Heritage Toronto Legacy Plaque Installation: Helen Sawyer Hogg

As you may know, a new Heritage Toronto plaque has been installed in our ward. This plaque commemorates the home of astronomer Helen Sawyer Hogg (1905-1993) and is located at the entrance to Alexander Muir Memorial Gardens.

Helen, referred to as the “first lady of science” by her former colleague Donald MacRae, lived at 2875 Yonge Street. Her work on variable stars and globular clusters made her an international authority on astronomy and her work continues to be influential.

Her honours and awards include six honorary doctorates, appointment as a Companion of the Order of Canada (1976), and medals from the American Astronomical Society and the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada. Further, she was the first Canadian to receive the prestigious Rittenhouse Medal.

For more information on Helen and the Legacy Plaques Program, please visit this link.