News
SPOKE, March
Snow removal a blow By
DARREN SMITH
cost
It
Conestoga College's Doon
campus more than $7,500
to dig
out after the Jan. 27 snowstorm.
The money was paid
campus
include
does
not
of
any
wages
the
been problems
snow
adding
cleared lots.
tion
Barry Milner, physical resources
manager, said Conestoga staff put
normal workday and more than
16 hours of overtime clearing snow.
“People worked almost around
difficult getting the
this is
taken into considera-
when making
the decision to
close the school.
The year
cost of
Snow removal
a
lit-
whole season. "This
situations
when
be there
for the
misconcep-
contractors
they get there,
useless,”
just
dump
huge capacities."
in
dump
Cities will
of
you
on roads and
salt
large
amounts
traffic
helps to
distribute
enced
This also creates brine, which
one of
this at
campuses
their
in the past.
salt-water
By having on hourly
work based
contract
you
rates
For the
good
will get a
snow.
10 years the lowest
last
snow removal was
cost for
and work
1999/2000-winter season
at
When
cal-
budgets Financial
future
averages arc taken
in
order to
that
the
also
brine
colder temperatures
cold weather.
mixture of sand and
pickled sand
making
refreezes,
salt useless in really
is
conditions as
used on icy
is
better
resources
Deere tractor with a front bucket
tion as people think they
and rear blower and three John
better price paying seasonal," said
numbers
arc not necessarily used as
review the
new methods being used
Deere units with a brush or blower
Milner.
this will
throw out the budget.
instead of
salt.
option for the front and sanders on
The college
the back.
also had a
truck with a blade and sander out.
The amount of snow
was made
the decision
campus was All
said.
cleared
time
at the
to close the
not an issue Milner
parking
the
were
lots
The
morning.
the
for
He
said
can get a
an educated guess. The
Plowing equipment
contractors are hired
if
amount of money
for a particular
each year they
may
lose out. If in
removing and dealing with snow.
more snow than anticipated
is
the contractor could have used all
money
up
allotted for the contract.
money
Despite the lack of
they
Peter
who
Schlei,
Conestoga’s
maintenance
tonnes of
in
extreme cold.
would
the fact the weather couldn't- be
of their contract for February and
around -12
predicted later in the day.
March.
effectiveness, he said.
have to honour the
rest
Ombudsperson a BRAMBURGER
By CHRISTINA
good
nitely a
Falconer
CSI has made
it
one of
their pri-
he thinks
group
end up reporting
of having an ombudsperson on
a lot
campus.
as the board of governors.
An ombudsperson would
be a
to a
third-party investigator of student
another valuable student service
complaints.
that
“They are
basically an ear for
CSI
says
students,”
president
Justin Falconer.
The
tial.
is
the
they are impar-
autonomy
ombudsperson
of
the
one of the most
is
important things.
They could
lege
However,
investigate,
the
at
its
now
“I’m excited
to
is
really
I
happy
it
was
felt
it
little bit
will
probably be
of resistance from some
and
union
the
faculty
workforce that will be a
little bit
iffy
on
of the position being
place by
in
September. Conestoga would look
that the student associ-
someone they thought would
colleges
says
ation
and the college share the
be impartial, take the role serious-
Falconer. “If there's a complaint
cost
of
ly
about what CSI
ombudsperson. This way not one
involves
that
ter
pus,
is
a student
CSI,
doing on cam-
can go to the
ombudsperson instead of coming in
here directly and that person
is
the
side puts in
and
it’s
more than
the
a
and be able little bit
it
comes
to
develop the role
more, says Falconer.
“When you tion at first
Falconer says everyone would
to
define a job descrip-
and you've never had a
person like that before, eventually,
over time, that person might grow
Falconer says he looks at what the
hiring the ombudsperson, includ-
out of that
now and there
any-
ing the faculty union, the student
that their role changes.”
is to
association, as well as the college,
college has
one
in the college
isn’t
whose job
follow policy or ensure that
all
the
policies are followed. If a student
“so everyone agrees what the picture
of
the
final
ombudsperson
had an issue now, they could go to a
would be on campus;
number of
outs and what the person would do
there's
different
areas,
but
no one place where the CSI
or the college can direct students. “I think that
anything that takes a
fragmented approach and solidifies it
for
the other
balanced.
have equal say when
can always be of assistance.”
for
office
into a clear
obvious path
is
defi-
the ins, the
He work
would have
to
job design or find
says he thinks there that has to
some of
the
concerns we are that,” said Milner.
is
a lot of
be done with both
By JENNIFER
ORMSTON
sibility that this is
almost
is
And what
everyone
probably going
make
in
the
for students.”
college
could
the
of
lot
var-
out and
it
moving.
it
damage on campus occurs on around sidewalks and
grass
where snow banks were.
-areas
an abrasive, non-lfiendly
is
product as far as turf
is
concerned,
Schlei said.
The college has experimented and uses one such product
the years
on the sidewalks.
How
product
the
inside of the
campus
affects
good
the
taken into
is
is
not
and the college
for concrete
could be faced with future prob-
lems with sidewalks.
The college used
to use a lot of
pickled sand but found
it
marked
the floors.
monary disease and tobacco pro-
to celebrate
showers
flower,
answer
in
support of the
This Wednesday
is
Tulip Day, a
day when the Waterloo Region to
sell
7,000 bunches of tulips as part of their general fundraising
campaign.
Day is a terrific opportunisome hope, not only to who suffer from lung dis-
“Tulip
ty to bring
who
think
end,”
said
ease, but also to those
may
never
Michele Breault, development coordinator of the local association.
The
Waterloo
Association
is
Region
Lung
the reigning office
for the highest sales in the province,
with 6,500 bunches sold
last year.
“We’re the ones to beat.” said
This year the sale goal has been increased, but 5,000 bunches have
only 2,000
left to
be bought.
3 not only helps the
Lung
its
goal, but
it
also helps
could
all
lilies,
the
"Tulips are the least invasive to
said Breault. “Plus,
no other chari-
use them.”
ties
Breault said Conestoga College
should be
students
made aware
about lung diseases because students
increasingly
are
suffering
from them. First-year students in particular
often have trouble with asthma, she said.
“They may have had
their
under control before they but once they
move
asthma
left
home,
new
into a
envi-
ronment, their symptoms often
up as new
changes,
Lifestyle
stress,
unhealthy eating and being
the
new
flare
triggers are created.”
are
in
more
some of
triggers that can emerge.
Students
who
notice this happen-
ing should go to health services or
use a breath of
spring around now,” said Breault.
Proceeds from the sales will go to
Lung Association’s asthma,
The Lung Association
is
looking
for
Conestoga College students
who
are willing to volunteer in the
event on
March
3,
4 and
5.
For more information, contact
to brighten the buyer’s day.
the
or
see a doctor immediately.
Purchasing a bunch of tulips on
quality,
roses
simple.
smoky environments
Breault.
“We
like is
people with allergies and asthma,"
Association.
winter
the
was picked instead of another
tulip
by purchasing a bunch of only $6
why
For those wondering
in the air.
way
better
the near arrival of April
than
achieving
be one of the best decisions that
At the same time the flow of ious rivers flushes a
grams.
Association get one step closer to
role for an
Schlei.
with tulips
it
already been pre-sold so there are
ombudsperson.
the position.
possibly
eliminate
environmental
to find out
are working.
on defining the end
to
we may
we can
into
tie
March
ed before someone was hired for
"I'm glad that
initial
“There’s a very, very good pos-
be decid-
“If
programs
the
new methods
the
our
on the ground water,” said
effect
consideration as well. Salt
be able to
the faculty as well as the college
in different scenarios.”
All that
how
those
this.”
Falconer says there's a possibili-
mat-
that involves the college or a
some of
to
Lung Association hopes
people, Falconer says.
ty at
hoping
tulips for
other
Generally what happens
is
Lung
was
not needed just yet.
He
with selecting that as one of their
faculty
looked into a number of years ago,
ucts as well, Milner said.
annual priorities.”
person.”
something the college
in
The county of Wellington
Spring
be a part of that
people in CSI, the college, and the
is
tested
experimenting with other prod-
that
year with the board and
this
a
a sugar
is
being
solution
Say
they're running out and hiring this
This
is
to
in
time could have an
in
with other de-icing products over
alternative to salt
beat
prepared to do
“There will probably be a few
but at that time
request of any student, a matter
begins to lose
to
don’t think
“I
One
municipalities
be able to protect students for a
However, there
receptive to the idea at this
is
salt
gets
long time coming,” says Falconer.
offer.
Falconer says he thinks the col-
point.
The unique thing about ombudsperson
Conestoga could
C
think the board
would be
thinks this
will
that is
more formal than CSI, such
The CSI
temperature
the
put something in place the
ombudsperson would probably
orities to look into the possibility
Once
possibility
step for students.”
says
team,
used. However, salt
salt is
does not work
contact
Milton.
of
said during an average season 122
school was closed primarily due to
still
part
is
may
only
isn't the
avenue used by Conestoga for
November, December and January there
highest
use every-
salt
“The high sodium content waterways
Salt
In the spring physical
not just with the
is
where.
Salt
vehicle traction.
make
tamination. This
keeps
provides
around the col-
salt
college but also with
salt called
it
the concerns associated
possible ground water con-
is
also used around
campus. This
the
a
is
further
melting ice and snow.
in
in
A
into the ice.
it
solution
However,
in the
$14.16
per parking space. The highest has
been $31.26 per space.
helps
One of
with the use of lege
he said, and Conestoga has experi-
culating
common
a
is
done
contracts are
for classes.” said Milner.
5200 John
these
In
last-
Doon campus was
at the
becomes
it
it
over $30 per parking space.
tle
C
‘At -15
said.
rate if there’s less
snow removal
on an hourly basis and not
their
the
of cars,” said Milner,
the clock to get things ready again
The college used
if
full
good
will not get
said Schlei, “unless
was expected,
that
cleared for the next day
were
lots
Conestoga employees who also
in a
them out
you
result
pocketbook
to
service in the later months,” Milner
will
would be
“It
“As a
may have
in getting
snow
’due to the
able to get
but there
he said.
to an out-
and
contractor,
side
may have been
People to the
— Page 11
2004
1,
air
chronic obstructive pul-
Breault at 886-8100.
To
learn
eases,
related
more about lung
dis-
smoking and other lungissues,
www.on.lung.ca.
go
to