Daily Bulletin

Concerts tonight Canadian singer and songwriter Bruce Cockburn will perform on campus at 8:00 tonight. The concert was booked by a Toronto promoter which has rented the Humanities Theatre; tickets are available at the Humanities box office ($27.50). In a lower key, NuMus presents "I Cello", with cellist Paul Pulford and a pair of visual artists, in the Theatre of the Arts, also at 8 p.m.

Energy program is launched today

The launch celebration, which begins at noon at the Environmental Studies I courtyard, will include music and sketches by Action Theatre of the Waterloo Public Interest Research Group, comments from ES dean Geoff McBoyle, a REEP rocket launch and "ribbon-cutting and symbolic caulking", says student Ryan Kennedy.

Also taking part will be local Members of Parliament, here because of the $220,000 federal grant that is supporting REEP. The project is co-sponsored by the Elora Centre for Environmental Excellence, largely funded by the government.

REEP actually began earlier this year, after the money was provided from Ottawa's Climate Change Action Fund. Summers are getting warmer and that's not necessarily good, the government says: "The human-induced enhanced greenhouse effect . . . has the potential to warm the planet at a rate that has never been experienced in human history."

A news release explains that REEP will use the "EnerGuide" appraisal system to "provide a comprehensive report of home energy efficiency. With this, evaluators and homeowners will be able to identify ways in which the level of energy efficiency in houses can be improved."

Over two years it is expected that 3,500 homes in Waterloo Region will have the opportunity to have a home evaluation, project organizers say. The homeowner pays $25 for the assessment and recommendations. During a pilot project this summer, REEP evaluated 300 houses and gave them an average energy efficiency rating of 59 out of 100. "The average home in Waterloo Region could reduce energy costs by 26%," based on the findings of the pilot project. Anyone wanting to sign up can phone ext. 6661 to make arrangements.

Public awareness is a key element of the program, the news release says. "An increased understanding of energy efficiency opportunities can help people make changes that reduce personal energy consumption. Lower energy consumption results in reduced greenhouse gas emissions."

The project is supposed to reduce carbon dioxide emissions in the Kitchener-Waterloo area by 5,600 tonnes a year, provide training and seasonal jobs for 25 young people, and generate "a local economic stimulus of more than $5.2 million, resulting from home retrofit activity".

Through the $150 million Climate Change Action Fund, the government is "taking concrete steps to engage Canadians, non-government organizations, businesses, communities and governments in partnerships that are leading to a deeper understanding of the climate change issue, as well as to early and meaningful actions on greenhouse gas emissions reductions".

Says Ian Rowlands of the department of environment and resource studies: "This is an excellent example of a collaboration among government, university and a non-profit group that offers benefits to the individual homeowner, the community and the country as a whole."

United Way campaign begins -- by Barbara Elve

Taking a tour of local agencies in preparation for the annual United Way campaign, they heard about the challenges facing the Canadian Mental Health Association and the House of Friendship in trying to assist clients unable to find basic, decent shelter.

Among those hardest hit by the housing crisis are people on fixed incomes, said Heather Gage, manager of the Canadian Mental Health Association office in downtown Kitchener. Housing problems tend to compound other issues its clients are dealing with, such as discharge from psychiatric hospitals, isolation, or grief. The situation is similar at the House of Friendship on Charles Street in Kitchener, where men ready to leave the hostel can't find a place to live. Even though the agency runs its own apartment complexes, there are long waiting lists for any vacancies.

House of Friendship development director Brian Hunsberger blames the provincial government's recent cuts to social housing programs for the tight housing market. "It's a direct consequence," he said.

Anne MacKay, United Way director of development, sees the United Way as a kind of bank for members of the community. "When you have some money, you give it. When you don't, you take it out." The United Way supports some 50 agencies in Kitchener-Waterloo, from Big Sisters to the Head Injury Association.

"We all have some concerns and bumps in the road," added Gage. One of the services provided by the Canadian Mental Health Association is the Distress Centre phone line, which provides an ear for angst. Staffed by volunteers -- many of whom are university students -- the Distress Line responds to crisis calls, but the majority of callers are simply overwhelmed by feelings of isolation, said Gage. "There are a lot of lonely people out there."

The on-campus campaign for the United Way officially starts today and has a goal of $140,000 in givings, mostly from staff, faculty and retirees. (Students are also welcome to take part, and a coin drive in the Student Life Centre next week will make it easy for them to pitch in.)

Employee donations made by Friday, October 15, will qualify for the "day off with pay" draw, with the option of a $100 gift certificate to the University Club.

Meanwhile, today was designed "dress up or dress down" day, with "I'm dressed this way" stickers available in return for a contribution to the campaign on its first day.

Seminars address life and stress

Each seminar will be given twice: at 12 noon in the "fireplace lounge" in the Lyle Hallman Institute, the new wing of Matthews Hall, and again at 7 p.m. in the Clarica Auditorium just down the hall from the lounge.

The three topics:

• "Stress management: responding to daily demands with positive, life-enhancing solutions", on Monday, October 4. The speaker: Paula Dimeck.
• "Fitness for everyone: training guidelines, potential obstacles, and strategies to help overcome barriers", on Monday, November 1. The speakers: Lori and Brenda Kraemer.
• "Hot tips for holiday eating", on Monday, December 6. The speaker: Linda Barton.

Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness (Keats)

A note from the engineering faculty: Herb Ratz "has decided to retire as Director of the Exchange Program after nine years in the post", says a memo from Wayne Loucks, associate dean (undergraduate) in the engineering faculty. "I am sure that we will all miss him. Later this term we will be arranging an event to celebrate his time in the harness. I am very happy to announce that Professor Peter Roe of Systems Design Engineering has agreed to take on this important role in our faculty. . . . Please note that the undergraduate office will soon be a construction site, possibly until the end of October, and so you may need to give extra directions to any incoming exchange students. The reception area and exchange offices have been temporarily relocated to CPH 1320B."

Volunteers wanted: "The Ontario March of Dimes has been working with a creative team of volunteers who work with people with physical disabilities, to develop and design unique gadgets that are not commercially available and which will help solve problems encountered in everyday living. More help is needed and they are looking for volunteers with good problem-solving skills who like to tinker and design." Anybody who might be interested can get more information from the Volunteer Action Centre, 742-8610.

Wilfrid Laurier University holds opening celebrations today (at 2 p.m.) for its new Brantford campus, pictured at left. The Brantford outpost "is off to a great start", Laurier News said last week, "with about 40 full-time and 80 part-time students, more than $2 million in donations, and a beautiful campus in the former Carnegie Library." WLU Brantford has no residences; a local caterer is bringing in food services; the Brantford Public Library "serves as a university library", including access to the Trellis system; for athletic facilities, WLU Brantford students get free membership in the nearby Y.

Steve Furino, St. Jerome's University math professor and keen member of the K-W Field Naturalists, will lead nature walks tomorrow during the Walter Bean/Grand River Trail Family Fun Day. The purpose of the day, running from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., is to raise awareness of the trail and the new park, said publicist Ken Silvester. The location is Victoria Street North (highway 7) at the Grand River. As well as nature walks, there will be entertainment, food, games and prizes, and an opportunity to canoe on the Grand.

And more things happening this weekend, on and off campus:

• The campus recreation program's golf tournament begins at 3 this afternoon at the Waterloo Golf Academy.
• Quiltfest '99, sponsored by the Waterloo County Quilters Guild, runs today, tomorrow and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the St. Agatha Community Centre, on Erb Street a few minutes' drive west of Waterloo.
• The career development series continues with "The Whole Kit 'n' Kaboodle" tomorrow all day. On Monday, it's "Resume Writing" at 1:30 and "Letter Writing" at 2:30, and on Tuesday it's "Interview Skills: Selling Your Skills" at 9:30, all in Needles Hall room 1020.
• The annual St. Jerome's University wine tour to the Niagara area takes place tomorrow.
• As the chapel program for this year gets going at St. Paul's United College, Peter Frick of the St. Paul's faculty will speak on Sunday evening about "Plato's Visit to St. Paul's".

Other home sports events: men's tennis against Toronto and York, starting at 9 a.m. Saturday at the Waterloo Tennis Club "bubble"; men's and women's swimming against Brock and Guelph, starting at 9 a.m. Sunday at the Physical Activities Complex pool; and the cross-country teams' Waterloo Open, starting at 11 a.m. Saturday on the north campus.

Away games: baseball at Laurier on Saturday afternoon; field hockey at York on Saturday and Toronto on Sunday; golf at Laurier today; men's rugby at Guelph on Saturday; women's rugby at Queen's on Saturday; men's and women's soccer both at Brock on Saturday and Windsor on Sunday; women's tennis at York and Toronto on Saturday; men's and women's volleyball both at Laurier for a weekend tournament. And, incredible as it seems, hockey season is beginning: the schedule shows exhibition games at Ferris State University tonight and Lake Superior State tomorrow. Those campuses are both in Michigan, in Big Rapids and Sault Ste. Marie respectively.

CAR

Editor of the Daily Bulletin: Chris Redmond
Information and Public Affairs, University of Waterloo
credmond@uwaterloo.ca | (519) 888-4567 ext. 3004
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