Our inaugural Annual Report has been published!

Facilities Annual Report smallWhat do you do when a light burns out in your office? Who do you call when you need to report a slippery sidewalk? A food spill? A broken window? Need a new office chair? A sign for your event? Perhaps you want to utilize the Safewalk program or have a questions regarding special event parking.

All of these tasks, and more, are performed by the Facilities department.

Our mission is to strive to provide the highest quality environments that enhance learning, creativity and growth. With more than 130 employees across more than a dozen departments, Facilities plays an important role in nearly every aspect of the University’s physical appearance.

Our first annual report presents a snapshot of our operations and achievements from the 2011-2012 fiscal year.

Read a PDF of the report here.

Happy reading!

Come celebrate the new Campus Master Plan!

The University of Lethbridge recently celebrated its 45th anniversary, but we`re already looking ahead to the future.

Our campus has seen a lot of changes over the years, and we`re excited to enhance it even more by creating a compact, pedestrian friendly university.

To do that, we set out to create a new University Campus Master Plan with recommendations to guide the planning decisions for the physical campus at U of L for the next 25 years.

The 217-page document was ratified by the U of L Board of Governors in December 2012. Read more about the plan here.

A public open house celebrating the new plan will take place on Monday, Jan. 28, 2013.

The informal event begins with a social reception from 3 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. in the newly-renovated stairwell area of the Physical Education Building followed by a presentation during the Architecture and Design course in PE264 at 6 p.m.

The reception will feature image boards, banners and slide show media. A short minute presentation will take place, with the consultant teams in attendance for casual conversation.

The main presentation in PE264, will be jointly presented by Associate Director of Campus Planning and Architecture Spencer Court, and representatives from project consultants Moriyama + Teshima Architects (Toronto) and Gibbs Gage Architects (Calgary). A short question period will follow.

These events are free and all members of the University and broader community are invited to attend.  If you have questions, please contact Spencer Court at spencer.court@uleth.ca

Snowfall fun facts and tips for safe shovelling

snowAs Lethbridge woke up buried under nearly two feet of snow the morning of Friday, Jan. 11, the U of L Grounds department was clearing up the last bit of white stuff and sanding icy areas across campus.

Grounds crews were able to clear campus so quickly because the snow fell overnight Thursday when crews had better access to the parking lots. With low traffic volumes, staff were able to work much faster than when crews have to work around vehicular and pedestrian circulation.

Future snowstorms may fall too close to when morning traffic arrives, in which case Grounds may not have access to parking lots until the following night, therefore the campus may not be as well cleared when the public arrives the morning of a heavy snowfall.

 snow removalFun facts about the Jan. 10-11 snow fall:

  • The average home in Lethbridge has about 112 sq. m. of driveway and sidewalk to clear snow from.
  • The South Plaza between the Wellness Centre and the library is 3,269 sq. m., or roughly equivalent to 29 homes.
  • From the start of operations on Jan. 10 until 10 a.m. on Jan. 11, seven Grounds employees put in more than 110 hours clearing snow.
  • Parts of campus such as the stairs at the Students’ Union Building were cleared more than 10 times during this period.
  • The equipment clearing campus roadways ran continuously from 5 a.m. Jan. 10 to 10 a.m. Jan. 11 – excluding the hours between 10 p.m. and 1:30 a.m.

Snow Shovelling Safety Tips

Clearing snow is part of the Grounds department’s work repertoire, and crews are well versed in proper snow shovelling safety.

While clearing sidewalks and driveways may seem like a simple task at home, it can be backbreaking work, so be careful that you don’t actually break your back!

The list below includes safety and injury reduction tips created by the Snow & Ice Management Association, Inc. (SIMA) and its website, www.GoPlow.com made possible by Bobcat Company at www.bobcat.com.

  • Wear breathable layers: SIMA suggests wearing layers of loose clothing so layers can be peeled off. Avoid wearing heavy wools, manmade materials or other materials that don’t allow perspiration to evaporate.
  • Wear good shoes or boots: SIMA suggests wearing quality outdoor winter wear such as waterproof boots with good traction. Good traction is critical to ensuring that you don’t slip and fall.
  • Loosen up: Take a few minutes to stretch. Shovelling snow is a workout so you need to stretch to warm up your muscles particularly because you are shovelling snow in the cold weather. Stretching before you start shovelling will help prevent injury and fatigue.
  • Push don’t lift: If you push the snow to the side rather than trying to lift the snow to remove it, you exert less energy thereby placing less stress on your body, so push as much as possible within reason. If deeper snow is in need of removal, take it in layers.
  • Drink up: SIMA recommends taking frequent breaks and staying hydrated. You should drink water as if you were enduring a tough workout at the gym or jogging.
  • Utilize equipment: Whenever possible, utilize equipment that can remove more snow with less time/effort, to increase your efficiency and reduce the amount of labour needed.

Facilities featured in 45th anniversary videos

45thThe U of L celebrated its 45th anniversary last year with several activities and video presentations throughout the year and we were pleased to be a part of it.

Associate Director of Campus Planning and Architecture Spencer Court was recently featured in one of the U of L’s 45th Anniversary YouTube videos talking about some of our planning projects.

Judy Jaeger, Facilities Caretaking Manager and Co-chair of the SOS program was also featured.

Check out the videos here.

You can also view the University’s YouTube page here.

 

 

 

 

Another busy building year at U of L

It’s a New Year which means a new list of campus enhancing activities is being planned by the Facilities department.

The Project Management Office (PMO) is gearing up for next summer’s construction season with several projects aimed to improve campus life for the University community.

A significant project taking place is the rehabilitation of the PE underground tunnel and south plaza replacement. Construction is set to begin in May and run through to the end of the year.

The project addresses necessary infrastructure upgrades including tunnel leak repairs as well as work to improve the air quality and lighting. The tunnel murals should be preserved unless unforeseen circumstances arise.

Work on the south plaza will see about 1,500 sq. m. of concrete removed and re-poured along the exterior of the Max Bell Aquatic Centre and Student’s Union Building up to the north side of the library and rotunda.

Pedestrian Tunnel South Plaza Rehabilitation

Because the area above the tunnel cannot withstand more than 10,000 lbs. of weight, the underground tunnel will be closed throughout the duration of the project to allow the coordination of heavy duty excavation equipment.

The Aperture Drive bus loop and Lot D with the loop will be also closed during construction. A new, temporary bus route will be planned in conjunction with the City of Lethbridge. The new route will be announced when it is finalized.

The tunnel will remain closed during both June and October convocations. More details regarding this project will be released as it becomes available.

The final phase of the Parking Lot Redevelopment Project will also get underway this summer. The project includes paving Lots E and G, installing landscaping and trees, and the construction of storm water management and drainage systems.

The new residence in Aperture Park will open in July 2013. The last sections of concrete pouring for the 259-bed facility has already taken place. The pouring of the residence roof on Dec. 12 was a significant milestone for the construction crew and we were happy to have the University Board of Governors take in a tour of the site the following day.

Housing is already taking applications for returning students. Read more about what the residence will look like here.