Mr. Spock comes to Vulcan

Vulcan is getting a visit from one of its champions this spring, as original Star Trek actor Leonard Nimoy has agreed to visit the southern Alberta town.

Nimoy, who portrayed the logical half-alien, half-human character Spock on the original TV series, will visit on April 23 as part of a comic book and entertainment convention being held in nearby Calgary, said Dayna Dickens, tourism co-ordinator for the town of about 1,900.

She said Friday that CBS Broadcasting has also agreed to Vulcan being recognized as "official Star Trek capital of Canada."

Last May, 300 residents of Vulcan were treated to a special sneak peek at J.J. Abrams's reboot of the Star Trek film franchise in Calgary.

The town, which shares the name of the home planet of Nimoy's character, had initially bid to host the world premiere of the Abrams blockbuster, but were turned down by the studio.

However, Nimoy — who had a key cameo in the film — endorsed the Canadian town and urged some sort of recognition for the community.

"If they can produce this gigantic movie and get it done with all the physical requirements that are involved in making this film, they can find some way to show it in Alberta, Canada," Nimoy said at the time.

"The people of Vulcan deserve their day in the sun."

A railway surveyor named Vulcan, Alta., after the Roman god of fire in 1915.

However, the town began capitalizing on its connection with Star Trek in the early 1990s by hosting a variety of Star Trek-related events, unveiling a Star Trek-inspired spaceship monument and welcome plaque and opening a space-themed visitors centre.