“Handing off the world”: our 2023 Patron, Chris O’Riley

To be named a Patron of Science World is an honour bestowed by the members of the Science World Society. Science World thrives because it receives the collective energy, wisdom, time, financial resources and goodwill from leaders in the community we serve.

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Chris O’Riley recalls being a teenager and watching with curiosity as the geodesic dome—and Canada’s first OMNIMAX® theatre—was constructed at the head of False Creek for the World’s Fair.

When Expo 86 opened, he bought a ticket to A Freedom to Move, an OMNIMAX film about how societies throughout history—no matter their stage of technological development—had their own leading edge, state-of-the-art transportation.

He sat in the darkened theatre and thought about how these stories from the past might connect to ideas about the future of energy in BC.  

Today, almost 40% of emissions in B.C. come from transportation. Encouraging people to make the switch from carbon-emitting gas and diesel to clean electricity is an important advancement that will make a difference in the face of climate change.

Having sparked his interest in BC Hydro by visiting its testing and research subsidiary Powertech Labs at the age of 12,  Chris saw in the revitalization of False Creek the potential for clean and renewable energy to meet the quickly rising needs of the province.

“Expo 86  was the moment we opened up to the rest of the world,” says Chris today. “And the dome came to symbolize that innovation and transformation. When Science World moved in, it was the perfect fit.”

Chris says that his experience as a new father bringing his young children to Science World on a regular basis—spending at least six nights there for sleepovers with Beavers and Scouts—solidified his status as a lifelong supporter.

“Our time there opened up the world of science to them in very unique and memorable ways,” he says.

“Even today, both their personal interests and academic paths have been touched by Science World.”

Full Circle

Today, as Chris receives the Patron award, he’s proud and touched to be among friends and fellow pillars of BC’s STEAM community, naming Paul Geyer, Andrew Harries, Rich Simons and Pauline Finn as people he admired deeply during his six-year tenure on Science World’s Board of Directors.

“Then, I go back even further on the list and there’s Larry Bell, who once had the job that I have now,” Chris says, adding with a laugh: “Twice, actually.”

He says it feels like a full-circle moment, with BC in the midst of another transformation, and his company BC Hydro playing a major role in many of the province’s most pressing issues.

“Our biggest question used to be, ‘How do we get the lights on and keep them on?’” says Chris, referring to the company’s mandate to provide power for 95% of the province—five million people.

But more recently, bigger questions arise. He lists climate action, resilience and adaptation, sustainability, housing, affordability, and Reconciliation as common subjects in meetings.

“It’s a privilege to lead us at this time,” Chris says. “I’m encouraging everyone to hold their gaze as high as they can and ask, ‘What kind of world can we hand off to the next generation? Can we give them a better world?’”

And while staff are excited to incorporate these important questions into the centrality of their mission, they know it will only be possible with partnerships that stretch across BC.

That’s why Chris supports Science World’s outreach, helping us bring our programming and resources to rural, northern, and Indigenous communities.

He says that Science World’s creativity and resourcefulness in reaching the more thinly populated areas of BC inspires him, and that his time on Science World’s Board influenced his leadership style.

“Science World has a willingness to try different things, and that ingenuity can help solve some of the world’s most pressing problems. It’s not a large organization, but it still has large ambitions. And I learned a lot there about how to move forward with a big goal.”

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Congratulations to our 2023 Patron, Chris O’Riley!

Learn more about Science World Patrons and how you or your organization can support us at any level.