300 kilometres above the earth, Dr. Roberta Bondar watched the sun rise across her native land. Travelling at seven times the speed of sound,  Bondar could see the entire country in a matter of minutes, from sea to sea to sea.

Only 500 people have travelled through space. The experience shaped her life and career. Now, as a photographer, Bondar seeks massive horizons and near-abstract land formations while trying to interpret the planet. Literally, her horizons have been expanded. She uses this new perspective, this new vision to inspire others to change their lives and explore true leadership qualities.

But the argument isn’t perfect.

With so much suffering and poverty in the world, it’s difficult to justify space travel. Isn’t conquest an antiquated idea, best left next to the pith helmet and crowd. Humans have proven they make a terrible mess of things when encountering new lands. Without cleaning up our own backyard first, one can hardly encourage expansion into what lies beyond. Especially in the United States, space program spending towers over many other services. Not to mention the increased militarization of space - which serves to make the world a more dangerous place.

Even Dr. Bondar doesn’t list space travel as her favourite accomplishment. That is reserved for her medical degree, which she has used to help countless patients, including resuscitating her own father. It is interactions with the human condition where our most rewarding accomplishments fall.

Yet it is the journey into the unknown that makes it worthwhile. The ability to expand one’s mind with new challenges - to change - that allows us to discover new solutions to current woes.

The First World spends its fair share on items we don’t need. Bondar argues the space budget is only a fraction of what is spent on cosmetics each year, so there are other sacrifices that can be made if we truly value exploring the final frontier.

John Ralston Saul argues that critical and creative minds are required to advance civilization; that rigid thought doesn’t allow for progress. Count the number of MBAs behind the current recession and you get an idea of what he’s hinting at. Bondar tells a similar tale, as NASA found itself in need of new ways of thinking following the Challenger disaster. Currently, the space program is studying what is needed in terms of personal dynamics to ensure the long term success of a space program. Launching a series of Type A personality scientists into orbit is no guarantee for success. Different perspectives can create more successful results.

To localize the debate, the town of Jasper needs to rely on a series of perspectives to ameliorate its sustainability plan. Simply falling into the trap of the outside consultant won’t help the community, as ideas from residents and others must be brought together for success.

The bottom line is the realization of potential - it’s a terrible thing to lose.