2011 September PMO Newsletter

P ROPERTY M ANAGEMENT V OLUME 4, ISSUE 2

AND

O PERATIONS

S EPTEMBER 2011

F ALL IS JUST AROUND THE CORNER !!

After a nice, albeit late summer, fall is just around the corner ! Here’s our brief “what’s happening” around here— projects, security, gallery rentals, ongoing sustainability initiatives…..

Project Update Energy Monitoring Project 

We are participating in the Continuous Optimization Program with our partner, BC Hydro.

Over the past 9-10 months we have been monitoring our energy usage and establishing a baseline that will be used to move us forward with some quick and easy energy upgrades that have a 2-yr or less payback period—beginning later this fiscal year and

Don’t forget! The monthly emergency generator test is scheduled for the last Tuesday of each month between 7 and 8 AM. Please remember—use a dolly! When you are moving chairs, down the H-Way (or anywhere really— please don’t drag

into the next fiscal year.

We should have our consultant’s review and report in November for forwarding to BC Hydro. 

Check it out !! We have installed a dashboard large screen TV beside reception in Clifford Carl Hall. This Pulse Energy dashboard will show our real time energy usage of our three BC Hydro meters. The dashboard should be live really soon so be on the look out for it! You will also be able to access the dashboard through our website. A big thank you goes to both the Communications and Exhibition and Visitor Experience departments (Trades, Design & IMTS) for their assistance in bringing this to life!

them down the hallway as it scratches the floor and it is costly to have to strip the floor and re-wax.

Ever wonder what that loud sound is when you are wandering down the basement hallway to the Fannin and Archives building—and it scares the daylights out of you?

Helmcken House and St. Ann’s Schoolhouse 

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Although the fire suppression portion of the project was completed mid-May, we are still doing some window and roofing repairs and other infrastructure maintenance work. The work should be completed sometime later this fall.

Conservation will also be finishing off cleaning and condition reports on the artifacts September through November.

A DDITIONAL L INKS :

www.bchydro.com www.crd.bc.ca www.livesmartbc.ca

I IN THIS ISSUE : P ROJECT U PDATES

1

P ROJECTS & PMO U PDATE

2

DID YOU KNOW ?

2

HVAC Projects 

Even though we have been dealing with a few issues, the HVAC system has been maintaining a temperature of ~19.9 degrees & a relative humidity of ~49%.

It’s the sewage lift pump station and it pumps sewage from the basement to the street level. And just in case...we have a back up system, it is alarmed at security if it fails and it is on the emergency generator. Security checks nightly to make sure the green light is on too!!

O UR R ECYCLING P ROGRAM STATS : G LASS / TIN = 2683 CU FT O RGANICS = 2012 CU FT C ARDBOARD = 11232 CU FT SHREDDED PAPER 1980 LBS I T IS E STIMATED THAT NINE - 40 FOOT TRAILER LOADS KEPT OUT OF THE LANDFILL EACH YEAR !!

P ROPERTY M ANAGEMENT

P AGE 2 H ELMCKEN H OUSE W INDOW REPAIRS

Did you know that we signed up for the Distribution Centre’s “green tote” program.

When we order supplies from the government’s distribution centre the supplies arrive in green plastic totes instead of cardboard boxes. The empties (totes that is…) go back via BC Mail Plus with our regular mail pick up.

Other Stuff!!

CONTACT US :

PMO TEAM

P AM , T ANYA , J ON, F RANCOIS, B ILL , J UDITH & C OLLEEN ….

O PERATIONS

( CON ’ T ) What else is new and other “Stuff”:

NATIONAL TREE DAY BRAMLEY APPLE TREE

AND

Check out our website as our 2010 Carbon Neutral Action Report that was filed with the Climate Action Secretariat has been posted. To meet our 2010 carbon neutral commitment under the BC’s Greenhouse Gas Reduction Targets Act, our carbon offset payment for 2010 at $25 per tonne was $4,720 excluding applicable taxes. Our actual emissions (tCO2e) were 188.78 tonnes.

In December 2007 we partnered with the CRD and undertook a water audit. At that time, our water consumption was 33,632 m3. Over the last few years we’ve replaced toilets in public areas that used 14-20 litres per flush to ones that use 6 litres per flush, installed aerators on taps, reduced the automatic flush on the urinals, are using more landscaping mulch, etc. We now have an annual water savings of approximately 2310 m3 on an annual basis (that is 2,300,100 litres of water or about 11,550 full bath tubs!).

Yeah… summer finally arrived, after what seemed like a very long and cool June and July. With longer and cooler days just around the corner, electricity consumption levels tend to peak in the dark and cold winter months, but there

is still always room to conserve energy . BC Hydro tips and guides say you can do this to save energy….. 

Draft proof your home.

Wherever you have cold air coming in, you have a leak..

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Manage your thermostat.

Minimize wasted energy and heat your home strategically. Turn down the thermostat when you go to sleep and on your hot water tank (no lower than 55 degrees C and no higher than 60 degrees C).

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Shade your windows. Heat loss from windows can account for 10% - 25% of your heating bill in winter.

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Maintain your heating system—keeping your heating (and cooling) well maintained can go a long way.

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When using your dryer, throw in a large towel to speed up the drying process. But, why not try an indoor drying rack for some items?

Reminder— join Team Power Smart (it’s free to sign up!) as they always have lots of tips and other useful information—it’s only a few clicks on the keyboard! http://www.bchydro.com L IVE S MART BC “ FREE ” ACTIONS T IPS ………..

(H TTP :// WWW . LIVESMARTBC . CA )

U NPLUG ELECTRONICS : MANY DEVICES CONSUME ENERGY WHEN THEY ’ RE TURNED OFF .

GHG C ONSERVATION T IP : S TOP IDLING . I DLING FOR MORE THAN 10 SECONDS COSTS MORE THAN TURNING OFF YOUR ENGINE !

J UST FLICK THE SWITCH !

Facilities Rentals If you get any queries about our facilities rentals (and we have a special Christmas rate for the Modern History Gallery beginning mid-Nov to mid-Dec ), Judith, (our Queen of Facility Rentals!) is available to answer them — so call 250-387-5745.

Wow, we did 28 events from April 1 to June 30th. Another 10 events are already scheduled from September 13 to October 6th—not including A&A set up time.

W HEN THE Q UAKE HITS (Y ES IT ’ S WHEN AND NOT I F ) On October 20, at 10:20am, the RBCM will be participating in the ‘Great BC Shakeout’, a provincewide earthquake drill in order to raise awareness on what to do when an earthquake strikes, focusing on “Drop, Cover and Hold”. More information will be coming soon on the drill, but in brief here are the highlights: Drop—hit the ground before the shaking drops you—you will be unable to stand on your own in a major quake.

Cover—find cover for your body, head and neck, preferably a sturdy table or desk.

Hold—hold on to your cover as it may try and move away from you in the shaking. Count to 60 after the shaking stops before leaving cover.