The eight planets in our solar system can now be seen on the flight path around Victoria International Airport.
Victoria Airport Authority has unveiled the YYJ Solar System Pathway designed by 17-year-old Evan Papps, an aspiring aerospace engineer from Glenlyon Norfolk School.
The nine-kilometre pathway begins at Jubilee Park playground on Mills Road in North Saanich and follows a clockwise route along the accessible, paved airport flight path.
Interpretive markers representing the sun and the eight planets have been strategically placed to reflect their relative distances, with each metre on the trail equating to 500,000 kilometres of space.
Papps secured a youth grant from the Invasive Species Council of B.C. to realize his vision.
Inspired by a similar walkway in Iceland, Papps wanted to showcase the wonders of the solar system while also emphasizing the uniqueness and fragility of Earth.
"One of the things I want to get across is like there's a real diversity of cool things out in the solar system, but Earth itself is really special and so there's a lot of things we can do to protect it and I wanted to include that on the sign," he said.
Ten educational markers offer insights into each celestial body while incorporating artwork from local children and tips for environmental stewardship.
"This is a remarkable initiative that blends education, sustainability and community spirit," said Saanich-Gulf Islands MP Elizabeth May.
North Saanich Mayor Peter Jones echoed this sentiment, welcoming the pathway as a valuable addition to the community that promotes environmental awareness.
Papps, who has published research on exoplanets in a scientific journal from the University of Virginia's Department of Physics and Astronomy, hopes the pathway will inspire a greater appreciation for Earth.
He has received multiple university offers in Canada and the U.S. for further study in aerospace engineering.
For now, he's eager to see the public engaging with the project.
He hopes that seeing the diversity of the solar system will inspire people to protect our sole habitable planet.
"Space is really big and we're really small, but I think that makes us special, even more special."
