Waterloo’s pride. Some folks from the University of Waterloo joined Toronto’s 30th annual Pride Parade on July 4. Seen marching along Gerrard Street are representatives of Waterloo’s GLOW,which describes itself as “the longest-running LGBTQ organization in Canada.” And that’s FEDs president Brad Moggach, centre, in the yellow vest and beard. Photo: Michael Strickland.

Back to top

EV2 and 3: heavy lifting begins tomorrow

“Tuesday will be a big day for our new EV3 building,” writes Betty Bax, Faculty of Environment communications. “The big ‘lift’ of the heavy steel trusses that will support the new building above the current EV2 building will be happening. Each truss is 151 feet long by 34 feet deep and weighs 70 tons. We are expecting three cranes on site.

“Word is that the company that created these trusses shut down its regular operation for several days in order to make the trusses by special order. The trusses are being assembled on the Ring Road.

“People can view the progress of the building via the plant operations webcam (the view at left is dated about noon on Friday.)

“It's tremendously exciting to see the EV3 building taking shape," says Mark Seasons, the interim dean for the Faculty of Environment. "The unique building design along with its many planned green features will make it an environmentally sustainable signature LEED Platinum building for the Waterloo campus. We're very proud of this achievement."

While overhead work of this kind is going on, Labour Ministry regulations prohibit anyone from being in the building below, for safety reasons. The building will be locked down to ensure compliance.

Says a July 5 memo from Don Haffner, the university’s major projects construction coordinator: “UW Police and Jim McAlpine from Cooper Construction will sweep the building and lock down entrance doors to EV2 at 6:30 a.m. on Tuesday, July 13. The building will remain closed into the evening, with no access by staff or students.

“Wednesday, July 14 to Friday, July 16, the building will be closed 6:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. (approx.) daily, with access to the building in the evenings once doors are unlocked. Saturday, July 17, full building access. Monday, July 19, Ring Road reopens.”

Meanwhile, the denizens of E2 must go elsewhere.

“We have been preparing for this for quite some time because we had an early warning,” writes Joanne Holzinger, the faculty’s executive assistant.

“One of the key areas affected is MAD, our computing area. They were quick to respond and have set up temporary quarters, along with a helpdesk, in room 240A in EV1.

“Many faculty and a few staff are planning to work from home. A number of individuals will be taking vacation. A large portion of EV2 is lab and studio space so individuals will be accessing those areas in the evenings.”

Back to top

Another summer of mud and dreams

Of course, the EV2 / EV3 project is just one of many construction sites that have turned the main campus into a dusty maze. There's the Ring Road closure on the east side, the massive Quantum-Nano Centre project smack in the middle, and construction north of the Math and Computer Building.

Starting today, repair work is also being done on the first of three pedestrian bridges across Laurel Creek. The bridge near Health Services will be closed this week while that work goes on. Next week, the bridge across from Biology 2 will be closed; the week of July 26, the bridge across from EV2. They will not all be closed at once: nobody will have to wade the creek.

Construction at the Dana Porter Library is on schedule and is expected to be complete by mid- to late August, says the July 8 issue of the library's newsletter. "Since starting in May, the construction crew has demolished the old walkway surrounding the Library. The concrete foundation was removed, along with the railing around the walkway and staircases at the main entrance and east side. Anyone in the vicinity of the Library will have noticed the drilling, dust, and piles of concrete.

"Since demolishing the walkway, the construction crew has laid down the waterproofing and started to build the new staircases at the front and east side of the building. They have recently begun building the accessibility ramp (photo, above), which is being relocated to the front entrance, and are starting to build the foundation for setting the new railing."

East of the Ring Road, another giant project — Engineering 5 (left) — is about ready. "After months of anticipation," says engineering dean Adel Sedra in a July 6 memo, "I'm very pleased to announce that the grand opening of Engineering 5 will take place on Tuesday, October 19, 2010 from 10 a.m. to 12 noon.  Please mark the date in your calendar and plan to attend this important milestone event.

"Over the summer, several departments will start moving into the six-storey, 176,000-square-foot building, one of the largest on campus. Engineering 5 will provide much-needed space to mechanical and mechatronics engineering and systems design engineering, as well as electrical and computer engineering's growing research teams.

"The focal point of the building will be the innovative 20,000-square-foot student design centre that will provide the space and tools needed to make it easier for teams to design and showcase their award-winning vehicles and other projects."

Back to top

Faculty retirements, and a correction

Richard Holmes of philosophy retired January 1, 2010. “Students feel that when they are working with Richard they are working together,” his department chair said when he received a Distinguished Teacher Award in 1995. He served a term as department chair himself, and was also the long-time chair of the board that supervised the integrated studies (now independent studies) program. Among his writings was the 1995 book The Transcendence of the World: Phenomenological Studies. He came to UW in 1968 after earning a PhD from Washington University in St. Louis.

Ronald Johnson of recreation and leisure studies retired July 1, 2009. A specialist in the history of leisure, including games, Johnson came to Waterloo in 1974 after brief stints at California State College (San Bernardino) and Trent University. He had done his undergraduate studies in geography at Windsor, and his PhD at the University of Minnesota. Johnson served for a time as chair of the rec department, and was in the national news in 1992 with comments about how recreation “has become more of a compulsion for a lot of people” in a time-pressured era. He also advised on issues around the use of public space for leisure and the availability of facilities in small towns.

Beverly Marshman of the applied mathematics department retired September 1, 2009. She came to Waterloo in 1967 after her master’s degree, and earned a PhD in math in 1971. A specialist in relativity theory, she inevitably was consulted on “status of women” issues and became involved in early efforts to attract schoolgirls into the study of mathematics. She served for a time as an assistant dean of math.

Kenneth Robertson of the School of Optometry retired November 1, 2009. A Waterloo graduate like most Canadian optometrists, he also earned a doctorate in physiological optics before joining the university as a clinical supervisor in 1976. Later, as a regular faculty member, he specialized in binocular vision and in the impact of vision on children’s learning.

A reader has advised us of a spelling mistake in the Link of the Day in Thursday's Daily Bulletin. "The link says: Isra Al Mi’raj, while the correct spelling is Isra and Mi'raj. At the same time, I would like to thank you for noting this Islamic holiday in the bulletin."

CPA staff

Back to top