our favourite Star Trek characters, a life-sized photon torpedo to tribbles and phasers, and a transporter system. You can even see the head of a Data android prototype from Star Trek: The Next Generation. Just to have the chance to sit in the captain’s chair like James T. Kirk, Jean-Luc Picard, or Kathryn Janeway and command the USS Enterprise on a mission is worth the price of the admission ticket alone!
From the Starfleet Academy website:
The Star Trek: The Starfleet Academy Experience uses the Star Trek Franchise as a springboard to teach visitors about science and technology.
Visitors will engage in a series of tests based on Starfleet’s Operations, Communication, Engineering, Security, Tactical, Science, Medical and Command division through hands-on immersive experiences.
Star Trek: Starfleet Academy Experience is enriched with the actual science behind the science fiction of Star Trek as visitors can learn about emerging technologies such as a functional tricorder, NASA’s warp drive theory, lasers, and teleporters.
The Canada Aviation and Space Museum in Ottawa is the first museum to exhibit the multi-city North American tour. It will run until September 5, 2016.
For more information on the STAR TREK : The Starfleet Academy Experience, you can visit the Canada Aviation and Space Museum website or follow them on Twitter @AvSpaceMuseum and use the haghtag #StarfleetOTT!
It was a memorable evening meeting the Star Trek stars, having a sneak peek tour of the Experience, enjoying food and drinks from across the Federation and beyond, and celebrating this year’s 50th anniversary of Star Trek!
Wow, quite the event! Too bad we are too far from Ottawa or I would have to check this out.
There is so many Trekkies out there, I have never been a fan of Star Trek, but my step dad is, he still watches the shows when they come on retro!
How exciting to attend the launch gala of the world premiere Star Trek: The Starfleet Academy Experience. I remember watching The Original Series when it came out on TV, so very many years ago 🙂
I’ve never been into Star Trek but I’m definitely a William Shatner fan. He’s hilarious.
Wow! That sounds amazing! I am a huge Trekkie and would LOVE to go!!! Your review made me want to go even more… 😉
Enjoyed reading your Star Trek piece. Will definitely check out the Starfleet Academy Experience at the museum!
My pleasure!Enjoy!