Ops Talk Magazine Spring 2011 by DEL Communications Inc.

Schools require unique, rugged roofing solutions. Cover photo courtesy of The Garland Company, Inc.

PUBLICATIONS MAIL AGREEMENT #40934510

Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s in a name? See page 12 Rethinking leadership Winter driving: how much more fuel are you using? Climate action: leading by example Four steps to successful roofing projects

* *Soon to be the Educational Facility Managers Association of British Columbia!

This chalkboard was chock-full of smoke.

At Canstar, Getting students back to class is priority. Water & Fire Damage Emergency Response 24/7

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Using the latest technology for an 'old school' repair

MAPEI helped restore the exterior of this educational landmark, originally built in the early 1930s, so it will endure for decades to come.

Montréal, Québec École St-Jean-de-la-Lande The following MAPEI products were used on this project:

Planitop ® X Fast-setting horizontal, vertical and overhead one-component repair mortar Mapefer ™ 1K Corrosion-inhibiting coating for reinforcing steel

Products developed with MAPEI’s “green innovation” are LEED -compliant, helping to contribute valuable points toward LEED-certified projects.

S.P.O.A. .P.O.A.

In this issue President’s Message – Bruce MacLean . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Rethinking leadership – Donna Howes, CHRP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 What’s in a name? (A lot!) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Profile on Doug Stewart . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 TRANSPORTATION SECTION: Winter driving: how much more fuel are you using? . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Let Western Bus’s team help you with your next bus repair . . . . . 16 Climate action: leading by example – Doug Wall . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Reuse before you recycle: a better approach . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 School exteriors get a facelift with concrete repairs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 The right structure + creative thinking = a showcase system for efficiency & IAQ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 The bio-based solution for your asphalt – and your budget. . . . . . . . . 26 FAM3: Facility Asset Management Maturity Model . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 THOUGHTS ON: Succession – Chuck Morris . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

Covering all aspects of educational facilities and operations.

OpsTalk

h Co lum

Published by: DEL Communications Inc. Suite 300, 6 Roslyn Road Winnipeg, Manitoba R3L 0G5 TF: 1.866.831.4744 TFF: 1.866.711.5282

President David Langstaff Publisher Jason Stefanik Managing Editor Katrina Senyk katrina@delcommunications.com Advertising Sales Gary Barrington Jennifer Hebert Ross James Dayna Oulion Production Services Provided by: S.G. Bennett Marketing Services www.sgbennett.com Art Director Kathy Cable Layout / Design Dana Jensen Advertising Art Deryn Bothe

2011 SPOA Conference Program and Registration Forms . . . . . . . . . 32 Four steps to successful roofing projects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 Shelter Industries launches first of 138 modular kindergarten classrooms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 V = Velocity – Chuck Morris . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 Reducing downtime, one freeze at a time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46 Stutters: licensed to haul asbestos from job sites . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48 Are you properly maintaining your turf fields? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 FortisBC helps the Delta School District reduce its carbon footprint. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51

©Copyright 2011. School Plant Officials of B.C. All rights reserved. The contents of this publication may not be reproduced by any means, in whole or in part, without the prior written consent of the publisher. While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information contained herein and the reliability of the source, the publisher in no way guarantees nor warrants the information and is not responsible for errors, omissions or statements made by advertisers. Opinions and recommendations made by contributors or advertisers are not necessarily those of the publisher, its directors, officers or employees.

The new sports floor finish: R.J.C. Moisture Cured Urethane . . . . . . . . 54

Publications mail agreement #40934510 Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to: DEL Communications Inc. Suite 300, 6 Roslyn Road Winnipeg, MB R3L 0G5 Email: david@delcommunications.com

Keep fit through play!. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56

PRINTED IN CANADA 03|2011

Understanding MERV air filter ratings for HVAC systems – Bob Jackson, CAFS, NCT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52

Firestone introduces sustainable, innovative vegetative roof system . . 58 Index to advertisers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62 6 Ops Talk • Spring 2011

DEL

Communications Inc.

S.P.O.A. .P.O. A.

Br it

h Co l u m

SPOA B.C. PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

Bruce MacLean

Ahhh, spring … and with spring comes that final push to the end of another school year. Projects and strategies are all in place awaiting funding announcements that will determine the course of action for the upcoming year. It’s been a busy year for the SPOA Executive, which has continued working on initiatives to strengthen the association. The 2011 conference is fast approaching and the conference committee (aided by members at large) have put together a terrific program with a focus on “Healthy Teams”. Pro-D sessions start the week and provide a strong lead into the conference. There is a wide range of sessions and roundtable offerings, including a Ministry roundtable that will give us the opportunity to share ideas and strengthen our relationship with the Capital Management Division. The AGM will have reports and updates on the association business undertaken over the past year – Certification Program, Standards and Practices, Constitution, Climate Action, and the presentation of our Strategic Plan, which has been a major undertaking of the past few Executives. My year as SPOA president has passed quickly, but it has given me the opportunity to be involved with projects and meet people that has made the year most rewarding and memorable. We have a tremendous resource available to us – our members – knowledgeable, professional and always willing to help. I would like to encourage you all to become involved and engaged in the business of the association. There are many avenues available for you to do this, from zone meetings to committee work, right

through to putting your name forward

B.C. Conference runs May 31st to June

as a director.

3rd in Penticton – I’ll see you there!

In closing, I hope you all have a great year and remember – the 2011 SPOA

Sincerely,

Bruce MacLean

EENGINEERING NGINEERING VALUE... VALUE... ACHIEVING ACHIEVING OUTSTANDING OUTSTANDING R RESULTS ESULTS A culture culture ooff innovation, innovation, ssound ound management management principals principals aand nd eeducation d uc a t ion ddelivers elivers ssustainable ustainnable vvalue alue aand nd eenhances nhances customer customer ssatisfaction. atisfaction. R RCABC CA B C hhas as sset et tthe he sstandards tandards ffor or the the roofing roofing industry in d us t r y w with ith a ccommitment ommitment ttoo ccontinuously ontinuously iimproving mproving qquality ualit y aand nd pperformance. e r f or m a n c e. R RCABC CABC ssupports uppor t s tthese hese high high standards standards with with the the industry’s industr y ’s m most ost comprehensive c o m p r e h e n si ve Guarantee G uarantee Program. P r ogr am. IIdentifying dentif ying alternative alternative methods methods to to achieve achieve objectives objectives with with quality q ual i t y aassurance ssurance practices practices – that’s that’s the the RCABC RCABC Guarantee Guarantee Corp’s Corp’s successful su c c e s s f u l aapproach pproach ttoo sustainability! ssustainabilit y!

ROOFING CONTRACTORS CONTRA ACTORS ASSOCIATION OF ASSOCIA ATION T COLUMBIA BRITISH COL UMB BIA

www.rcabc.org w w w.rcabc.org

9734 2201st 9734 01st Street Street | Langley, L angley, BC B C | V1M V1M 3E8 3E 8 Tell 6604 Te 04 8882 82 99734 734 Fax Fax 6604 04 8882 82 11744 744 Email Email rroofing@rcabc.org oofing@rcabc.org School Plant Officials Association of B.C. www.spoabc.org

Rethinking leadership BY DONNA HOWES, CHRP Previously published in the Winter 2010 issue of PeopleTalk, the B.C. Human Resources Management Association’s quarterly magazine.

“Overall, HR functions in the province of B.C. are focused on increasing their leadership capability and ensuring their staff groups perform. After a year of change in 2009, the majority of organizations are focused on getting the best contribution from the leaders and employees they have.” B.C. Human Resources Management Association – HR Trends in B.C. Survey Report (2010).

Today, success is all about everyone being on the same page – pulling together – and being in tight alignment with the organization’s business objectives. Scan the management literature and you’ll find that creativity and innovation, both byproducts of fully engaged employees, are accepted as sources of business value. Buy a few more books and you’ll see that leadership itself has been redefined as: emo-

Surrey r Victoria r Kelowna r Edmonton r Lethbridge r Red Deer r Calgary r Regina r Saskatoon r Winnipeg

8 Ops Talk • Spring 2011

tional intelligence, presence, authentic, fierce, from the inside-out, strength-based and primal. No wonder there’s been a significant rethink in how we measure the effectiveness of our leaders. To be successful today, leaders must have courage, common sense, commitment; and most of all, communicate ‘beyond the babble’. Not only do they have to deliver bottom line results, they now also have to do it with passion! A look inside some of B.C.’s foremost organizations illustrates that leadership doesn’t just happen; it’s nurtured and grown. City of Abbotsford: LEAD & LEAP Leadership development is the cornerstone of the City of Abbotsford’s people and organizational development strategy to engage, inspire and support an effective, service-oriented workforce. “We are committed to increasing our leadership capacity and a new way of thinking through LEAD – Leading with Excellence Abbotsford Development,” says Monica Affleck, people and organizational development advisor. LEAD, a 14-month leadership development program with five modules of 11 instructional days followed by a final assessment report and presentation, covers foundational knowledge and skills that help people to be their best, regardless of their role in the organization. Affleck believes that when you create a space for people to learn at work, learning can take place every day. Moreover, people will apply what they’ve learned to make a tangible difference and “lead from wherever they stand” in the organization. “The feedback so far has been fantastic,” Affleck says. “Through the cohort model of learning together, participants are developing relationships with others across the

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organization, which is so important to break down silos and barriers and help us become more effective. The LEAD program is a great opportunity for change in how we do our work, how we relate to each other, and ultimately change how leadership is defined at the City, right now and in the future.â&#x20AC;? So successful is the LEAD program, that the City of Abbotsford is about to introduce LEAPS â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Leading with Excellence Abbotsford Program for Supervisors â&#x20AC;&#x201C; for employees who lead the work of others and are looking toward career progression.

cial projects advisor, and with the valued support of CEO

Vancity: Banking on Trust and Appreciation As a financial membership organization that has made corporate social responsibility an integral part of its identity, Vancity is often showcased as an organization that lives its values in the way it does business. Its ideals are secured in the well-being of members, employees and the communities they serve. It is a culture where extraordinary leadership is measured by delivering on human values, as well as return on investment. Enhancing values and providing stewardship throughout the organization is Mark Jeffreyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s passion. In his role as spe-

bility and about â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;being my wordâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; when dealing with col-

Tamara Vrooman, Jeffrey is taking a whole-systemsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; approach, coaching groups as well as individual managers and team leaders. By opening up meaningful conversations about core values such as â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;trustâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;, Jeffrey is facilitating new ways of working together between employees through greater awareness and self-leadership. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We have opened an authentic new dialogue about trust, about being valued, and about what it means to be member of the Vancity family,â&#x20AC;? says Jeffrey. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The goal has been to grow a shared understanding about personal responsileagues and the people we serve.â&#x20AC;? Appreciative Inquiry is the starting point for many of Jeffreyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s workshops. Heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s found that employees have greater awareness of what motivates them as individuals when they feel appreciated and supported in their efforts. By voicing appreciation for a colleague and for whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s already working in the relationship, it becomes easier to request what is needed for things to work even better. â&#x20AC;&#x153;There is something simple, and yet powerful and transformational, about helping people to find their voice and inspire others to find theirs,â&#x20AC;? says Jeffrey. As a result of these meaningful conversations, there is a greater awareness of the real â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Vancity wayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; and the results that are possible when everyone brings the best of who they are to the workplace. Problems get solved by people working together; participating, collaborating and creating new connections. Trust, along with some other very positive human values, is what true leadership has always been about; we just werenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t ready to have the conversation on such a personal level. We are now though, and one reason is that we do have a new language that allows us to engage in meaningful conversations about our shared experiences within the workplace.

About the Author: Humanity at Workâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Donna Howes, CHRP is a coach and organization development consultant devoted to creating confident leaders, strong teams and proud, productive workplaces. She is a Certified Executive Coach, VP of the B.C. Organization Development Network, and a proud champion of The Minerva Foundation for B.C. Women. For more information, please visit http://www.bchrma.org and http://www.hrvoice.org. íľş

10 Ops Talk â&#x20AC;˘ Spring 2011

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Contact 1-877 WESCO CA (937-2622) or visit www.wesco.ca

(A lot!) BY BRUCE MACLEAN, 2010/2011 SPOA PRESIDENT

Last year, at the Annual General Meeting of the School Plant Officials Association of B.C. (SPOA), the SPOA Executive highlighted a number of initiatives on which they were working. These initiatives included the creation of a long-range strategic plan, cleaning up the constitution, and the creation of a new name for this association. At this yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s AGM in Penticton, your Executive has planned to provide a complete overview of all of these initiatives, as well as unveil our new name and illustrate what it means for us as an association. The Executive, along with a Strategic Planning Committee, have worked very hard developing a three- to five-year plan. Throughout all of the planning, a theme kept appearing, and that was one of modernization â&#x20AC;&#x201C; not only in how we carry out our business and the need to expand what we do, but also in the name of the association. The Little Red School House and our SPOA name are held dear by the vast majority of our members. Since 1964 when a few stalwart individuals got together and formed the associa-

tion, we have held tight to these historical connotations. This is a proud organization, and its history has been diligently documented. We continue to do so with the efforts of Bob Hardy and all of the existing and former executive members. As a result of Bobâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s extensive background with SPOA and his contacts, he is able to offer advice and guide consecutive executives as they strive to uphold the history and move forward, without tarnishing that history or the name. Since our inception 47 years ago, facility management has evolved

into

multi-disciplined

professional

career.

Universities, colleges and technology institutes have adapted to provide degrees and diplomas in the profession of facility management. A facility or a portfolio of facilities is quite often 30 to 50 per cent of an organizationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s net worth. Now more than ever, owners are seeking professionals to take care of their facilities and keep the occupants safe in these valuable assets. In SPOA, we are all facility professionals, whether you look after building maintenance, custodial services or grounds; they are all tied together. In essence, we are all educational facility managers; this in a nutshell describes exactly what we do. Moving from the current name of SPOA to EFMA will enable those who are unfamiliar with the name of SPOA an opportunity to better understand, almost instantly, who we are. The new name, Educational Facility Managers Association (EFMA), is one that lends itself to instant recognition. It is a name that is in line with other facility management organizations around North America. It also aligns with our own facility professional certification program â&#x20AC;&#x201C; we certify our members who meet the required criteria as Certified Educational Facility Managers (CEFM). We are facility management professionals. With renewed vigor, we are embarking upon further growth for the association that will lead us into the 21st century, ensuring we continue to enhance what we do for our members, the districts that employ us and those who support us. It positions us to be ready to accept change and adapt to the 21st century initiatives the B.C. Ministry has proposed. This is an exciting time as we prepare to spring forward. Our passion for SPOA will live on as we move forward as the EFMA. The leadership and foresight of past executives and members wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t succumb to the shadows, but will in fact help guide us as we navigate our future. We are proud of our history and will respect it as we evolve into the â&#x20AC;&#x153;Educational Facility Managers Association of British Columbiaâ&#x20AC;?. íľş

12 Ops Talk â&#x20AC;˘ Spring 2011

Member Profile Ops Talk interview with Doug Stewart BY AMBER KLATT

Doug Stewart is â&#x20AC;&#x153;proud to be working with the people who are SPOAâ&#x20AC;? (soon to be renamed the EFMA of B.C.). Bob Hardy says that Stewart is a â&#x20AC;&#x153;reliable and very good resource personâ&#x20AC;?, â&#x20AC;&#x153;a non-political man who wants to help you get the job done rightâ&#x20AC;?. And it shows. Here is a man whose commitment to effective leadership has kept him with the British Columbia Ministry of Education since 1994, and as director of capital management since 2000. In a recent interview, Stewart talks about his work. Describe your role and relationship with the School Plant Officials Association of British Columbia. As part of the B.C. Ministry of Education, I provide policy, oversight, and funding to the facilities that comprise B.C. school districts and their boards. It is important to me to keep strong relationships with the people who make up SPOA, and this is why I make an effort to attend the AGM, provide seminars on procurement policy, and involve SPOA in our Capital Asset Management System along with VFA Canada. Why does this job matter to you? I do it for the benefit of the students, the school children who deserve to have the best learning environment â&#x20AC;Ś and physical space has a lot to do with this. For that reason, the people who are at the front-line delivering the services matter to me, and I feel good to be a part of that.

schools today, the Ministry has invoked the Wood First goal. This encourages districts to fund building ventures that integrate B.C.â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s renewable resource, and enables the sometimesstruggling local sawmill industry to allow for optimal learning structures that are also economically viable. As well, with Full-Day Kindergarten beginning this fall, we needed a number of new spaces â&#x20AC;&#x201C; from stick-built additions to brand-new schools, and something in-between. For the latter, Shelter Industries has responded with Modular Classrooms [Stewart notes wryly that these are not portables], the bright, largely windowed permanent structures that can also be moved. And what about aspirations? As a field [the Ministry and SPOA], we work together very well to get the best results that we can. Aside from unlimited financing, I can say I am thankful for the current efforts being put forth, and hope they continue. Lastly, what makes you get up and go every morning? Well, Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m not running the TC10K, and my floor hockey days have become more floor hockey watching days â&#x20AC;Ś but B.C. is a great province. I feel fortunate to enjoy it with my wife, our three adult children, and our church community. I enjoy spending time outdoors walking and hiking, and visiting with friends and family. íľş

Tell me about some of the prominent projects moving across your desk. To be honest, the projects themselves are driven by the individual districts and boards, who find their own consultants and designers. But, I can say that with the so-called â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;greeningâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; of

Advertising pays! School Plant Officials Association of B.C. www.spoabc.org

TRANSPORTATION SECTION

Winter driving: How much more fuel are you using? Winter driving is a given â&#x20AC;&#x201C; after all, we live in Canada! There are many factors that make winter driving a challenge, especially for school bus drivers. However, there are driving techniques and tips that you can use that will help you become more fuel efficient while winter driving. Letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s look at two of the key fuel burners. Rolling Resistance All moving vehicles encounter a certain amount of rolling resistance; some of your engineâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s power needs to be used to overcome everything from the grip of your tires to the force of the wind. Weather can have quite an impact on safe and fuel-efficient driving when it increases this rolling resistance; for instance, your vehicle can consume 15 to 20 per cent more fuel when it needs to push through heavy snow. Heavy rain can increase fuel consumption by 10 per cent. A head wind of as little as eight km/hr can increase aerodynamic drag at highway speeds, causing your engine to work harder and thus reducing fuel

economy by 10 per cent. Cross winds can have the same impact. The following suggestions can help you manage rolling resistance and help you burn less fuel during winter: â&#x20AC;˘ Take the time to clear your vehicle of any wet snow, which can increase vehicle weight and reduce fuel efficiency. â&#x20AC;˘ If youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re driving into a strong head wind, reduce your speed by 10 km/hr to avoid wasting fuel. â&#x20AC;˘ When driving through deep snow, be sure to keep your wheels in any existing ruts, rather than plowing your own path. â&#x20AC;˘ When parking on ice, try to choose a slope that will allow you to move off in a forward direction. Since your tires will warm during the trip, they can melt holes in the ice when your vehicle comes to a rest. If you are pointing up hill, you may spin your wheels when you attempt to drive away, wasting fuel and time in the process. â&#x20AC;˘ Cold temperatures cause fluids such as engine oil, transmission fluids and

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14 Ops Talk â&#x20AC;˘ Spring 2011

axle lubricants to thicken. Use synthetic fluids to reduce these factors. Unnecessary Idling An idling school bus wastes both fuel and money. When idling, a typical school bus engine burns approximately two to three litres of fuel per hour (depending on engine size). School bus companies that eliminate unnecessary idling can save significant dollars in fuel costs each year. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Idlingâ&#x20AC;? means running your vehicle engine when itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s parked or not in use. Common reasons for engine idling in the winter are warming up the vehicle; driver and passenger comfort; and convenience. However, there are many reasons NOT to idle. By reducing idling time you save fuel and money, reduce wear and tear on your engine, help protect your health as well as that of your passengers, and reduce potential climate-change impacts. Idling is not an effective way of warming up your engine. As your vehicle is made up of many moving parts, to properly warm your vehicleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s transmission, tires, suspension, steering, and wheel bearings, you need to slowly drive off. Children are dressed for winter conditions in snow suits, hats and mittens. They are quite comfortable getting on a bus that has not idled for 30 minutes to warm it up. Start the bus, allow the oil pressure to rise and the glow plugs or intake heaters to complete three full cycles; wait for the orange â&#x20AC;&#x153;wait to startâ&#x20AC;? light to turn off. As long as the bus windows are clear of frost and snow, start driving slowly. Differentials, transmission oils and tires will warm up while you are driving (tires also become more fuel efficient as they become warmer). It takes 12 minutes of driving to warm

Frank Marasco, manager of transportation and safety at School District No. 83 (North Okanagan-Shuswap, B.C.), encourages other fleets to use SmartDriver for School Bus. â&#x20AC;&#x153;In my fleet, with the combination of training and the implementation of best practices, we have reduced fuel usage from 480,000 litres down to 370,000 in the past five years since we started initially piloting SmartDriver for School Bus,â&#x20AC;? Marasco says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Last year (2009), we were the only school district in B.C. that came in under the funding we were froze at in 2002.â&#x20AC;? coolant from -10oC to an operating temperature of 80oC, and 30 minutes of idling to reach that same temperature. With todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s technology, idling can almost be eliminated with heaters that meet every demand of school boards and pupil transportation organizations across North America. These heating systems enable drivers to pre-heat their school buses by offering warm starts, defrosted windows and a safe and comfortable environment for students â&#x20AC;&#x201C; all without engine idling. A number of different operating switches exist to meet individual demands and there are a number of heaters and heater configurations to heat school buses that operate in all kinds of climates. Timer controls can switch heaters on one to two hours prior to engine start up, allowing operators to go directly to work.

Small changes can have huge results! Every fleet has the potential to save thousands of dollars per year on fuel costs. The ecoENERGY for Fleets Program offered by Natural Resources Canada introduces fleets to energy-efficient practices that can reduce fuel consumption and emissions. FleetSmart is a component of this program that offers free practical advice on how energy-efficient vehicles and business practices can reduce fleet operating costs, improve productivity and increase your competitiveness. Along with the latest developments in fleet and fuel management, FleetSmart will also help ensure fleet vehicle owners and managers are aware of the fuel efficiency benefits of new and developing technologies. íľş

Shift into gear by adopting the SmartDriving habits and acquire the benefits! Register for SmartDriver for School Bus Training EcoENERGY for Fleets is pleased to sponsor a series of SmartDriver for School Bus training sessions across Canada. If you are interested in hosting a training session or attending a training session, please contact us at: SmartDriver@Bronson.ca.

For more information, please call (613) 960-7416, or write to Natural Resource Canada Office of Energy Efficiency 885 Meadowlands, 3rd Floor Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0E4 Fax: (613) 960-7340

School Plant Officials Association of B.C. www.spoabc.org

TRANSPORTATION SECTION

Let Western Busâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s team of 25 experienced technicians help you with your school districtâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s next bus repair! Stage 1 of bus repair by Western Bus Parts & Service.

Western Bus Parts & Service Ltd. has been repairing and servicing buses in Vancouver for over 30 years. Our 40,000-square-foot state-of-theart facility includes 22 repair bays, three paint booths and a complete mechanical service centre. During the summer of 2010, our facility accommodated more than 30 school buses. Several buses required repairs from major motor vehicle accident damage. Many buses were brought in for minor exterior and interior work, including custom seat upholstery. Provincial safety inspec-

Stage 2.

tions, federal import inspections, and all types of mechanical repairs were completed on numerous school buses. Because most highway and transit coaches are rear-engine equipped, front-end accident damage to a Blue Bird front-engine school bus can be an interesting repair.

Stage 3.

The following is an example of a front-end hit and the different stages of the repair: 1) Vehicle in repair bay and the damaged parts begin to be removed; 2) Engine is removed and sent to Caterpillar for dyno testing; 3) Entire front-end of coach is removed and framing repairs are done; 4) New body parts are installed, fabricated and modified as required; 5) Final stage of repair â&#x20AC;&#x201C; all painting and decal work are completed. Whether your school bus has been in a major motor vehicle accident, engine fire, vandalized, needs updating or simply requires a provincial safety inspection, Western Bus Parts & Serviceâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s team of 25 experienced technicians, specialized equipment, and extensive stock of new, used and custom-fabricated parts will meet any repair requirement.

For more information, please call 604-980-4844 or email info@westernbus.ca. íľş Stage 4.

Stage 5.

16 Ops Talk â&#x20AC;˘ Spring 2011

Climate action: BY DOUG WALL

In June of this year, B.C. school districts will have to issue their first cheques to purchase carbon offsets from the Pacific Carbon Trust in order to comply with the carbon neutral mandate under the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Target Act (GGRTA). As is the case with the Revenue Neutral Carbon Tax, one of the objectives of putting an appropriate price on carbon emissions is to encourage school districts and other public sector organizations (PSOs) to factor that cost into future investment and purchasing decisions. The problem with that, however, is that if there is little or no capital available to invest in emissions reductions, the intended behavioural change will not be realized. Hopefully, this will not be the case for long. In addition to the carbon neutral requirement for PSOs, the GGRTA also dictates that by 2020, total emissions in the province (public and private) must be reduced by 33 per cent below 2007 levels (and further reductions beyond that). In order to achieve these province-wide reductions, the government is going to have to require that the private sector make significant investments in emissions reductions, and enforce these reduction requirements through regulation. One would hope and expect that the government will lead by example and make similar investments to reduce their own actual emissions by an amount that approximates the GGRTA target. I believe that the government understands that merely declaring to be carbon neutral is unlikely to be a significant enough demonstration of leadership in the eyes of the private sector and the general public, especially when the carbon-neutral mandate actually enhances the business case for investing in actual emissions reductions.

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School facilities represent the single-largest component of the provincial government building inventory, and by far the largest opportunity for reducing actual emissions. Unfortunately, however, B.C. school districts have very little, if any, access to capital with which to invest in emissions reduction initiatives. Borrowing against avoided utility costs is prohibited by the debt cap under which the Ministry must operate. AFG funding is already insufficient to deal with growing deferred renewal backlogs, address curricular program renovations and adhere to access and safety codes without having to also rely on it for any significant emissions reduction investments. This will likely be borne out by the results of the ongoing Capital Asset Management System (CAMS) analysis. There is very likely at least $300-million worth of investments in comprehensive emissions reduction measures in B.C.â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s K-12 facilities that could be justified as being a better investment (i.e., a better use of taxpayer dollars) than continuing to pay escalating utility and carbon offset costs over the long term. One of the main reasons for this is that most of the upgrades involve replacing aging, inefficient equipment now (boilers, for example), thus avoiding a future capital expense when the equipment would have to have been replaced regardless. Each facility essentially has only one chance to implement a comprehensive emissions reduction project because any measures that are not implemented are unlikely to ever be implemented on a standalone basis. The positive business case associated with these upgrades should warrant their being given a high priority within the capital budgeting process going forward, especially if they help the government demonstrate leadership on climate action. The need to manage the ratio of Total Public Debt to GDP is acknowledged but these projects need to be given a much higher priority within the capital funding envelope. Previous funding mechanisms, including the now-completed PSECA program, were insufficient in scale and did not have the requisite emphasis on comprehensiveness (and GHG emissions) for these types of investments. It is recognized that low-visibility retrofits inside existing buildings are not ideal investments for the purposes of public announcements and ribbon-cutting ceremonies. Surely, however, the business case and job creation attributes of these investments, combined with the positive impact they will have on facility renewal and the learning

Before and after pictures of a typical retrofit replacing an aging school boiler plant in Nechako Valley.

environment, would trump most other investment options that might have better ceremonial optics. In contrast to B.C., where there is virtually no current funding or access to capital for school districts to implement emissions reduction projects, Alberta allows their school districts to borrow against guaranteed utility savings for up to 20 years. While this capability is reducing carbon emissions in Albertaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s schools, it was primarily put in place to give school districts an additional source of capital to deal with deferred facility renewal. It is ironic that school districts in Alberta, where climate action is not as high a government priority, have dramatically more access to capital for efficiency projects than their counterparts in B.C., where climate action is a legislated priority requiring a demonstration of government leadership. If incremental funding is made available for comprehensive emissions reduction projects in B.C. school districts, the performance risks associated with these projects can and should be transferred to the private sector to ensure that the investments generate the intended emissions reduction results. If no one is contractually responsible for the results, then they invariably will not be met. It is very easy to estimate how

much a project will cost and how much it will save; it is an entirely different matter to ensure that actual results match these estimates and the original business case of the project is maintained. An interesting exercise would be to go back and measure the performance of the PSECA projects in terms of actual energy and emissions reductions versus estimates. Despite the limited emissions impact of electrical efficiency measures, the associated Power Smart incentives make them a vital component of any school efficiency project. Similarly, incentives that are now available from FortisBC (formerly Terasen Gas) significantly enhance the business case of gas efficiency measures. Unfortunately however, without adequate access to capital to pay for the portion of the implementation costs that are not covered by utility incentives, the majority of incentives that could be realized by B.C. school districts will remain untapped. For this reason and the other reasons noted above, I am confident the government will soon rectify the funding issue for emissions reduction projects in B.C. schools.

About the Author: Doug Wall is a professional engineer and Western Canada vice president for Ameresco. íľş

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Reuse before you recycle! A better approach to managing your unwanted computer and networking equipment Technology is rapidly advancing. The life cycle of computers and electronics is getting shorter and shorter each year, and we are misled to believe that â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;recyclingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; your working items is the best solution. Whatever happened to reusing? The Electronic Recycling Association (ERA.ca) believes that reusing used computers, laptops and other electronics is the most important step of the 3Rs. The ERAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s priority is to help needy charities through the donation of used computers and electronics, as well as to help protect our environment by recycling only unusable items. This non-profit organization provides services across Canada with a mission to rescue usable technology and redistribute it back into the community. The ERA collects, refurbishes and reuses computers, laptops and all sorts of electronics. The items deemed â&#x20AC;&#x153;end of lifeâ&#x20AC;? are handled for recycling through government recycling programs; they are the filter between usable electronics and a recycling depot. The ERA works with schools, corporations, government departments and

individuals across the country helping hundreds of individuals and organizations reduce their electronic waste and the negative impact it has upon our environment. Several convenient and secure services are provided by the ERA such as electronic pick-ups, data wiping, refurbishment and certification. The ERAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s active website (www.era.ca) is filled with photos of happy people and charities that have benefitted from their programs. For instance, in February 2011 the ERA donated computers to the Women Into Healing alcohol and drug abuse treatment centre in Vancouver and in January of this year, the ERA donated computers to Vancouverâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Cerebral Palsy Association. The ERA makes an extra effort to be connected to the community by offering several programs and services to those in need. The ERAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s creative â&#x20AC;&#x153;Volunteer to Earnâ&#x20AC;? program, which started in 2006, enables individuals to volunteer their time in exchange for a free computer or laptop. The ERA proudly opens their doors to students and youth who require access to a computer with Internet access by setting up computer labs, Internet-

ready, for the purpose of homework, research, and job searching. The ERAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s battle to compete with the government-funded recycling programs is difficult. While there are hundreds of thousands of dollars being spent on advertising the recycling services across the province, there is no attempt to work out a system to save and reuse the functioning electronic items. By donating your computers, laptops, servers and other networking equipment to the ERA, you are helping organizations that desperately need these items to become connected to technology. The ERA continues its ongoing quest looking for partnerships and donations of used electronics in order to fulfil the numerous donation requests received daily. With depots in Vancouver as well as throughout B.C., the ERA provides a great way to recycle electronic equipment safely and securely. The ERA encourages all schools, businesses, and individuals to visit them online at www.era.ca and contact your nearest ERA office to book a pick-up of your computers and electronics. íľş

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School exteriors get a facelift with concrete repairs One Internet source states that there are 16,433 elementary and secondary schools in Canada. The database shows that 2,327 of those schools are in British Columbia, 2,106 are in Alberta and 762 are in Saskatchewan. As the school year moves from spring to summer, school facilities managers prepare to make those exterior repairs that help their institutions retain a well-maintained look. The following examples show how a school and a school board facility each gave a new shine to their facilities by making concrete repairs.

Surrey School Board - front steps.

Surrey School Board – Surrey, British Columbia The challenge with this project was to make the staircase, from street level to the first floor at the building

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entrance, look like new by adding a thin layer of concrete topping rather than removing and replacing the entire concrete staircase. The staircase was approximately 30 years old and was very worn and tired looking. The cement paste on the surface had long since eroded away, leaving the aggregate exposed in many areas of the staircase. A number of the stair nosings had chunks missing as well. The entire staircase was first pressure-washed to remove any laitance, dirt and loose aggregate. Once the concrete was dry, the repair work began.

In total, it took only three days to repair the staircase. The stair nosings were repaired with Planitop X repair mortar due to its ease of application, compressive strength and bond strength. Mapecem Quickpatch was then applied to all the surface areas that required patching and skimming, so that any imperfections in the concrete substrate would not show through into the finish coat. The contractor had worked with Mapecem Quickpatch on many horizontal applications, but had not used it on vertical surfaces before; he was very pleased with how well it performed on the vertical risers of the stairs. The fluidity of the product made it very easy to apply on all of the surfaces. The final finish was obtained using Concrete Renew, which was poured onto the concrete, then troweled into the surface. Next it was smoothed off with a Magic Trowel (squeegee-type trowel), and finished with a broom to give it a textured surface. After that, the repair work was covered with an acrylic sealer to give lasting protection. In total, it took only three days to repair the staircase; the pressure washing was done on Day 1, the concrete

repair work on Day 2, and the sealing was completed on Day 3. Ecole St. Jean de la Lande â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Montreal, Quebec Ecole St. Jean de la Lande is a primary school in the city of Montreal, built in the late-1920s/early-1930s. When it was time for a facelift, the school wanted to maintain its original look, so the City of Montreal decided to renew the concrete walls of the exterior. However, the first product the engineers specified posed a number of problems in application, resulting in cracks in many places on the faĂ§ade. Soconex, the specialty concrete restoration contractor who was working on the job, turned to MAPEI for advice. After viewing the jobsite, concrete restoration systems representative Michel Lafortune recommended that they use Planitop X â&#x20AC;&#x201C; a fast, versatile, user-friendly, economical trowelapplied mortar with high early strength that would solve the problem of cracking. Soconex performed a mock-up of the repair in a small area, and the architects and engineers from the city approved Planitop X for the restoration. The Soconex team first removed the old concrete and did a saw-cut of the perimeter to determine where the concrete was loose. To prevent corrosion of underlying metal, they applied Mapefer 1K to the entire surface; then they wet the concrete walls for 24 hours before they installed Planitop X over the old concrete with trowels. Next, they put a polyurethane plastic sheet over the repairs to let them cure for 24 hours. After removing the plastic, they painted the walls with an exterior coating. Soconex liked the results obtained with Planitop X so much that they are now using it extensively now for concrete repairs.

For further information, please visit www.mapei.com/CA-EN/. íľş School Plant Officials Association of B.C. www.spoabc.org

The right structure + creative thinking = BY ROY COLLVER Too bad these ideal opportunities don’t come along more often. When McLeod Road Elementary school in Surrey (SD no. 36) was due for a seismic upgrade, it was also due for an HVAC makeover as well. By the time Robert Cenedese of Rocky Point Engineering finished examining the structure, he knew this job could result in an enhanced heating system that would deliver superior energy savings and comfort, as well as a significant improvement in indoor air quality. The existing heating system was primarily gas-fired unit ventilation heaters for the classrooms, along with a bit of perimeter baseboard supplied by a small boiler. Ventilation air was supplied through fixed dampers in the unit heaters, resulting in the classic dilemma of how best to set them up. (You are likely to get either extra heat loss when not needed, or inadequate ventilation in heavily occupied classrooms.) Having experience and expertise in LEED® design, the Rocky Point team was used to thinking about energy savings first and foremost. This project presented some interesting possibilities not often available in school retrofit situations: • The building provided heated crawlspaces so as to allow hydronic distribution piping to be run unobtrusively throughout the structure. • The seismic upgrade process meant the school was going to be literally torn apart inside, so a radical redesign was possible without adding to the disruption. • Replacing all of the worn-out heating equipment meant that new equipment selection could be designed to be compatible with the most efficient type of heating plant

24 Ops Talk • Spring 2011

available – multiple-staged, lowtemperature condensing boilers. • There was a local boiler manufacturer, IBC Technologies, that was willing to work with Rocky Point and School District 36 to provide equipment and control solutions to meet the stringent requirements of the school district. They required high-efficiency boilers to be mounted on a seismically rated, factory-engineered racking system, and the boilers had to be Native BacNet® capable in order to fit into the district’s operating system. Discussions between the district, Rocky Point and IBC Technologies resulted in the perfect boiler plant, married with the ideal heating system for this building. • They had the ability to provide an appropriately sized space to house an all-new boiler plant.

McLeod boiler room.

So how do you design the ideal system for this type of building? Mr. Cenedese made the following decisions: • Use hydronic unit ventilators, with coils sized to be able to heat the spaces at design conditions, with maximum water temperatures of 160°F. • Choke the fluid flow rate to the heaters down so that they operate on a 40°Fs stee, optimizing condensation (efficiency) in the boilers at design temperatures (by returning 120°F s, the water). BONUS! With a 40°Fs pumps can be smaller, the pipes can be smaller and the power required to drive the water around the building can be less. • Provide variable-volume fresh-air dampers to the unit ventilator heaters – tied to CO2 sensors in the classrooms – to optimize the amount of

a showcase system for efficiency and IAQ

McLeod rack wall detail.

McLeod rack floor detail.

fresh air delivered to the classrooms based on occupancy and need (good duct design could also increase head-space). â&#x20AC;˘ Design the perimeter heating radiators to operate at lower operating temperatures, in order to maximize boiler condensation.

The existing heating system was primarily gas-fired unit ventilation heaters for the classrooms. â&#x20AC;˘ Specify factory designed and supplied boiler-mounting racks that comply with seismic code requirements. There are many more features to this design that deserve further comment, but I think you get the idea. When the right opportunity presents itself, and the right creative people work in collaboration to come up with creative solutions, â&#x20AC;&#x153;outside the boxâ&#x20AC;? then becomes â&#x20AC;&#x153;inside the boxâ&#x20AC;?. íľş School Plant Officials Association of B.C. www.spoabc.org

â&#x20AC;&#x201C; and your budget BY GORDON OLIVER If you knew that spending one dollar

binding properties of asphalt every day

would save you thousands of dollars in

that are unavoidable; the sun, salt, water

the future, would you spend it?

and traffic slowly break down the integri-

Over the last decade, the govern-

ty of asphalt. Most other infrastructure

ment has started embracing these

materials are treated with a protectant to

strategies in maintaining infrastructure,

minimize the effect of these problems;

which have shifted toward money-sav-

wood is painted or stained, concrete is

ing preventive maintenance systems.

finished or sealed, and metal is coated.

Vehicle owners see this as common

The technology now exists to protect

sense. Most drivers service their vehi-

asphalt in a very similar manner, which

cles regularly; the others wait until

will reduce repair costs and also extend

smoke explodes out from under the

the total life cycle of the asphalt surface.

hood. Changing the oil might cost a few

In the past, parking lots have been left

dollars, but replacing the engine is the

alone until major problems appeared,

more expensive alternative.

costing thousands of dollars to repair or

Asphalt can be treated the same way.

resurface. In St. Louis ten years ago,

There are factors that put stress on the

BioSpan Technologies, Inc. created the

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solution to these problems: RePLAY. After extensive testing north of the border, RePLAY is now available across Canada. Several customers in British Columbia and Alberta have already made RePLAY a major part of their asphalt maintenance programs. Simply put, RePLAY is a bio-based product made from agricultural oils and polymers that will prevent the asphalt from breaking down. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Including many of the schools in Edmonton, there have been hundreds of thousands of square-metres of parking lots treated with RePLAY in B.C, Alberta, and Saskatchewan,â&#x20AC;? says Bio Protection Solutions (BPS) operations director Corey Ellis. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We like working with schools because we provide such a great value and really do save our clients money. Every cent wasted on patching and asphalt repair could be better spent in other areas â&#x20AC;&#x201C; in the classroom, on the children.â&#x20AC;?

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Edmonton Public Schools is using an

RePLAY, John Marino, superintendent of

asphalt surface treatment called RePLAY

the streets â&#x20AC;&#x201C; operations branch for the

to extend asphalt life. This product has

City of Vancouver, stated, â&#x20AC;&#x153;The fact that

been sprayed on a number of district

it [RePLAY] is bio-based, we like to

school parking lots and roadways,â&#x20AC;? states

official

statement

from

www.enviromatters.epsb.ca. Preventative maintenance is always a

encourage those things... and if it can preserve the asphalt, the savings to the city are huge in the long term.â&#x20AC;?

better way to maintain any asset. The city of Vancouver is one of the testing

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grounds for RePLAY on roads. When

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School Plant Officials Association of B.C. www.spoabc.org

FAM3 Facility Asset Management Maturity Model

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Facility managers have seen an exponential increase in demand for accountability; they operate under a level of scrutiny never before seen as stakeholders are dealing with stringent economic conditions. At the same time, emerging technology and new service delivery techniques have provided innovative opportunities to evolve and grow to meet these challenges. The key for facility managers is to understand the relative ‘maturity’ of their facility asset management delivery systems/processes and be able to compare them against global best practices. Maturity is not measured in years but is measured in terms of service delivery/process value. Measurement tools are needed to help analyze, understand, and take action in a planned, valued and strategic manner. The breadth and scope of the information that is available to us needs to be defined and managed; not measuring (or doing nothing) is not an option, and will result in system/process failure. The level of maturity for every organization is different, and it is important to step away from day-to-day operations and assess where your own organization is. The FAME team has developed a ‘FM Balanced Scorecard’ that can assist facility managers in understanding their facility’s maturity and plan their journey toward a best-practice, bestmanaged organization. The accompanying chart conceptually illustrates the FAME process: there are four silos of knowledge that must be evident in every FM organization, and each of these silos must contribute to the overall FM organization ‘maturity’. By going through a strategic planning process utilizing KPIs (key performance indicators) and KRAs (key result

areas), the objectives, measures, targets, and initiatives can be defined, measured and managed. Facility Management Silo: Examines facility condition, preventative maintenance, maintenance management, operations management, asset management, and energy management. Maturity ranges from reactive dedicated resources reliant on hands-on knowledge to cost-effective, pooled and shared technology resources leveraging knowledge-based full-facility life cycle management. Knowledge Management Silo: Examines FM resources used to plan, manage, and improve delivery of facility services. Maturity ranges from projectbased tools and information to strategic, integrated tools, processes and information collection for end-to-end management aligned to organization goals and objectives. Culture and Staff Silo: Examines FM organizational structure, roles, responsibilities, competencies and work envi-

ronments. Maturity ranges from a handyman generalist environment to a more proactive service oriented, FM business-centric environment. Demand, Supply and Facility Governance Silo: Examines corporate demand for facility management services and the supply of those services. Maturity ranges from facility management as a cost centre to a facility management governance model that provides real-time alignment of facilities, to corporate demand with funding aligned to total cost of ownership. Across the four domains, the FAME team gathers information that can be analyzed and plotted to demonstrate the relative maturity level of a FM organization. Five stages are utilized after the data has been analyzed: â&#x20AC;˘ Stage One: Individualized/ compartmentalized â&#x20AC;˘ Stage Two: Standardized â&#x20AC;˘ Stage Three: Optimized â&#x20AC;˘ Stage Four: Automated/ technology-enhanced

â&#x20AC;˘ Stage Five: Full organizational alignment With this new understanding, a facility manager would have a plan that guides them through a maturity journey. Leveraging the benefit of prior experience, a common language and shared vision, the facility manager has a measurable management framework for tactical and strategic initiatives. This will allow them to move from an environment where commitments are missed and costs are out of control to one where services are delivered within a mutually agreed framework with users; where agile processes propel improved quality, and where organization alignment engages the highest level of staff commitment and morale.

Prepared by: Steve Cripps, President/Managing Principal Ed Deviat, Senior Solutions Architect Phone: 1-403-457-3263 www.fameassets.com íľş

School Plant Officials Association of B.C. www.spoabc.org

Succession BY CHUCK MORRIS

Are you retiring soon? The thought of heading out to one of the nearby lakes to try and catch a trout sounds pretty good â&#x20AC;&#x201C; especially if you can go whenever you feel like it! Or the golf course; some of the best times to get on the greens are when you are at work. It would really be nice to be able to be one of those people you see on the greens as you drive by to your next meeting. When you do leave, who is going to do your job? How about when your maintenance manager leaves, your custodial supervisor, or your electrical foreman? You get the picture â&#x20AC;&#x201C; who will move up to fill those vacancies? Have you even thought of it? You should be thinking about it all the time!

Succession planning is a major issue and if the statisticians are right about baby boomers, many of us will be digging out the fishing rod real soon. If we are not prepared, we can be caught off-guard. It would be foolish to think that, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Oh, weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll just post outside the industry as there are a lot of people out there that would love to work here.â&#x20AC;? Hang on, folks! That is not always the case. Especially once you get away from the larger urban centres; not everyone wants to live in communities that are miles from major centres or miles from friends and family! It is imperative we look inward first. Who do we have employed right now who is already a â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Shining Starâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;, or with some coaching and mentoring will

Â&#x203A; Â&#x192; Ă&#x2122; Ă? Ă&#x160; ÂĽ Ă&#x2013; Ă&#x2122; Ă&#x160; Ă˛ ÂŽ Â&#x2014; ÂŽ Ă&#x201E; ÂŚ ^ Ă&#x2013; Ă&#x160; Ă&#x2122; ĂŁ Ă&#x160; Ă&#x201E; ĂŁ Ă&#x2122; Â&#x192; Â&#x2018; ĂŁ ÂŽ Ă&#x201E; ÂŚ ^ Ă&#x160; Â˝ Ă§ ĂŁĂŁÂŽĂ&#x160;Ă&#x201E;Ă?Í&#x2014; ÂŽĂ&#x160;Ă&#x201E;Ă?Í&#x2014; 38 zzÂ&#x203A;Â&#x192;Ă&#x2122;Ă? Ă&#x160;ÂĽ Ă&#x2013;Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x160;Ă˛ÂŽÂ&#x2014;ÂŽĂ&#x201E;ÂŚ ^Ă&#x2013;Ă&#x160;Ă&#x2122;ĂŁ Ă&#x160;Ă&#x201E;ĂŁĂ&#x2122;Â&#x192;Â&#x2018;ĂŁÂŽĂ&#x201E;ÂŚ ^Ă&#x160;Â˝Ă§ Ă&#x2122;ĂŁÂŽÂĽÂŽÂ&#x2018;ÂŽÂ&#x192;Â˝ dĂ§Ă&#x2122;ÂĽ Íť ,Â&#x192;Ă&#x2122;Â&#x2014;ĂłĂ&#x160;Ă&#x160;Â&#x2014; 'ĂšĂ&#x192;Ă&#x201E;Â&#x192;Ă?ÂŽĂ§Ă&#x192; &Â˝Ă&#x160;Ă&#x160;Ă&#x2122;ÂŽĂ&#x201E;ÂŚ Íť ^ĂšĂ&#x201E;ĂŁÂŤÂ&#x203A;ĂŁÂŽÂ&#x2018; ^Ă&#x2013;Ă&#x160;Ă&#x2122;ĂŁĂ? &Â˝Ă&#x160;Ă&#x160;Ă&#x2122;ÂŽĂ&#x201E;ÂŚ Íť ĂŁÂŤÂ˝Â&#x203A;ĂŁÂŽÂ&#x2018; dĂ&#x2122;Â&#x192;Â&#x2018;ÂťĂ? Ă&#x2122;ĂŁÂŽÂĽÂŽÂ&#x2018;ÂŽÂ&#x192;Â˝ dĂ§Ă&#x2122;ÂĽ Íť ,Â&#x192;Ă&#x2122;Â&#x2014;ĂłĂ&#x160;Ă&#x160;Â&#x2014; 'ĂšĂ&#x192;Ă&#x201E;Â&#x192; Ăš Ă?ÂŽĂ§Ă&#x192; &Â˝Ă&#x160;Ă&#x160;Ă&#x2122;ÂŽĂ&#x201E;ÂŚ Íť ^ĂšĂ&#x201E;ĂŁÂŤÂ&#x203A;ĂŁÂŽÂ&#x2018; ^Ă&#x2013;Ă&#x160;Ă&#x2122;ĂŁĂ? &Â˝Ă&#x160;Ă&#x160;Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x2122;ÂŽĂ&#x201E;ÂŚ Íť ĂŁÂŤÂ˝Â&#x203A;ĂŁÂŽÂ&#x2018; dĂ&#x2122;Â&#x192;Â&#x2018;ÂťĂ? ÍťÍť ^Ă&#x2013;Â&#x203A;Â&#x2018;ĂŁÂ&#x192;ĂŁĂ&#x160;Ă&#x2122; ^Â&#x203A;Â&#x192;ĂŁÂŽĂ&#x201E;ÂŚ Íť ^Â&#x2018;Ă&#x160;Ă&#x2122;Â&#x203A;Â?Ă&#x160;Â&#x192;Ă&#x2122;Â&#x2014; Â&#x192;Ă&#x201E;Â&#x2014; sÂŽÂ&#x2014;Â&#x203A;Ă&#x160; ÂŽĂ?Ă&#x2013;Â˝Â&#x192;ĂšĂ? Íť DÂ&#x203A;Ă?Ă?Â&#x192;ÂŚÂ&#x203A; ÂŽĂ?Ă&#x2013;Â˝Â&#x192;ĂšĂ? Íť 'ĂšĂ&#x192;Ă&#x201E;Â&#x192;Ă?ÂŽĂ§Ă&#x192; Ă&#x2DC;Ă§ÂŽĂ&#x2013;Ă&#x192;Â&#x203A;Ă&#x201E;ĂŁ Íť ^Ă&#x2013;Â&#x203A;Â&#x2018;ĂŁÂ&#x192;ĂŁĂ&#x160;Ă&#x2122; ^Â&#x203A;Â&#x192;ĂŁÂŽĂ&#x201E;ÂŚ Íť ^Â&#x2018;Ă&#x160;Ă&#x2122;Â&#x203A;Â?Ă&#x160;Â&#x192;Ă&#x2122;Â&#x2014; Â&#x2014; Â&#x192;Ă&#x201E;Â&#x2014; sÂŽÂ&#x2014;Â&#x203A;Ă&#x160; ÂŽĂ?Ă&#x2013;Â˝Â&#x192;ĂšĂ? Íť DÂ&#x203A;Ă?Ă?Â&#x192;ÂŚÂ&#x203A; ÂŽĂ?Ă&#x2013;Â˝Â&#x192;ĂšĂ? Íť 'ĂšĂ&#x192;Ă&#x201E;Â&#x192; Ăš Ă?ÂŽĂ§Ă&#x192; Ă&#x2DC;Ă§ÂŽĂ&#x2013;Ă&#x192;Â&#x203A;Ă&#x201E;ĂŁ Íť Ă? ZĂ&#x160;Ă&#x160;Ă&#x192; &Â˝Ă&#x160;Ă&#x160;Ă&#x2122;ÂŽĂ&#x201E;ÂŚ ZĂ§Â?Â?Â&#x203A;Ă&#x2122; &ÂŽĂŁĂ&#x201E;Â&#x203A;Ă?Ă? ZĂ&#x160;Ă&#x160;Ă&#x192; &Â˝Ă&#x160;Ă&#x160;Ă&#x2122;ÂŽĂ&#x201E;ÂŚ

W W W. C E N T A U R P R O D U C T S . C O M 1 888 430 3300

30 Ops Talk â&#x20AC;˘ Spring 2011

become someone who could succeed? It is not difficult to recognize someone who is talented. I have seen many people work through the system and in fact, have coached a few myself, only to see them move on up to replace someone who left. It can be done. We all need to get involved and ensure it is done! Do you have a plan to support employee expectations? Can your organization support necessary training and development? Is the work environment supportive? Have you a plan in place to ensure knowledge transfer? Have you implemented accountability measures? These are all very important questions that you need to answer, and those answers need to be part of the plan. You not only want to support internal candidates for future movement, you need to be sure they are receiving whatever it is that your succession plan has in place. Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t wait; the time to act is now. The longer you hesitate, the quicker the days will rush by and one day when you do wake up to the fact that this is important, it will be too late. If external applicants are not a fit, you may end up hiring an inferior candidate who will consume much of your time and still prove to be fruitless; or you will overload someone to the point they cannot do their job effectively. This is important; talk about it. Begin by identifying what you need to do to start a plan. There are a great many resources out there; you do not have to re-invent the wheel. Speak to your peers in your industry; see what they have in place. Did I tell you about that large trout I caught last weekâ&#x20AC;Ś? íľş

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SPOA 2011 CONFERENCE AND TRADE SHOW

2011 CONFERENCE PROGRAM MAY 31 - JUNE 3, 2011 Corporate Sponsor: BC Hydro Penticton Trade & Convention Centre

Healthy Teams

TUESDAY, MAY 31 Professional Development 8:30 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. A. Integrating Energy Management and Energy Awareness into your School District - Achieving Measurable Results 8:30 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. 1) Delivering an Effective Energy Awareness Program to Employees This interactive workshop gives participants a step-by-step process to develop and implement an effective Energy Awareness Program tailored to school district employees. Discussion topics will include: the benefits and challenges of creating a program, securing senior management support and buy-in, motivating and engaging employees to participate, fostering behavioural change and sustaining long-term success.

Who Should Attend: Leaders of school district energy management and education activities; supervisors, managers and directors of operations, transportation and maintenance; facilities directors and managers; energy managers; facilities staff members; energy education staff, etc. Workshop Presenters: Mary Ferguson, BC Hydro School Programs Brian Branting, Energy Manager, Cowichan Valley School District # 79 10:30 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. 2) Strategic Energy Management for School Districts – From the Side of Your Desk to a Sustainable Action Plan Resources are limited, budgets are tight, your workload is increasing, and you’re being pulled in more directions than ever. So how do you make Energy Management a higher priority? You know that managing and reducing your school district’s electricity consumption saves money and creates better learning environments. But how do you approach energy management more strategically instead of going from project to project? In this interactive workshop, participants will learn: what strategic energy management is, how to determine your district’s objectives and priorities, how to obtain senior management support and buy-in, and how to build business cases to secure project funding. You will also learn the basics of developing a Strategic Energy Management Plan (SEMP) for your school district. Change Management concepts will be discussed and a summary BC Hydro funding for energy efficiency projects will be presented. Participants will develop their own action plans to implement back in their school districts.

B. “Facing the Tiger”- How to Have Healthy Conversations in the Workplace Speaker: John Singleton, Marathon Communications Inc. Discover the tools and secret strategies for dealing with conflict and bullies in the workplace. The goal is healthy conversations and helping people to get back to work without the distraction of roaming “tigers” in the office. ‘Facing the Tiger’ will start you on a new, more confident path with the skills and awareness to success-fully improve the relationships in your life!

2:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.

Registration – Members and Exhibitors

32 Ops Talk • Spring 2011

3:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.

Exhibitors’ Set-Up

4:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.

Golf Tournament - Skaha Meadows Golf & Country Club Sponsored by: A & G Supply

7:00 p.m. – 10:30 p.m. President’s Reception 10:00 p.m. – 12:00 a.m. Hospitality Suite – Everyone welcome at the Ramada Courtyard Inn Atrium Sponsored by: Ameresco; CEI Architecture Planning; InterfaceFLOR; PHH ARC Environmental; Armstrong World Industries

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 1 7:30 a.m. – 8:30 a.m.

Registration – Members/Exhibitors

7:30 a.m. – 8:00 a.m.

New Member Orientation

7:30 a.m. – 8:30 a.m.

Zone Meetings – Continental breakfast Please come out support your zones and elect the new Zone Chair

8:30 a.m. – 9:00 a.m.

Opening Ceremonies

9:00 a.m. – 9:30 a.m.

New Zone Chair and Executive Meeting

9:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. Visit Exhibitors’ Booths - Coffee 11:30 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. Delegates, Exhibitors and Partners Luncheon Healthy Teams Reducing Stress - Speaker: Dr. Saul Miller Sponsored by: Alta Gas Ltd. 2:00 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.

Visit Exhibitors’ Booths - Coffee

3:30 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Concurrent Sessions 1. Custodial Round Table Chair: Steve Smoroden, SD#37 Delta 2. Energy Manager Round Table Chair: Harold Schock, SD#23 Central Okanagan Three energy managers will present case studies describing the challenges and successes they experienced creating and implementing energy conservation, behavioural change, and energy education projects in their school districts. This round table format will give attendees the opportunity to exchange information, and receive practical information and ideas about how to implement similar projects back in their own school districts. 3. Training Operators of Vehicles and Equipment - Meeting your Criminal and Civil Obligations Speaker: Leith Skinner, Advantage Fleet Service Inc. Two part presentation including discussion on Bill C-45, WSBC Regulations and organizational and individual obligations. 4. Playgrounds Speaker: Alan Kavanaugh, Risk Management Service In this seminar/workshop, we will discuss in-depth and look at the specific risks and hazards associated with playgrounds and play areas. The topics to be discussed will include: descriptions of playgrounds, injuries, specific standards related to playgrounds, inspection and maintenance procedures, signage and the importance of documentation.

6:00 p.m. – 9:30 p.m.

Exhibitors’ Hosted Evening – “DISCO Nights” (Costume and Dance Contest)

9:30 p.m. – Midnight

Hospitality Suite – Everyone welcome at the Ramada Courtyard Inn Atrium Sponsored by: Ameresco; CEI Architecture Planning; InterfaceFLOR; PHH ARC Environmental; Armstrong World Industries School Plant Officials Association of B.C. www.spoabc.org

SPOA 2011 CONFERENCE AND TRADE SHOW

THURSDAY, JUNE 2 7:00 a.m. – 8:00 a.m.

Delegates and Exhibitors Buffet Breakfast

8:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. SPOA Annual General Meeting 9:30 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. Exhibitors’ Meeting - Appointing new Exhibitor Representative 10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. Visit Exhibitors’ Booths/Exhibitors’ Hosted Luncheon 1:00 p.m. – 2:45 p.m.

Concurrent Sessions 5. Traffic Safety for Schools Speaker: Dave Gibson, SD#23 Central Okanagan Overview of the job and the benefits to the school district and to the community. PowerPoint presentation on job role and responsibilities. 6. Playfields Speaker: Alan Kavanaugh, Risk Management Service In this seminar/workshop, we will discuss in-depth and look at the specific risks and hazards associated with sportsfields and playfields. The topics to be discussed will include: specific risks and hazards associated with baseball, softball, soccer and football fields. Soccer goal requirements, fencing, bleachers and other related areas. We will also discuss standards related to sports fields, inspection and maintenance procedures, signage and the importance of documentation. 7. Gym Floors – Panel discussion Speakers: Mike Peterson, Peterson Hardwood Floor Company; Craig Nagai, Centaur Products To discuss Canada’s new VOC laws and how they affect our options for gym floor coatings. 8. Innovative Energy Efficient Technologies for School Districts - BC Hydro Success Stories Chair: Wayne Cousins, Senior Key Account Manager, Education Sector, BC Hydro Representatives from BC Hydro and school districts will present innovative technologies that are helping school districts reduce their electricity consumption, save money, manage costs, and improve learning environments.

3:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Concurrent Sessions 9. Healthy Paint Finish Alternatives Speaker: Gord Barker, Master Painters & Decorators Association (MPDA) Given the health concerns of employees and new government regulations, alternative paints have been coming on the market over the past few years and now present a well-rounded, economical choice over VOC intensive paints. MPDA reviews standards for VOC content in alternative paint products that have been established. MPDA is an independent non-profit company who sets standards for environmentally responsible paint products. We first developed a set of painting industry standards and specification manuals in the mid-1960s. By 1967, an Inspection and Guarantee program had been developed. The MPDA’s standards were the basis for the former CGSB’s (Canadian Government Specification Board) National Painting Specification. That organization evolved into the Canadian General Standards Board, and the ‘core’ of that standard continues to be based upon the MPDA Architectural Specification Manual. 10. Ministry Round Table Chair: Ministry Representative Wood First Act Speaker: Werner Hofstatter, Wood Enterprise Coalition In October of 2009, the Government of B.C. established the Wood First Act with the purpose of putting Wood at the top of people’s mind every time they started to think about a construction project. Governments in B.C. invest billions of dollars in new buildings every year, including schools, recreation facilities, cultural centres, social housing projects and health care facilities. We will be providing an update on the environmental, socio-economic and project benefits of using wood in your upcoming projects, and on how the partners of the newly formed Wood Enterprise Coalition can be an invaluable resource.

34 Ops Talk • Spring 2011

11. Sustainable Mechanical Systems Speaker: Tim McGinn, Dialog The drive for lower heating, ventilation and air conditioning system operating, maintenance and first costs, together with a need to ‘build green’, has spawned a new generation of school mechanical systems. The goals are to minimize life cycle costs yet increase school indoor environmental quality at the same time. Technologies such as displacement ventilation, hybrid geothermal, radiant heating and cooling, active chilled beams and natural ventilation are being used increasingly in both new and renovated schools. This presentation provides a discussion of these new technologies, how they work and what are their advantages compared to “old school” approaches.

12. Canadian Green Sustainability Program Speaker: James Barkman, Canadian Sanitation Supply Association The Canadian Green Sustainability Program is not a “Green Cleaning” program, but rather a new standard pertaining to sustainable green practices for the sanitation supply and cleaning industry and their clients. Additionally the program will provide individual facilities with an audit and building certification opportunity to improve or verify and certify their facility’s environmental sustainability plant, and practices towards a healthier environment for their occupants and tenants. A greener facility pays off in spades. Employee’s attendance, moral and creativity are higher and long-term health costs are reduced. It is a Win/Win scenario. 6:00 p.m. – 12:30 a.m. Reception, Banquet and Dance Sponsored by: FortisBC

FRIDAY, JUNE 3 9:00 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. Concurrent Sessions 13. Maintenance Round Table Chair: Ray Siefert, SD#75 Mission 14. Health & Safety Round Table Chair: Vanessa Ezaki, SD#37 Delta 15. K-12 Support Staff Bargaining Update Speaker: Renzo Del Negro, BCPSEA This session will provide the latest news and developments concerning support staff bargaining in the K-12 sector. 10:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Ministry Update

• PARTNERS PROGRAM • TUESDAY, MAY 31

THURSDAY, JUNE 2

2:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. 4:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. 7:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m. 10:00 p.m. – 12:00 a.m.

9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.

Registration - South Lobby Golf President’s Reception Hospitality Suite

Destination Day Wine Tour with Luncheon Reception Banquet and Dance

6:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. 7:30 p.m. – 12:30 a.m.

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 1

9:30 p.m. – 12:00 a.m.

S.P.O.A. .P.O.A.

6:00 p.m. – 9:30 p.m.

Registration - South Lobby Opening Ceremonies Meet & Greet Breakfast Delegates’, Exhibitors’ and Partners’ Luncheon Healthy Teams Reducing Stress Dr. Saul Miller Exhibitors Hosted Evening Theme: Disco Nights with Dance Contest Hospitality Suite

7:30 a.m. – 8:30 a.m. 8:30 a.m. – 9:00 a.m. 9:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. 11:30 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.

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School Plant Officials Association of B.C. www.spoabc.org

SPOA 2011 CONFERENCE AND TRADE SHOW

2011 CONFERENCE REGISTRATION FORM First Name:____________________________________________ Surname:_________________________________________ Organization:_____________________________________________________________________________________________ Address:_________________________________________________________________Postal Code:_____________________ Tel:______________________________ Fax:______________________________ Email:________________________________

Cheques, MasterCard or Visa are accepted, also able to pay via SPOA web site. Forward form with payment. School Plant Officials Association of BC PO Box 19032, 1153 – 56th Street, Delta, BC V4L 2P8 fax 604-943-3541 Name on the card:____________________________________________________________________ Credit Card #___ ___ ___ ___ / ___ ___ ___ ___ / ___ ___ ___ ___ /___ ___ ___ ___ Exp Date: ____ / ____

Please indicate your golf shirt size: X-small q

Small q

Medium q

Large q

X-large q

Conference Fees Members Full Conference Package Non-Members Full Conference Package Members One Day Pass Non-Members One Day Pass Professional Development (A or B ) Partners Program Dinner and Dance only (extra person) SPOA Golf Thursday Open Day

$ 385 $ 485 $ 175 $ 225 $ 200 $ 100 $ 50 $ 50 No Cost

XX-large q

XXX-large q

$ Amount _______ _______ _______ _______ _______ _______ _______ _______ Totals _______

Please indicate your selection of sessions and social events: Tuesday – May 31 President’s Reception

Wednesday – June 1 Zone Meeting Breakfast Luncheon Exhibitors’ Hosted Evening Concurrent Session 1 Concurrent Session 2 Concurrent Session 3 Concurrent Session 4

q q q q q q q

Thursday – June 2 Members’ Breakfast Exhibitors’ Hosted Luncheon Concurrent Session 5 Concurrent Session 6 Concurrent Session 7 Concurrent Session 8 Concurrent Session 9 Concurrent Session 10 Concurrent Session 11 Concurrent Session 12 Banquet and Dance

q q q q q q q q q q q

Friday – June 3 Concurrent Session 13 Concurrent Session 14 Concurrent Session 15 Ministry Update

Cancellation Policy: Cancellation of registration must be received before May 15, 2011 for registration fees to be refunded. A processing fee of $50.00 will be charged on all refunds.

36 Ops Talk • Spring 2011

q q q q

SPOA’s 15th Annual Golf Tournament SKAHA MEADOWS Golf Course — Tuesday, May 31, 2011 — 4:00 p.m. This year’s highlights and information: • • • •

Nine-hole Texas scramble – shot-gun start Even out teams for score and fun Wine Cellar Prizes for long drive/closest to the pin/hole in one/draw prizes • Trophies for Winning Team

• Golf cost $50.00, includes dinner and transportation to and from golf course • There will be a bus available from the Convention Centre leaving at 3:30 p.m. • Exhibitors who are golfing can set up early • Limit to first 60, please reserve now • Golf Cart reserve on your own 250-492-7274

Golf Registration: Name:____________________________________________________________________________ Company/School District: ___________________________________________________________ Handi-cap:

Under 15

________________

Between 15-25

________________

Rarely golf over 25

________________

Please try to place me on a team with: ______________________________________________ Cheques, MasterCard or Visa are accepted; also able to pay via SPOA website. SPOA PO Box 19032 1153 – 56th Street Delta, B.C. V4L 2P8

Fax: 604-943-3541 Email: society@telus.net Website: http://spoabc.org/mconference.htm

Name on the card:____________________________________________________________________ Credit Card #___ ___ ___ ___ / ___ ___ ___ ___ / ___ ___ ___ ___ /___ ___ ___ ___ Exp Date: ____ / ____ Are you interested in supplying us with a golf prize?? ________________ Please contact Molly at: (tel) 604-943-3314 (fax) 604-943-3541 or (email) society@telus.net Enter early so proper teams, assigned holes etc. can be established well in advance.

ACCOMMODATIONS The following hotels have been chosen with block reservations for your benefit. Each hotel is located close to the Penticton Trade & Convention Centre and has issued special discount rates for those attending the Conference. Please ensure you reserve prior to the scheduled deadline date April 30, 2011, and that you quote SPOA Conference to receive the special discount rate.

RAMADA COURTYARD INN (Host Hotel) — 1050 Eckhardt Avenue West, Penticton, BC V2A 2C3 Tel: 1-800-665-4966 / 250-492-8926 • Fax: 250-492-2778 Room Rate: Single $117.00 / Business Class $137.00 / Kitchen/fireplace $192.00 PENTICTON LAKESIDE RESORT — 21 Lakeshore Drive West, Penticton, BC V2A 7M5 Tel: 1-800-663-9400 / 250-493-8221 • Fax: 250-493-0607 Room Rate: Parkview $139.00 / Beachview $149.00 / Lakeview $159.00 SANDMAN HOTELS & INN — 939 Burnaby Avenue West, Penticton, BC V2A 1G7 Tel: 250-493-7151 • Fax: 250-493-3767 Room Rate: Twin/Queen $99.00 to King $129.00 DAYS INN — 152 Riverside Drive, Penticton, BC V2A 5Y4 Tel: 1-888-999-6616 / 250-493-6616 • Fax: 250-493-661 Room Rate: Mountain view $114.00 to Balcony $119.00 (Complimentary Continental Breakfast Included)

Please quote SPOA conference when making reservations. *Reservations must be made by April 30, 2011*

THE COAST PENTICTON HOTEL — 950 Westminster Avenue, Penticton, BC V2A 1L2 Tel: 250-492-0225 • Fax: 250-493-8340 Room Rate: Single $109.00 / Premium Suite $149.00 School Plant Officials Association of B.C. www.spoabc.org

Four steps to successful roofing projects BY BRIAN LAMBERT

Schools require unique, rugged roofing solutions that are easy to maintain and provide long-term leak-free solutions.

Facility managers, school administrators, and design profes-

ects. Due to downsizing and budget cuts, most facility man-

sionals commonly report roofing problems as one of their

agers no longer have an experienced roofing expert on staff.

most pressing needs and frequently cited headaches.1

Therefore it is important to find someone you trust and

Whether you have a handful of facilities or 22 campuses to

respect to help manage your roofing program: an architect,

care for, it often seems as though there are one or more roofs

your local roofing contractor, or a technically trained manu-

in need of repair or replacement each year. For school facili-

facturer’s representative.

ty managers and hospital administrators, longevity, durability,

Qualified roofing professionals can assist you by:

rugged performance, and ease of repair are vital to roof

• Properly identifying roofing problems

design. To help secure the high level of performance that

• Providing yearly budgets estimates

schools and hospitals, it is helpful to understand four critical

• Prioritizing roof problems by degree of severity

components:

• Identifying which roofs can be restored and which ones

• Proper analysis, evaluation, and design • Quality products

need to be replaced • Supporting the design team responsible for developing

• Proper application and regular inspection

technical specifications and details that are customized to

• Corrective and preventive maintenance

your specific roof-top problems Roofs will rarely leak in the field of the roof. Therefore, it is

Proper Analysis, Evaluation, and Design

important to spend your time and effort focused on flashings.

Understanding what you have and why you are having

Address these common problem areas first. In assessing the

problems is critical to all projects – especially roofing proj-

condition of roofs or searching for existing roof leaks, start at

38 Ops Talk • Spring 2011

drains, curbs, vents, wall flashings, and edge metal. Flashings and penetrations typically account for nearly 80 per cent of all reported roof leaks. Another fundamental component of good roof design is positive slope. Providing even ¼:12 slope will help roof systems last longer. Although all low-slope roofs are designed to be waterproof, shedding the water off the roof and into internal drains or gutters will help extend the service life of your roof. There is good reason why many roofing manufacturers nullify their warranties under ponding conditions. Ponding water negatively affects low-slope roofs by: • Adding unneeded weight to the structure, which could cause deck deflection or structural roof collapse (a 10 foot by 10 foot area with just three inches of water adds approximately 1,500 pounds to your roof). • Promoting the growth of microorganisms and vegetation whose roots can penetrate the roof and extend into the insulation. • Accelerating deterioration by adding head pressure to any imperfection in the roof that can become an entry source for moisture. • Eroding the roof surface in colder climates in winter, when ponding water turns to ice, increasing the coefficient of thermal expansion. Additionally, flashing details and providing slope is where roofing experts and design professionals earn their money when designing new roof systems. Despite the fact that technology has made it tempting to simply pull generic specifications and typical details off a manufacturer’s website, never accept boiler plate specifications and details for your roofing projects. Each roof is different and deserves specific tailored specifications. Hospitals typically have a tremendous amount of roof penetrations and resulting foot traffic, and schools deal with vandalism that is uncommon to other applications. If the design professional does not provide customized specifications and job-specific details, then it is left to the roofing contractor to figure it out on the job. Many contractors are creative and experienced, but many are not. The design of the roof should be done by the design professional, and installed by the contractor.

alternating bitumen and reinforcing fabric. With BUR, alternating layers are literally “built up” on the roof. Although their application requires a skilled labourer, the redundancy in the application does not require perfection. Multiple plies of protection are key to the long-term success of built-up roofs. Modified Bitumen BUR — As raw materials and technologies continued to improve, the commercial roofing industry began to mix asphalt with polymer modifiers to increase roof system longevity. Rather than radically reinventing the wheel, manufacturers took the proven performance of built-up roofs, added a little science, and developed the modified bitumen roof system. Polymer modifiers such as SBS and APP are commonly used today. Factory fabrication of modified bitumen sheets allows for better quality control, thus ensuring uniform thickness and physical properties. Additionally, modified bitumen systems add a tough reinforcing scrim in place of the traditional felts used in BUR systems. The added strength from the fiberglass, polyester, or fiberglass/polyester scrim significantly increases a roof’s tensile performance. Finally, lighter-weight surfacing options, such as minerals and energy-efficient cool roof surfacings, are now frequently used instead of gravel. Modified bitumen roof systems have over 30 years of proven performance. Today, manufacturers are raising system

Quality Products Commercial roofing products have evolved substantially over the last two decades. As roofing technology advances, it is sometimes difficult for facility managers to keep track of the all the new products being developed. Traditional BUR — It was not that long ago that the commercial roofing market was dominated by built-up roofs (BUR) with gravel surfaces, and the only question was whether to choose an asphalt or coal tar BUR. Built-up roofs have had a long history of successful performance – primarily because of the redundancy of three, four, or five layers of School Plant Officials Association of B.C. www.spoabc.org

Multi-ply modified bitumen roof system with a lightweight cool roof surfacing option.

Planned preventive maintenance will extend most properly designed roofs well beyond the manufacturers’ warranty.

performance to a new level with technologies that maintain or improve tensile strength, UV resistance, and elasticity while incorporating next-generation materials, such as bio-based raw materials or recycled content, providing the building owner with better, longer-lasting roof systems while minimizing environmental impact. Single Ply — Single-ply roofs have continued to gain market share over the last 30 years – first with EPDM and PVC, and more recently with TPO technologies. Single-ply roofs are typically 45 to 60 mils thick, lightweight, and often light-coloured. Due to their low

40 Ops Talk • Spring 2011

initial cost and easy installation process, single-ply roofs are commonly specified on big box retail stores and new construction projects. However, as their name states, there is only a single ply of waterproofing protection. When seamed and installed perfectly, they have performed well. But since we live in an imperfect world, the reality has been that installation problems, foot traffic, and rooftop maintenance too frequently have created problems with single-ply roofs. With the newer TPO membranes, some are questioning its ability to withstand conditions in the high-heat

regions of the U.S. and in conditions where reflections from windows, architectural metal, or PV systems create extreme heat exposure on the membrane. According to Mark Graham, the National Roofing Contractors Association’s associate executive director of technical services, “The concerns raised regarding TPO membrane performance need to be addressed.” 2 Ironically, schools and healthcare institutions, which are frequently strapped for funding and may therefore wish to take advantage of the lower initial costs of single-ply membranes, may be reluctant to do so given the extreme levels of performance their applications typically require. Proper Application and Regular Inspections After your project has been analyzed by qualified roofing professionals, tailoured specifications created, and quality materials selected, it is now important to select an experienced contractor to install the project. In public bidding scenarios, it may not be possible to select the qualified and proven contractor you have successfully used in the past. However, by working with a design professional, language can be included in your customized specifications to help ensure that only qualified contactors are permitted to bid on your project. The National Roofing Contractors Association suggests prequalifying contractors for upcoming roofing projects. Although this may take some time, a qualified professional roofing contractor is critical to the success of roofing projects. Here are a few items to investigate: • Determine if the contractor has a permanent place of business • Find out how long has the contractor been in business under their current name and ownership

All photos courtesy of The Garland Company, Inc.

â&#x20AC;˘ Review their proof of insurance, specifically their workers compensation and general liability insurance â&#x20AC;˘ Check the contractorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s references of completed projects Even with the best contractor, someone needs to provide regular inspections. Are the materials being installed properly? Are the specifications and details being followed? Are materials stored properly? Is trash being removed from the site or allowed to blow around the grounds? Experienced facility managers may elect to perform this critical

It often seems as though there are one or more roofs in need of repair or replacement each year.

task themselves, or use a construction manager to perform this task.

Many

large roofing manufacturers also include this service as part of their package. Corrective and Preventive Maintenance One of the most frequently forgotten parts of roofing projects is corrective and preventive maintenance. Nothing on the exterior of a building will last forever â&#x20AC;&#x201C; roofs included. A yearly preventive maintenance program will extend the service life well beyond the warranty period for most well-designed roof systems. A comprehensive preventive maintenance program should include the following:

Attention to detail during the design and construction of roofing projects will lead to better projects and fewer problems.

â&#x20AC;˘ Inspect roofs for clogged drains, debris, and fasteners left on the roof â&#x20AC;˘ Examine edge details, flashings, and

Conclusion Facility managers of healthcare and

penetrations for obvious problems

educational institutions must multi-task

â&#x20AC;˘ Periodically recoat flashings with a

and juggle projects involving a variety of operating systems, from HVAC and

reflective coating â&#x20AC;˘ Trim overhanging tree branches and

plumbing to electrical and roofing. There is no fundamental reason why

vegetation â&#x20AC;˘ Check caulking and sealants on cop-

roofing projects should be the excruci-

ing stones and flashings

ating experiences they too often are.

professional

Whether you have the labour or

should walk each roof twice a year to

expertise in-house, or use a qualified

inspect the roof for deficiencies before

roofing professional to assist you, fol-

leaks begin to occur. Typically, this

lowing the four steps outlined in this

inspection should be done in the

article will ensure that your roofs per-

spring and fall.

form as specified.

trained

roofing

About the Author: Brian Lambert is director of products and systems for The Garland Company, Inc. Lambert has been active in industry initiatives since 1993, is frequently a guest speaker at architectural and building maintenance seminars, and has written many articles on roof system performance. FOOTNOTES: 1 â&#x20AC;&#x153;Architect Claims go through the Roofâ&#x20AC;?, Tom Owens, DPIC Companies, as posted by Benchmark, Inc., 2000 2 Professional Roofing â&#x20AC;&#x201C; â&#x20AC;&#x153;Issues with TPO Membranes,â&#x20AC;? August, 2010 íľş

School Plant Officials Association of B.C. www.spoabc.org

Shelter Industries launches first of 138 modular full-day kindergarten classrooms

Shelter Industries unveiled their first

“This is a really, really big deal. It’s a

state-of-the-art modular classroom as

big deal for the Ministry, a big deal for

part of a $30-million contract with the

the province and a big deal for Shelter.

Province of B.C.’s Ministry of Education

We are very happy to be working on

to provide 138 modular classrooms for

this project,” says Rick Munn, Shelter

B.C.’s new full-day kindergarten pro-

Industries’ manufacturing manager.

gram for the September 2011 school year.

The new classrooms are far from the typical school portable of yesteryear,

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which only had a 15-year lifespan. In fact, you really can’t compare them. “This is different,” said B.C. Minister of Education Margaret MacDiarmid during a tour of the prototype in January 2011. “You can just tell by the feel of it. [Designed to last up to 40 years], these feel like a structure that could stay.” In fact, when installed on permanent foundations, these buildings will provide the same feel and comfort as any site-built structure. Even those buildings that will be installed on temporary foundations will provide the warmth necessary to deal with a harsh winter in northern B.C. and the comfort of air conditioning on a sweltering hot day in B.C.’s Okanagan. Mary Polak, Minister of Children and Family Development and Langley MLA, also attended the tour of the prototype, and agreed that these new buildings are the way of the future. “You can’t even call these buildings a portable. They are so night-and-day different. With imaginative and creative minds, this is a technology that is only

ready to advance,” Polak said.

performance warm insulation (outside

says Minister MacDiarmid. Although

“There is nothing like this anywhere

the framing), an energy-efficient HVAC

enrolment is declining in most B.C.

else [in the province],” states Minister

system, B.C. wood exterior and interior

school districts, there are some dis-

MacDiarmid. “These buildings are

finishing, and the infrastructure for full

tricts – or neighbourhoods within dis-

especially made.” Working closely with

building services and computer tech-

tricts – that are experiencing growth.

the Ministry and school district repre-

nology. It also meets the latest seismic

Modular classrooms are flexible, even

sentatives, Shelter Industries advanced

safety standards.

when installed on permanent founda-

the design of these modular buildings

“You can see in the classroom

tions, and can be moved or clustered

to meet a superior standard, setting a

real attention to detail,” Minister

in groups should enrolment forecasts

new benchmark for modular school

MacDiarmid comments. “It’s a great

change.

construction in British Columbia.

space for younger students. It’s airy; it’s

As a former school board chair, Polak

The classrooms are more spacious,

bright. I love the windows and the nat-

agrees. “One of the really important

with large functional windows, durable

ural light … the primary colours on the

features of these [modular buildings] is

window roll shutters and security

[ceiling] and … the cabinetry.”

the flexibility. When you are managing

screens for enhanced protection, high-

“This is a great way to have gone,”

changing populations in school districts,

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installations planned for New Westminster and Delta in February 2011. These new buildings will provide new classroom space for nearly 3,000 students, helping the province meet the needs of an estimated 40,000 full-day kindergarten students set to start school in September 2011. Minister and MLS Mary Polak adds, â&#x20AC;&#x153;I am quite confident that [parents and educators] are going to be quite pleased to receive one [of these modular classrooms].â&#x20AC;? From the words of kindergarten students and their parents, who also attended the tour, these new modular classrooms are destined to be a winner. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It looks like a real classroom,â&#x20AC;? said parent Tracey Munday. Parent Sheri Williams agreed, â&#x20AC;&#x153;They look pretty amazing.â&#x20AC;? this is hugely important,â&#x20AC;? she says. Polak also adds that modular buildings provide a ton of savings in time and labour. Since the buildings are constructed indoors, poor weather doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t cause additional delays; also, foundations and site preparation can be done simultaneously with building construction. This translates into a cost savings, which means more money can be put into the classroom. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Things have gone well from the point-of-view of these structures moving along. I canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t wait to see these classroom spaces filled with students,â&#x20AC;? concludes Minister MacDiarmid. In total, 25 school districts will see 138 modular classrooms installed at about 100 sites across the province, with the first

SHELTER INDUSTRIES, a Greensmart Shelters company, has provided award-winning schools, colleges and daycares since 1985 â&#x20AC;&#x201D; including a 198-modular classroom project for Albertaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Ministry of Education. With manufacturing and sales facilities throughout B.C., Alberta and Asia, Shelter has designed, built and installed thousands of modular buildings throughout North America and around the world. From temporary modular units to luxury structures that rival site-built in quality and aesthetics, Shelter is changing the way you think about modular. For more information, please visit www.shelterindustries.com íľş

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44 Ops Talk â&#x20AC;˘ Spring 2011

Tel: (250) 860-7174 Fax: 1-888-370-2022

V = Velocity Most of us at some point in our life have been behind the wheel or in the passenger seat of a car going a â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;littleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; faster than it should have been travelling. Some of us may even have had an opportunity to actually race down a quarter-mile track in something somewhat faster than allowed on the street. The Cadillac CTS-V is a ride that should be experienced by many! This car has an ability to travel very quickly; streetready, the CTS-V comes from the factory with a heart thumping 556 horsepower! In the United States, a company called Hennessy Performance will take an engine and slightly modify it to increase its horsepower. They did this with the CTS-V; now pumping out over 700 street-legal horsepower, this fourdoor sedan has become a sensation. It will go from 0-60 mph in less than three seconds; it will cover a quarter-mile in less than 10 seconds. From a standing start, it will cover one mile reaching a top speed for the mile at 183 mph! Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 294 kilometers per hour, folks! The â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Vâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; in the CTS-V name actually stands for â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;velocityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; â&#x20AC;&#x201C; and for good reason. Does your day at work sound anything like the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Vâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;? I know mine does from time to time, and learning how to deal with that can be really tough! We may not feel the same exhilaration as one would in the example above, but nonetheless our days have become very, very hectic. Regardless of why, we need to develop a method to deal with the overload in a fashion that will allow some breathing room. Todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s technology actually drives some of the hectic pace at which we find ourselves living our lives. Take email as an example; it has become a force to be reckoned with! How many legitimate emails do you receive each day? I know some people who average between 80 and 150 each and every day! Spam filters keep most of the nonsense out so a response may be required for only some of those emails. How often do you look at your in-basket? Probably far too often! Do you have your notification set so it alerts you each time a new email arrives? Part of our problem is the feeling we need to respond right away. This has become an instantaneous world. We are all very busy, but we do not need to traumatize ourselves by adding to that workload by responding to emails 50 times a day, in the evenings and on weekends. All of the work generated by email alone is responsible for much of the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;velocityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; we feel. Now letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s add something else to the mix! Your Smartphone, though a wonderful tool that allows you to do a myriad of things on the fly, has become an extension of our office, carried on our hip! Wow! We have all witnessed interruptions at meetings, ringing of the phone or buzzing from vibration alerts. Think about your daily life and how often you pull your Smartphone out to check your emails. I would haz-

BY CHUCK MORRIS

ard a guess it is about once every ten minutes, or each time your alert notifies you. (Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m as guilty as anyone else.) The Blackberry has become known as the Crackberry, and for good reason! All one needs to do is look around, practically anywhere, and you will see someone pulling it out or texting or emailing or talking on the phone. It has added to the stress levels in many lives by increasing our workloads wherever you may be. Did you know that on February 4th, 2008, the Citizenship and Immigration Department of the Federal Government directed all its employees to stop using their Blackberries on evenings and weekends? The Minister was concerned about the work/life balance of the employees. There was a major concern about the well-being of the employees and their

Why is it drug addicts and computer aficionados are both called users? ~ Clifford Stoll ~ families, as it was becoming apparent there was no balance in that work environment. We should be concerned about it as well! Stress kills; we have all heard that and some of us may even have witnessed it. Why would we want to do that to ourselves? We all need to find the balance between our work life and home life. It is a value we need to ensure we honour, not only for ourselves but for those at home, too. In one of his online blogs, Soren Lauritzen suggests we need to change our beliefs. He hypostatizes that you get something positive from your behaviour; the behaviour you exhibit by checking your email every ten minutes. He may be right! He further suggests, as have many others, that turning off the email notification is a must. Try to practice checking your email once every three or four hours instead. Someone important might try to get in touch with you? You likely have voicemail or you may have left a message advising them where you are. For your own health, turn it off! Are you dependent on your Blackberry? Do you use it to excess? I would hazard a guess that many of us use that device excessively. This is the time to really think about how you use your Smartphone and how you can adjust your behaviour in order to give yourself a better balance between work life and home life. This one thing alone will cause your day to slow down a little, reducing your ride perhaps enough that you can see what is passing you by; 294 kilometres an hour is a velocity that demands your attention. Slow down so some of that attention can be diverted to where it should be; on you and your life as a whole. Start by turning off your email notifications, and try adjusting the frequency with which you check those emails. Help yourself! íľş School Plant Officials Association of B.C. www.spoabc.org

Reducing downtime, one freeze at a time

Close-up of a four-inch ice plug under 200 psi.

A new B.C. company is keeping pipe systems running for longer periods of time. Pipe freezing is usually associated with leaks and water damage, but it is also a specialised procedure carried out to enable repairs to be made to pipe systems. A section of pipe is frozen, using a refrigerant, thus creating a freeze plug within the pipe so that work can be carried out downstream without the need to drain the system. Typically the pipe is frozen, necessary work is carried out and the system is back up and running within a couple of hours. Draining pipes can result in a number of problems: • Time needed to drain down • Large quantities of water and/or chemicals wasted into the city sewer • Replacing chemicals can be costly • Time needed to refill the system • Time needed to purge system of air • Time may be needed to rebalance old heating/cooling equipment • During work the facility is without fire protection/heating/cooling/water for an extended period of time • New leaks and problems may appear when re-pressurizing systems • Municipalities are increasingly vigilant when it comes to buildings that are draining toxic chemicals into the environment (compliance with by-laws)

46 Ops Talk • Spring 2011

Nitro Pipe freeze in progress.

• Need to have access to entire building during refill of system These issues can be almost completely eliminated through the use of pipe freezing. In most cases, the system will be offline for a few hours or less, depending on the size of the pipe. In the case where a branch line can be isolated with a freeze plug (to install a new valve, for example), the main line can be left running with no interruption of service to the building. “We regularly freeze pipes in shopping malls and large buildings, where there is no disruption of service at all to the rest of the facility,” says Matt Farrell of Nitro Pipe Freeze Inc. When the work has been completed, the ice plug is defrosted within minutes and the flow is returned to the system. This style of pipe freezing is industry-proven and has been used in Europe and around the world for more than 30 years. Utilizing liquid nitrogen, a small section of pipe is frozen to form a de-facto shut-off valve. The ice is stress-free, and with no outward expansion, there is no pressure on the pipe. As a result, even plastic pipes can be isolated in this way. Other freezing systems are widely used in Canada on smaller pipes using liquid CO2 or mechanical refrigerant machines. These systems are not effective at isolating pipes over two inches in diameter or pipes of any size containing glycol and other chemicals.

Replacing a Victaulic 90-Chilled water system.

Some of Nitroâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s clients include: Vancouver General Hospital; Burnaby School District; YVR; University of British Columbia; Vancouver Community College; Fairmont Hotels; Sheraton Hotels; Vancouver Convention Centre; Eagle Ridge Hospital; Metrotown Mall; Pacific Mall; Oakridge Mall; Richmond Mall; multiple trade contractors (fire protection, HVAC and plumbing) and more.

Mountain for VANOC during the Games, to dog semen for a veterinary clinic! At the moment, we are just focusing on pipes!â&#x20AC;?

Matt Farrell is the operator of Nitro Pipe Freeze. A qualified plumber from the U.K., he has been living in Vancouver for four years and started Nitro at the end of 2009. Nitro Pipe Freeze Inc. is based in Yaletown, Vancouver and services the Lower Mainland and British Columbia. For further information, please contact Matt Farrell at Nitro Pipe Freeze Inc.:

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Most of the kits on the market can get the pipe down to around -50oC at best. That is not cold enough to handle the larger jobs or pipes containing any additives. Our system gets down to -196oC and we are often asked to freeze lines containing anti-freeze,â&#x20AC;? Farrell says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We recently froze several eight- and 10-inch steel pipes at Richmondâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Olympic Oval. The calcium chloride solution contained in the pipe protected it down to -25oC,â&#x20AC;? he states. Many older buildings do not have shut-off valves to individual suites or fixtures or they may be corroded. Nitro can freeze pipes from half-inch diameter up to 12-inch. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Every day brings something new,â&#x20AC;? Farrell says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We have been asked to freeze everything from ski-jumps at Cypress

Email matt@nitropipefreeze.com, Phone: 778 321 2653 47032 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 1020 Denman Street, Vancouver, B.C. V6G 3E1 íľş

Vancouver Location 1385 Odlum Drive Vancouver, BC V5L 3M1 Tel (604)251-3151 Fax (604)251-6233 Toll Free 1-800-689-1441 Email: vancouver@castertown.com

Calgary Location #13, 5935 Í´ 35 Street S.E. Calgary, AB T2C 2H1 Tel (403)236-0028 Fax (403)279-8231 Toll Free 1-800-665-1348 Email: calgary@castertown.com

School Plant Officials Association of B.C. www.spoabc.org

Stutters: licensed to haul asbestos from job sites When it comes to handling dangerous

three decades, is fully certified to trans-

goods, there’s no better qualified com-

port asbestos and other hazardous

pany to turn to than Stutters Disaster

goods. Stutters takes great care in pro-

Kleenup of Kelowna. Stutters, serving

viding the best possible service to

B.C.’s Okanagan Valley for close to

ensure clients’ peace-of-mind.

48 Ops Talk • Spring 2011

Troy Fehr, the manager of Stutters’ water and risk division, says people may not be aware that any removal of a hazardous item such as asbestos must be done by a licensed contractor and the product, once removed, must be taken to a licensed landfill for disposal. “You have to be licensed to take asbestos from the job site and haul it away to the landfill. You cannot have asbestos on the road without licensing. There are stiff penalties from federal and municipal regulators if that condition is not met.” Fehr says it’s up to individual owners to be aware of exactly what is required when contracting a company to remove asbestos from a dwelling or business. “For a homeowner, for example, it is his or her responsibility to make sure whoever transports asbestos to the dump after the removal is licensed to do so. If they are not licensed, the homeowner could face substantial

fines, running in the thousands of dollars. The same applies to the company transporting asbestos, the receiving facility and the insurance company.â&#x20AC;? Fehr says Stutters is recognized as the best in the Okanagan for dealing with hazardous goods and is definitely the go-to company for that particular service. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Environmental companies are very keen to work with Stutters due to our diligent work procedures, which result in above-average job-pass ratios. They know when we are called in, that the job is done correctly the first time.â&#x20AC;? Fehr says Stuttersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; staff is fully trained and certified by the Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification (IICRC) for microbial remediation. All risk staff members further have an asbestos awareness course and Transportation of Dangerous Good Licensing with the company. The IICRC is a non-profit certification body. It was founded to establish and monitor educational programs and standards for the inspection cleaning and restoration service industries, thus ensuring the public has access to trusted and trained cleaning professionals. Fehr himself is an IICRC-certified triple master restorer. Heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a master water restorer, master fire and smoke restorer and a master textile cleaner. Fehr has been with Stutters for just over five and a half years. Earlier he was with another restoration firm in B.C. and previously had his own carpetcleaning business. If not handled properly, asbestos poses a very dangerous hazard to health, Fehr says. It has been used in pipe insulation, drywall mudding compound, sprayed (popcorn) ceilings, and even linoleum flooring. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The discontinuation of asbestos products started in the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;70s, and by the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;90s, the majority of building products were fully eradicated of asbestos-containing materials, based on the fact that itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s carcinogenic and can result in

asbestosis, a debilitating lung disease. It is a known fact that one asbestos fibre can actually kill you if it gets into your lungs and remains there over a period of time. Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s why we take special precautions,â&#x20AC;? Fehr explains. When Stutters removes asbestos, it follows a very strict set of procedures scoped out by an environmental company and strictly enforced by WCB. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We set up a containment area with negative pressure, we poly everything

in and seal it right off. And our crews go in with special breathing apparatus and are fully suited to carry out the removal process. The air is then purified with HEPA filters before it goes back out into the environment.â&#x20AC;?

To learn more about Stutters Disaster Kleenup, please visit the website at www.stutters.com, or contact them by telephone at 1-877-763-1540. íľş

Kelowna .............................................. 250-763-1555 Penticton ............................................. 250-490-3552 Vernon ................................................. 250-542-9893 Salmon Arm ......................................... 250-832-9818 Big White ............................................. 250-448-7326

Toll Free: 1-877-763-1540 website: www.stutters.com School Plant Officials Association of B.C. www.spoabc.org

Are you properly maintaining your turf fields? Whether your school facility has a soccer field, baseball diamond, track field or even a synthetic turf field, all turf needs proper maintenance and drainage in order to keep it playable all year-round. Depending on the conditions of your turf and the type of materials you have to work with, a proper maintenance program includes many or all of the following requirements: â&#x20AC;˘ Proper drainage â&#x20AC;˘ Irrigation â&#x20AC;˘ Drought-resistant seed â&#x20AC;˘ Scheduled aeration and top-dressing â&#x20AC;˘ Soil recovery program â&#x20AC;˘ *Synthetic Turf Sweeping â&#x20AC;˘ *Synthetic Turf Cleaning At GPS Turf Drains Inc., we offer a sports turf maintenance service specializing in extending the playability of fields by stabilizing the surface of the turf, while maintaining a high-water infiltration to keep your grass looking healthy. The company was formed as a result of technology becoming avail-

able that allowed extensive drainage systems to be installed without the need for fields to be shut-down for extensive periods of time, and costs being as low as 25 per cent of traditional drainage renovations. Owned by Stephen Inglis, who brought 30 years of experience in land drainage to the business, he started the companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s home base in the little town of Ladysmith on Vancouver Island. Over the past few years, Inglis has expanded the company to provide a turf maintenance service that can be scheduled and customized to suit our clientsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; wishes all throughout British Columbia. Specializing in Slit Drainage Systems, GPS Turf Drains Inc. has incorporated a unique one-pass system that cuts a three-inch-wide, 10- to 22-inch-deep trench by a laser-controlled trenching wheel, while simultaneously filling the trench with a two-inch filtered plastic tubing and covering with three-millimeter sand. The sand is then packed down,

10845 Edgelow Road, Ladysmith, BC V9G 1X6

T: 250.268.4468 | F: 1.866.243.8757 amanda@turfdrainage.com

www.turfdrainage.com

Services we offer: â&#x20AC;˘ AERATION â&#x20AC;˘ PROCESSING â&#x20AC;˘ DEEP TINING â&#x20AC;˘ TOP DRESSING â&#x20AC;˘ OVERSEEDING â&#x20AC;˘ SYNTHETIC FIELD MAINTENANCE

SPECIALIZING IN SLIT DRAINAGE. Our unique ONE PASS system minimizes downtime and increased field playability all year round!

50 Ops Talk â&#x20AC;˘ Spring 2011

re-topped and shoveled to leave a nice clean finish. Within as short time of the drainage projectâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s completion, the grass on adjacent sides of the trenches will begin to grow together, covering the sand surface while maintaining the proper infiltration of water to remove all surface pooling that makes fields unplayable. As a part of our turf maintenance program, which can be custom-suited to fit your turf requirements on a schedule that fits your budget, we offer the following services: aeration, top dressing, over-seeding, processing, and synthetic turf grooming and cleaning. It has been shown that with proper maintenance performed on a regular basis, your turf will benefit in the following ways: â&#x20AC;˘ Reduce thatch buildup â&#x20AC;˘ Reduce compaction of subsurface soils â&#x20AC;˘ Increase water filtration resulting in improved gas exchange and deeper root growth â&#x20AC;˘ Reduce growth of weeds â&#x20AC;˘ Reduce irrigation costs with drought resistant turf seeds â&#x20AC;˘ Improve and maintain uniformity of turf We have recently added a new member to GPS Turf Team â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Don Coles, who brings 24 years of turf grass experience as a superintendent of the Salt Spring Island Golf Course. Coles has played a key role in the new endeavours of the company and is happy to share his knowledge with new and existing clients.

Check out the website at www.turfdrainage.com. We encourage you to contact us if you have any questions about the drainage or maintenance of your turf fields. íľş

FortisBC hits its stride, helping the Delta School District reduce its carbon footprint Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s no secret: heating and cooling the vast hallways and spaces of a school can leave a hefty carbon footprint. Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s why FortisBC has been working hard to help school districts find more energyefficient ways to provide heating and cooling for their facilities. For School District 37 in Delta, B.C., the wheels are already in motion for 19 of its facilities. An agreement with FortisBC will result in delivery of cleaner thermal energy through the implementation of state-of-the-art geoexchange systems and high-efficiency condensing boilers to replace antiquated heating plants at the affected sites. Both systems provide many benefits, ranging from saving energy and improving indoor comfort to stable energy rates and a smaller carbon footprint. By using cleaner thermal energy delivered by FortisBC to heat and cool its buildings, the Delta School District takes a huge step toward its goal of becoming a leader in sustainability; it will see estimated decreases of 45 per cent in its energy consumption and 64 per cent in carbon emissions. Its schools will also benefit from improved air circulation, providing a healthier indoor learning environment for students. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Energy conservation and environmental responsibility are fundamental values for FortisBC. We are committed to developing innovative energy solutions to help meet the current and future energy needs of B.C. school districts,â&#x20AC;? says Doug Stout, vice president, energy solutions and external relations, FortisBC. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Our collaboration with the Delta School

Doug Stout, vice president - Energy Solutions and External Relations at FortisBC, explains to students at Pinewood Elementary School in the Delta School District how a geoexchange system works.

District is an excellent example of what can happen when many parties come together to find creative uses of integrated energy solutions. Through projects such as these, we can inspire students across B.C. to be conscientious about the energy they use.â&#x20AC;? Through this collaboration, the school district is aiming to cut their carbon footprint and make progress in its ultimate goal to become carbon neutral. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We are extremely pleased to see our project come to life,â&#x20AC;? says Dale Saip, Delta Board of Education chairperson. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The teamwork and shared vision of our organizations has resulted in an incredible learning opportunity for our kids and our community.â&#x20AC;? FortisBC, with its ongoing focus on energy efficiency and conservation, is

committed to implementing innovative alternative energy solutions like geoexchange for schools throughout B.C. By capturing heat from the earth and circulating it throughout buildings, these systems are an effective way to reduce energy use. As an additional benefit, in warmer months, the system can generate space cooling. The end result is reduced energy consumption, a significant reduction in greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs), and a smaller carbon footprint.

FortisBC is a leading provider of integrated energy solutions, focused on the safe and reliable provision of natural gas, propane and alternative energy. To learn more about geoexchange and other alternative energy solutions for your school, please visit fortisbc.com íľş

School Plant Officials Association of B.C. www.spoabc.org

Understanding MERV air filter ratings for HVAC systems BY BOB JACKSON, CAFS, NCT PRESIDENT, NORSPEC FILTRATION LTD.

MERV ratings are used to rate the abili-

90 per cent, etc. This system was rela-

ty of an HVAC filter to remove contami-

tively easy to understand. However, it

An air filter’s performance is deter-

nants from the air as it passes through

had some major deficiencies in that it

mined by measuring the particle counts

the filter. Higher MERV ratings mean

did not provide a very good guide for

upstream and downstream of the filter

fewer dust particles and other airborne

selecting filters for particular contami-

being tested. Particle counts are taken

contaminants pass through the filter;

nants. In order to do that effectively, you

over the range of particles six times.

the

(Minimum

need to know two things – one, the par-

One begins with a clean filter and then

Efficiency Reporting Value), the higher

ticle size of the contaminant you are try-

uses that same filter five additional

the efficiency of an air filter.

ing to remove and two, the level of effi-

times.

higher

the

MERV

Obtaining the Data

Prior to the MERV rating system, air

ciency of the filter on that particle size.

The particle generator creates parti-

filters were tested according to a stan-

To better address those concerns, a new

cles of a known size in the air stream.

dard known as ASHRAE 52.1. This test

test standard known as ASHRAE 52.2

The objective is to create particles of

provided an average efficiency of the fil-

and the MERV rating system were

sufficient numbers to obtain meaningful

ter over its lifetime, and air filters were

developed to provide this particle size

counts in all of the measured particle

identified as a 30 per cent, 65 per cent,

efficiency data.

ranges which are the following:

Air Filtration Specialists 52 Ops Talk • Spring 2011

4704 - 91st Avenue Edmonton, AB T6B 2L1 Tel: 780-468-9296 Fax: 780-468-5806

Range 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

0.30 to 0.40 0.40 to 0.55 0.55 to 0.70 0.70 to 1.00 1.00 to 1.30 1.30 to 1.60 1.60 to 2.20 2.20 to 3.00 3.00 to 4.00 4.00 to 5.50 5.50 to 7.00 7.00 to 10.00

E1 E1 E1 E1 E2 E2 E2 E2 E3 E3 E3 E3

MERV Parameters MERV Group 1 Group 2 Value Av. Eff. % Av. Eff. % (0.30 to 1.00 microns) (1.00 to 3.00 microns) 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16

The efficiency of the filter is then measured on each of the 12 particle size ranges for each of the six cycles. Efficiency is measured as the percentage of particles captured by the filter. The lowest of the six readings is then taken to generate the Composite Minimum Efficiency Curve. The twelve size ranges are then placed in three larger groups (E1, E2, E3) and the percentages in each group are averaged. This average is called the Particle Size Efficiency, and these are used to determine the Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value (MERV). To use the above table, you move within each group until you arrive at a true statement. This will correspond with a MERV number. The lowest MERV of the three groups is the MERV rating for the filter.

ASHRAE 52.2 Particle Size Ranges Size (in microns) Group

n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a E1<75 75<85 85<95 95

n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a E2<50 50<65 65<80 80 90 90 90 95

Group 3 Av. Eff. % (3.00 to 10.00 microns) E3<20 E3<20 E3<20 E3<20 20<35 35<50 50<70 70 85 85 85 90 90 90 90 95

For more information about MERV ratings, and how to use them to select the proper filter for your s chool, please contact our office or any active member of NAFA. íľş

Is Your School District Going

â&#x20AC;&#x153;GREEN?â&#x20AC;? PRO-PAC WBU-450 Water-Bourne Urethane Gym Finish is the product you need to meet â&#x20AC;&#x153;GREENâ&#x20AC;? requirements!

PROGRESSIVE SERVICES LTD. COQUITLAM, B.C. (604) 525-1685 or 1-888-922-8845 Fax: (604) 525-6693 E-mail: progressiveservices@telus.net

School Plant Officials Association of B.C. www.spoabc.org

The new sports floor finish – R.J.C. low VOC Moisture Cured Urethane BC Hardwood Floor Co. Ltd. is

throughout British Columbia and the

pleased to announce the launch of

Yukon.

R.J.C. Moisture Cured Urethane Floor

We are very proud to be working

Finish. This new product will meet the

with Rudd Company Inc. to launch this

Canadian government’s new AIM reg-

new urethane finish. Rudd has been

ulations, with only 345 grams per litre

producing wood finishes since 1912,

of volatile organic compounds (VOCs)

and the two companies have been

while still providing an attractive,

working together since the 1970s to

hard-wearing floor coating.

supply the B.C.-Yukon construction

BC Hardwood Floor has been a leader in the flooring industry

industry with fine residential and commercial floor finishes.

since 1904. Many of the earliest sports

R.J.C. Moisture Cured Urethane is

floor installations in the province were

compatible with, and is as durable as,

done by the company and more than

the original higher VOC content mois-

a century later, it continues to serve

ture-cured finishes previously used on

institutional and commercial clients

sports floors. The original moisture-

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T UR F

R ERIO IN T

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Bannerman, Hustler, Blizzard, Ventrac

From problem cleaning to environmentally friendly products, phone the professionals at Busy-Bee!

Tomcat has a reputation for toughness and performance that is second to none. From chemical free stripping to scrubbing and burnishing, there’s a solution for every need at prices that ﬁt todays budget.

THINK GREEN!

Busy-Bee has factory trained sales and service staff to help ensure you always have what you need to get the job done. Call for your FREE demonstration today or visit

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Ecologo products are available: Floor Finishes, Chemicals, Paper Products and Equipment.

Toll Free: 1-800-994-9990 www.iteequipment.com See you at the SPOA Conference.

54 Ops Talk • Spring 2011

cured urethane has been used successfully for more than 30 years. Based on decades of experience and hundreds of successful projects, it is BC Hardwoodâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s opinion that moisture-cured urethane is the most durable sports floor finish on the market today. It requires little care other than daily sweeping or dry mopping. Over time, the coating will gradually lose its glossy sheen but it will continue to provide an excellent sports surface. Under normal usage and care, the floor will not need be to be recoated for up to five years. There is a common misconception that water-based finishes contain fewer VOCs than moisturecured urethane. R.J.C. Moisture Cured Urethane has approximately 345 grams per litre of VOCs,

Committed to sustainable design for over 100 years.

whereas water-based floor finishes contain approximately 275 to 325 grams per litre. At first glance, it would appear that the waterbased finish would have the advantage. In practice, however, recoating

with

moisture

cure

requires only one coat while waterbased requires two. The use of

As the premiere flooring contractor of sustainable wood products, BC Hardwood continues to work with FSC products that meet CaGBC standards for LEED certification

moisture-cured urethane, therefore, not only reduces VOCs but also provides significant labour savings because of the one-coat procedure. In short, R.J.C. Moisture Cured Urethane is an environmentally friendly, high-quality and costeffective sports floor finish.

For any further information,

www.bchardwood.com

604 255 7375

BC Hardwood Showroom 3594 Main Street, Vancouver, BC

please contact BC Hardwood Floor Co. at 604-255-7375, email info@bchardwood.com or visit us at www.bchardwood.com. íľş School Plant Officials Association of B.C. www.spoabc.org

Keep fit through play! Experts agree: we all need more physical activity. According to the 2010 Report Card on Physical Activity for Children and Youth from Active Healthy Kids Canada, only 12 per cent of our children and youth are getting the recommended 90 minutes a day. How can we change that? “Play more!” says Ed Stiles, certified exercise physiologist and consultant for Blue Imp Recreational Products.

Playgrounds offer an astonishing variety of fitness benefits. “Playgrounds develop the fundamental movement patterns that are essential to global fitness, such as pushing, pulling, kicking, flexing and twisting,” explains Stiles. Playgrounds offer an astonishing variety of fitness benefits. Core and upper-body strength, core mobility and flexibility, agility, balance and coordination can all be developed simply through active play on the playground.

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ENJOY THE SPEED AND QUALIT Y OF PRE-BUILT Call: 250.785.2067 (BC) | 403.228.7709 (AB) Email: sales@greensmartmanufacturing.com

WWW.GREENSMARTMANUFACTURING.COM (A GREENSMART SHELTERS COMPANY | WWW.GREENSMARTSHELTERS.COM)

56 Ops Talk • Spring 2011

MODULAR

TEMPORARY

PANELS

For parents, caregivers and educators, playgrounds offer a convenient and easy way to ensure that children are receiving the recommended amount of daily physical activity. While playgrounds are designed primarily for children, adults can benefit

ness centre for your own personal work-out. Think outside the box!

as well. Canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t find time to get to the

From two to eighty-two, all ages

gym? Why not get your work-out at the

can participate in time on the play-

playground? Play with your children or

ground. Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re never too old for Blue

use the playground as an outdoor fit-

Imp! íľş

AD CAN A M ES

WHA T

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s go out and play!â&#x20AC;?

MA KES CANAD

As children climb, slide and swing their way through the playground, they are increasing their heart rate (getting a great cardio workout), building stronger muscles and bones, and burning calories all while having fun with their friends! Overhead play components build upper-body strength and hand-eye coordination. Climbers develop both lower and upper body as children pull with their arms while pushing with their legs. Even slides and swings offer fitness benefits. While zooming down a slide, children are using their core muscles to stay upright and flexing their body as they go around a bend. A child on a swing is pushing, pulling, gripping and building core strength. For parents, caregivers and educators, playgrounds offer a convenient and easy way to ensure that children are receiving the recommended amount of daily physical activity. Experts in physical activity agree that playgrounds are part of the solution. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Our youngest generation deserves a strong start in life,â&#x20AC;? says Michelle Brownrigg, CEO of Active Healthy Kids Canada. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We have the opportunity to secure a healthier future for our young children by ensuring that policies mandate daily physical activities in schools and childcare facilities, investing in safe parks and play structures, and providing caregivers and educators with training and support to provide adequate physical activity opportunities to kids.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;Parents must know that smaller, incremental routine changes can have major benefits in the health and wellbeing of their children,â&#x20AC;? says Kelly Murumets, president and CEO of ParticipACTION. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Families can make the local playground a regular destination, and encourage their toddler to climb, swing and simply explore the park with them.â&#x20AC;?

Active Healthy Kids Kids Canada has found that only only 12% of children and youth h are getting enough physical physica al activity. Now more than ev ver, our children need playground playgrround ever, equipment that ma akes them want to go outside outsid de and play. play makes For creative play ideas id deas designed to get kids moving, mo oving, having fun and keeping kee eping fit, come to Blue Imp!

Recreational R ecreational P Products roducts of Canada Ltd.

Call today! 1-800-661-4162 www.blueimp.com www.blueimp.com

School Plant Officials Association of B.C. www.spoabc.org

Firestone introduces sustainable, innovative vegetative roof system

In November 2010, Firestone Building Products Company, LLC, introduced SkyScape, an innovative new vegetative roof system featuring a patented, double-interlocking tray design. A lowmaintenance, high-performance solution, SkyScape provides an insulating

58 Ops Talk • Spring 2011

layer that makes building heating and cooling more efficient, protects roofing material from UV and heat stress degradation, and extends the service life of the underlying roof system. To complement the SkyScape system, Firestone also added SkyPaver composite roof pavers and SkyDrain drainage mats to its green product portfolio. In addition to the direct benefits the SkyScape system provides to the building structure, it also has a number of high-impact, environmental advantages, including: improved storm water management; enhanced air quality resulting from the conversion of carbon dioxide to oxygen; and decreased ambient air temperature, which in turn helps reduce heat island effect. “Building owners seeking ways to conserve energy, meet green building standards and transform their rooftops into beautifully landscaped environments have a number of options to choose from with Firestone’s new

SkyScape vegetative roof system,” says Riaz Hasan, accessories marketing manager for Firestone Building Products. “With multiple system configurations and choices in vegetation, along with the SkyPaver roof paver system and SkyDrain drainage mats, this new vegetative system and its related accessories make it easy to create a sustainable, environmentally responsible roof for a greener tomorrow.” Available in a modular tray or multilayered system, SkyScape is designed to promote healthy plant growth, ensuring an aesthetically pleasing rooftop environment. Both designs feature a protective root barrier; drainage and filtration layers; a water retention reservoir for storm water metering; growing media; and the plants themselves. SkyScape can also accommodate an irrigation system, if desired. A draught-tolerant, fire-safe, non-invasive mix of flowering, local and native plants is recommended for use with SkyScape. Plants can be installed from pre-plant-

ed trays, vegetative plugs or sedum tile mats. They can also be hydro-planted with cuttings or seeds. An

environmentally

responsible

alternative to heavy concrete or clay pavers, the SkyPaver system features interlocking roof pavers consisting of advanced composite material. The pavers are lightweight and made from an engineered blend of between 90 and 95 per cent post-consumer recycled materials (scrap car tires and plastic containers). SkyDrain drainage mats provide proper drainage with highcapacity strength. According to Hasan, the SkyScape system and related accessories can be installed in conjunction with any of Firestone’s premium, fully adhered

Discover Chair & Desk

RubberGard EPDM and UltraPly TPO membranes as part of the Firestone EnviroReady Roofing System. SkyScape and SkyPaver are eligible for points in the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED

Call Tricia Thomas - (604) 562-6650

rating system and can be protected by

Toll-Free: 866-962-6650 • www.schoolhouseproducts.com

the Firestone Red Shield Warranty. School Plant Officials Association of B.C. www.spoabc.org

Key Messages: â&#x20AC;˘ Firestone Building Products is introducing SkyScape, a high-quality vegetative roof system featuring patented, double interlocking trays that are easy to install and maintain. â&#x20AC;˘ The SkyScape vegetative roof is a proven system that ensures healthy plant growth, proper air flow and prevents decaying of various layers that often exists in vegetative systems. â&#x20AC;˘ Improved storm-water management, reduced heat island effect and enhanced air quality are among the many environmental advantages of SkyScape. â&#x20AC;˘ SkyPaver composite roof pavers and SkyDrain drainage mats are also being introduced to complement the SkyScape system. â&#x20AC;˘ Firestone is committed to providing a wide array of innovative, sustainable products for the building envelope.

SANITARY SPECIALTIES Mfg. Ltd. PROVIDING THE LATEST IN GREEN CLEANING SUPPLIES AND EQUIPMENT

WE WANT TO HELP YOU We have been providing Schools, Building Owners, Property Managers, Contract Cleaners and Hospitals with a complete line of Janitorial Supplies, Floor & Carpet Cleaning Equipment for over 53 years! Take a trip to our showroom at 1841 Pandora Street, Vancouver, B.C. V5L 1M4 Tel: 604.255.2220 Fax: 604.255.5655

About Firestone Building Products Company, LLC: Firestone Building Products Company, LLC (FSBP), is a leading manufacturer of EPDM, TPO, asphalt and metal roofing systems, polyiso insulation and accessories for the commercial roofing industry. In addition to superior roofing products, FSBP offers installation expertise and product support through roofing solutions and technical services departments and an international network of roofing contractors, distributors and field sales representatives. Headquartered in Indianapolis, Ind., FSBP is a subsidiary of Firestone Diversified Products, LLC. Visit the FSBP website atwww.firestonebpco.com. íľş

ARCHITECTURE & LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE 9355 Young Road Chilliwack, BC V2P 4S3 Tel: 604|793|9445

Visit us on the web at www.sksanitary.com or email us at infor@sksanitary.com Our Suppliers:

60 Ops Talk â&#x20AC;˘ Spring 2011

Over 90 years of collective experience in the planning, design and construction of school facilities in British Columbia.

Fax: 604|793|9446 chp@chparchitects.com

Index to advertisers Allmar International ...............................................................15

Greensmart Manufacturing Ltd............................................56

Ameresco Canada ..................................................................22

IBC Technologies Inc. ............................................................21

AV Solutions............................................................................28

ICS Clean Supplies Ltd. .........................................................44

BC Hardwood Floor Co. Ltd. .................................................55

Interior Turf Equipment Ltd..................................................54

Belimo Americas.....................................................................19

J M Bean & Co. Ltd. ...............................................................13

Bio Protection Solutions.........................................................27

MAPEI Inc. ................................................................................5

Blue Imp Recreational Products of Canada Ltd..................57

Metal Supermarkets ...............................................................19

Busy Bee Sanitary Supplies Inc. ...........................................54

National Air Technologies.....................................................42

Canstar Restorations................................................................3

Nitro Pipe Freeze Inc. ............................................................25

Caster Town Ltd.....................................................................47

Norspec Filtration...................................................................52

Centaur Products Inc. ............................................................30

Poly-Mor Canada Inc..............................................................10

CHP Architects .......................................................................60

Progressive Services Ltd. ......................................................53

Clean Spot Inc.........................................................................29

Reliable Controls ..................................................................IBC

Convergint Technologies.......................................................20

Roofing Contractors Association of BC..................................7

D.G. MacLachlan Limited ......................................................44

S.K Sanitary Specialties Mfg. Ltd. ........................................60

Don’s Power Vac / Enviro Solutions .................................OBC

Schoolhouse Products Inc......................................................59

E.B. Horsman & Son...............................................................18

Shanahan’s ................................................................................8

Engraver’s Express Inc. .........................................................23

Shelter Industries ...................................................................43

ERV Parent Group ..................................................................43

Shutters & Shade....................................................................58

ESC Automation & Delta Controls .........................................4 FAME Asset Management Solutions ...................................29

Smith Energy...........................................................................26

Firestone Building Products Company ................................61

Spears Sales & Service Ltd....................................................12

FortisBC (formerly Terasen Gas) ..........................................51

Stutters Disaster Kleenup......................................................49

Garaventa (Canada) Ltd. .......................................................14

Talius......................................................................................IFC

Garland Canada, Inc. .............................................................39

Tyco Electronics......................................................................20

Genivar ....................................................................................48

Wesco Distribution LP / Philips Lighting ............................11

GOJO Industries .....................................................................31

Western Bus Parts & Service Ltd. ........................................17

GPS Turf Drains Inc................................................................50

Western Canada IC Bus...........................................................9

DEL

Communications Inc.

Suite 300, 6 Roslyn Road, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada R3L 0G5 www.delcommunications.com

DEL Communications Inc. has in excess of 100 years combined experience

CREATIVE DESIGN ADVERTISING SALES

working for you. We offer outstanding personal service and quality in the areas of: 62 Ops Talk • Spring 2011

TRADE PUBLICATIONS QUALIFIED SALES & EDITORIAL TEAM

LEED™

BACnet®

SPOA™ member

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forward thinking

Looking to improve the energy efficiency in your school district? Let the Internet-connected products from Reliable Controls® help you do the math. We deliver high performing energy management and control systems for school districts all across Canada. Visit our website to request a quote from a Reliable Controls® Authorized Dealer™ near you and let us help you do some forward thinking. We are the people and technology you can rely on.

Ops Talk Magazine Spring 2011

Articles inside

Keep fit through play

Firestone introduces sustainable, innovative vegetative roof system

The new sports floor finish: R.J.C. Moisture Cured Urethane

Understanding MERV air filter ratings for HVAC systems

FortisBC helps the Delta School District reduce its carbon footprint

Stutters: licensed to haul asbestos from job sites

Are you properly maintaining your turf fields?

Reducing downtime, one freeze at a time

V = Velocity – Chuck Morris

Shelter Industries launches first of 138 modular kindergarten classrooms

THOUGHTS ON: Succession – Chuck Morris

Four steps to successful roofing projects

FAM3: Facility Asset Management Maturity Model

The bio-based solution for your asphalt – and your budget

The right structure + creative thinking = a showcase system for efficiency & IAQ

School exteriors get a facelift with concrete repairs

Reuse before you recycle: a better approach

Climate action: leading by example – Doug Wall

Winter driving: how much more fuel are you using?

Profile on Doug Stewart

Let Western Bus’s team help you with your next bus repair

What’s in a name? (A lot

Rethinking leadership – Donna Howes, CHRP

President’s Message – Bruce MacLean