Wider Horizons - Winter 2009

Winter 2009

A PUBLICATION OF LETHBRIDGE COLLEGE

It’s in the bag The Living Home proves recycling and reusing works

ft

Gi •A •

d Wil

ife of L Day

ck • Ba

P.11 et

we in S

ing

aw e Dr

h

on t

grass

P.16

rd Boa

P.22

Vol. 2, No. 2, Winter 2009 Wider Horizons is published three times a year by the Lethbridge College Advancement Office.

On Our Cover

Lining up the future

in step with the community

Our Living Home project had a goal of reducing construction waste to one garbage bag.

As student Darren Gilbertson (pictured right) can attest, we came darn close.

Through stories that celebrate the accomplishments of our students, employees and alumni, the magazine communicates Lethbridge College’s vision, mission and goals to its audiences.

It’s in the ba

The Sunridge Boulevard home is providing detailed information - while exploding a few myths - about “green” home construction. Turn the page to find out more.

If the past few semesters at Lethbridge College have seemed like a blur; the next few are rapidly coming into focus. And one constant is emerging: our college is continuously moving forward in alignment with the community it serves.

After a brand change and our 50th Anniversary celebrations tweaked our “new’d” campus attitude, we have begun formulating just how Lethbridge College would grow with, and serve, Lethbridge and southern Alberta. We want the college to progress with our stakeholders in everything we do, while displaying the advancements required to fulfill our mandate as an institution of foresight and leadership.

And we’re on our way. In this issue, you’ll read about our campus redevelopment plan, a guide to the next few decades of bricks and steel. We’re excited about how this vision will unveil a campus intent on recognizing and representing the community flavour.

Rather than erecting an array of buildings, we will use our resources wisely by growing and enhancing our existing infrastructure. As good stewards of our environment, we Dr. Tracy Edwards Lethbridge College President & CEO

g

want to minimize our campus footprint while providing the facilities our students need to enhance learning.

That being said, work has begun on a 100+-bed student residence, our third, to keep pace with the needs of our students, an increasing number of whom come to us from other countries. It will also ease the city’s low vacancy rate.

A new trades building is also essential to ensure Alberta’s economy has the talent it needs to stay on track.

We’ve also nurtured some concepts we believe draw on the talents of our students and their instructors to benefit everyone. The Living Home project is one of those, and I hope you’ll take the opportunity to visit the “green” house in West Lethbridge during the coming year. It will become a model for sustainable home construction.

The digitization of our Hubbard Collection will place a static display of Alberta’s wild things in the hands of students literally around the world. It’s pretty awesome technology but, more importantly, it’s a functional, visionary way to share our resources freely with those who can benefit from them.

We will continue to be an institution that works with the community, a point of convergence for knowledge, skill and innovation.

What’s Inside A Gift of Life.................................................... 11 When blood supplies began dropping sharply last fall, Lethbridge College employees, students and alumni discovered it was in them to give.

From Tanks to Texts........................................ 14 As soldiers leave our armed forces, many require a safe “drop zone.” A scholarship initiative at Lethbridge College will help give them the necessary education.

Wild Day in Sweetgrass................................... 16 Officials in Canada and the United States decided to play a game of “terrorist attack.” Students from Lethbridge College provided much expertise.

Back on the Drawing Board............................. 22 Lethbridge College has a plan for growth that will mirror the needs of the community and the province.

We thank you for picking up this copy and hope you enjoy the read. If you would like to recommend story ideas for future issues or would like to find out more about our magazine, contact us.

Wider Horizons c/o The Advancement Office 3000 College Drive South Lethbridge, AB T1K 1L6 email: carmen.toth@lethbridgecollege.ab.ca publisher: Steven Dyck manager: Carmen Toth co-ordinator: Michelle Stegen photographer: Gregory Thiessen photography/graphic contributions: Scott Schmidt • Marika Stevenson • Tyler Wall designer: Jaylene Ulmer writers: Derek Bly • Christina Boese • Peter Scott • Zyna Taylor writing contributions: Braum Barber • Stacia Nelson • Alison Pilsner • Kloe Miko In addition to free distribution to our regional community, Wider Horizons is also mailed to all Lethbridge College alumni.

Alumni are encouraged to stay connected to the College by updating their contact information at the Alumni Relations website: lethbridgecollege.ca/alumni To share this issue with others, visit our Publications web page at lethbridgecollege.ca/publications

Warming Up to Exercise.................................. 26 Our trio of experts will get you in shape for 2009.

“Netting” Wildlife............................................ 30 Our Hubbard Collection will be coming soon to a video monitor near you.

3

curious

The The neighbours neighbours are are curious At 609 Sunridge Crescent on the outer edge of West Lethbridge, construction and science have allied to build a 1,300-square-foot laboratory known as The Living Home.

When the exterior was completed recently, neighbours likely noticed a few oddities, distinctive features that set it apart from their own domiciles.

First of all, no one lives at 609.

Once spring arrives, plants will begin sprouting on the second-storey deck.

The roofing tiles are concrete, and there are solar panels up there, too.

A closer look will reveal small plastic tubes protruding slightly from the outer walls, making the home seem like a patient waiting to be connected to a bank of monitors.

The frequent comings and goings of an odd assortment of people need not concern the neighbourhood, however. The yard will be tended, the walks shoveled and loud parties kept to the one at the grand opening of the project. But by then, there will be reason to celebrate.

The Living Home, built by Cedar Ridge Homes from concepts developed at Lethbridge College on a lot supplied by the City of Lethbridge, is a research project that could change the way homes are constructed by implementing the findings into environmental responsibility.

“We’ve built this with a different philosophy,” says Lonnie Hoy, owner of Cedar Ridge, who admits to being affected by Al Gore’s An Inconvenient Truth. “I think, as a small builder, we can influence the market and make a difference. We want to share the technological findings with others.”

Barber discovered not all products advertised as “green” actually live up to the claims. The house will remain empty for a year while it is prodded and probed (those small tubes really do hook up to wind-pressure monitors), measured and gauged in 13 experiments to gain every drop of knowledge. That knowledge will be shared in real time on the project’s website, www.thelivinghome.ca.

Project outcomes include the validation and application of alternative materials and technologies within an integrated home design, as well as enhancing of the efficiency and productivity of construction practices for residential home building. The goal is to raise interest in a home design that considers construction processes, the application of new technologies, and healthy, low-impact living opportunities as they apply to local conditions.

All of the parties involved hope that by sharing the learning, some of the misconceptions surrounding the “building green” phenomenon will be explained.

The project is a goldmine of student involvement and learning. Students in Engineering Design and Drafting Technology pored over details on materials to determine their suitability and value in green design. Interior Design students chose flooring,

First, a bit of truth. Not everything considered in the construction of the home was found to be the most sound, environmentally speaking. Research

by Lethbridge College students and instructors Mark Bohnert and Braum

4 • WIDER Horizons/Winter 2009/Cover Story

paints and fabrics that advance the structure’s environmental standards.

Multimedia Production students created the website and decided how to best satisfy the public’s interest for the type of knowledge gleaned.

To some, a “green” home might be one covered in solar panels with a wind turbine in the back yard and a metre of insulation in the walls. None of these fully advance the concept of environmental responsibility.

Let’s check out the features that do: • a reduced footprint through smarter design and efficient use of space.

• a rooftop deck with eight inches of soil for growing native species in an interpretive garden.

• photo-voltaic tiles, which can produce 2 kW, enough to power about a quarter of an average Albertan’s electricity demand.

• two solar panels to provide hotwater heating. No energy will be required to produce hot water in the summer; natural gas, half of what a normal home would require, will be used in the winter, an overall reduction of 40 per cent.

• bamboo cabinets. Bamboo can be harvested every year after seven years, compared to decades for trees, and can yield 20 times more timber than trees on the same area.

• Canadian maple flooring finished in linseed oil to minimize off-gassing in the home’s early years.

• insulated concrete forms and foam insulation to cut heating costs and eliminate air-conditioning.

• a power system that will, for the first time in Lethbridge, sell energy back to the electrical grid.

• a coiled water input that warms water as it enters the house using the heat from waste water, thus reducing water-heater use.

• an alcohol-burning fireplace requiring no flue.

• an air-to-air heat exchanger to keep the air in the home healthy and fresh, and reduce the energy needed to heat fresh air in the winter. Air in the home is replenished every 30 minutes.

• maximized light from windows.

• fibreglass-enclosed windows.

• contained rainwater runoff.

• low-flow faucets and fixtures.

“We are collecting unbiased results”, says Barber. “These are results based on research done in Lethbridge, not Arizona. It’s nice to have a made-in-Lethbridge solution. Every aspect we discover will be shared with the public, who then have something concrete on which to base their building decisions.”

Sense and sensibility pervade here. The project team decided against a system to

recycle sink and tub water to flush toilets; the price would have been prohibitive and wasteful in a city with a cutting-edge wastewater treatment plant.

“The ‘sticking-it-to-the-man’ appeal of alternative technologies isn’t always worth it,” says Barber. “Sometimes it’s better just to turn off a few lights.”

Asphalt and vinyl products, which require considerable energy to produce, result in harmful emissions, and often end up as landfill in a relatively short time, were rejected. The roof is covered in concrete tiles, which, while three times the cost of asphalt shingles, will last five times as long. When they do finally have to be replaced about 50 to 75 years from now, they can be crushed and used elsewhere, rather than being trucked to the dump.

The project team could have spent a “braumillion” dollars (that’s a lot) building The Living Home, but the return wouldn’t have made financial sense. Instead, it stuck to its construction budget of $360,000. In the end, the home cost 10 to 15 per cent more than a normal home of the same size, and will be cost neutral after 60 years.

“We didn’t reinvent the wheel,” says Hoy. “The home is still built out of wood and concrete. But we used new concepts to match changing perceptions. There are a lot of gimmicks people try to sell you that don’t measure up. In the end, it comes down to living a responsible lifestyle. You can’t just throw technology at the problem.”

”

In the end, it comes down to living a responsible lifestyle.

Lonnie Hoy, owner, Cedar Ridge Quality Homes

5

green perspectives perspecDarren Gilbertson student

Leona Rousseau instructor

For a guy who spent 17 years as a business manager in the southern Alberta arts community, Darren Gilbertson might seem an unlikely convert to the gospel of “green” home building.

Leona Rousseau began her research on The Living Home project with a clear goal: to give her students the best experience possible, hoping it would prompt them to make greener choices throughout their careers.

But the Lethbridge College Geomatics student got his jeans dusty last summer developing a construction waste management strategy and monitoring the results at The Living Home project. After convincing contractors to discard their bits of lumber, plastic wrap, foam insulation and such into his recycling bins, and measuring the results, he’s now a vocal ambassador for waste diversion and recycling practices.

Rousseau, an Interior Design instructor, tasked them with conducting research on specific materials and finishes for The Living Home.

“Once contractors see they can save money by following green building practices, and you show them it’s not a huge shift in procedure from what they’ve always done, you get a buy-in,”

“I believe it is essential for my students to use their acquired design knowledge to give back to their community and gain valuable experience in the process,” says Rousseau, who is working on a doctorate in interior design. “This project offered a tremendous learning experience for the students, was interdisciplinary in nature and contributed to community development.”

says Gilbertson, who graduates in April with a geomatics diploma to pair with his fine arts degree.

Some 200 students from a variety of programs took part in The Living Home project, including future engineers, interior designers, multimedia creators and more.

Hired by Lethbridge College as a summer support student, Gilbertson measured and weighed every piece of construction waste on the site, after teaching builders to separate softwood from plywood, cardboard from plastic wrap and insulated concrete forms from anything else they were tossing away. The goal was to restrict the amount that actually had to be landfilled to one garbage bag. Gilbertson came close.

“We created the culture we wanted by developing a strategy that was simple and easy for construction firms to use,” says Gilbertson.

Whenever a small piece was needed, carpenters found what they required in one of Gilbertson’s bins without having to rummage. A lot of lumber that would have headed to the landfill wound up as part of the home.

Insulated concrete forms were ground down to spread on the driveway under the concrete. Left-over foam chunks from insulation were put inside walls. Drywall was crushed and the gypsum used as a soil additive. All these practices drastically reduced the landfill.

Originally from Bow Island, Gilbertson, an early fortysomething, chose Lethbridge College after a university degree in fine arts.

“Lethbridge College’s engineering school has a really good reputation, known throughout the province and accredited nationally. It’s where I wanted to come.”

6 • WIDER Horizons/Winter 2009/Cover Story

“Their primary goal was to find materials that were ‘truly green’, not simply advertised as green,” says Rousseau.

The research was an excellent learning opportunity for her students.

Amy Walters, a 2008 graduate of the interior design program, says working on the home taught her some valuable lessons and made her realize how important environmentally conscious design is.

“It has been an amazing experience working on The Living Home project,” she says. “The resources and materials we used for research showed me how everyone can have an impact on our world — even interior designers. I realized

that my decisions do not just impact the users of the space, but the Earth’s environment as a whole.”

Rousseau says she had many ideas for the home, including finishes that contain natural or recycled materials, dual-flush toilets, bamboo grass cabinets and recycled glass countertops.

“Incorporated are materials and finishes that are truly ecoor environmentally responsible and contain natural and or recycled content, such as materials and finishes that contain no to low volatile organic compounds, and certified woods from responsibly managed forests.”

Her ideas came from a combination of existing design knowledge and research on truly healthy, environmentally responsible product and material options.

For the monster SUV-driving, castle-dwelling champions of consumption, the answer to “why live green” is still a bit of a challenge. Braum Barber, a Lethbridge College engineering instructor, explains why it’s necessary.

Human life consumes about 13 trillion cubic metres of oil energy each year, which, if it was all in the form of oil, would fill the Lethbridge water tower every three seconds.

This rate of consumption causes two problems: the inability to extract the energy fast enough, and the environment’s lack of capacity to absorb the wastes created.

The former results in peak oil, when consumption outstrips extraction; the latter causes global warming.

We face rising sea levels, melting ice caps, extended droughts, the intensification of weather, the desertification of agricultural land, and a rate of extinction not seen for tens of millions of years, yet Earth is still within a degree of temperatures to which we are accustomed. Predictions for global warming greater than two degrees Celsius are dire.

Children already born will experience the consequences of our inaction as earth systems settle into a new equilibrium.

consumption of energy in these two sectors could have a significant impact on our collective footprint on the environment. The Living Home is an open dialogue on the process of how we can make a difference.

Becoming “green” is regularly more costly; good answers are often ambiguous and they vary for different regions; and it requires an effort to learn.

In the end, becoming green is an ethical decision: bandwagon or not, it is the only bandwagon that will lead to a livable future.

Peak oil – actually we should be talking about peak everything, but peak oil is imminent – means some consumers of energy will have to do without, or convert to another finite energy source, and there will be less oil to use each year afterward. Our consumer society will have to learn to use less energy, through efficiency gains and conservation.

Of the energy we consume in North America, about a third is used for transportation, and about half is used in the construction, maintenance, and operation of buildings. Reducing the

She says she believes the home will raise public awareness and influence choices.

“I hope there is an awareness of healthier, environmentally responsible and sustainable building products and the tremendous benefits they hold for our environment as a whole,” says Rousseau. “It’s about knowing better, then doing better.”

7

living green + environmental myths One of the chief goals of the Living Home project was to involve students in the learning process. Several paradoxes face the environmental designer and the conscientious consumer. The following are examples of the sort of critical thinking Lethbridge College students have been engaged through the design of The Living Home.

Paradox I: Solving a consumption crisis with more consumption.

Does it always make sense to upgrade to more efficient products?

Everything made requires energy to extract the raw materials, to manufacture the product, to transport, to maintain, and to dispose, and everything that is made creates pollution. It takes, for instance, a considerable amount of energy to manufacture the components of a photovoltaic panel. Pollution emitted to the air, water and soil includes an array of heavy metals, particulates, acids, and volatile organic compounds linked to several health issues and the environment.

Does it make sense to install more insulation, better windows, an upgraded furnace?

Yes and no. To consume is to pollute.

If you pollute now to reduce more pollution in the future, the decision may be justified. Consuming energy now to reduce energy consumption in the future is an easy decision.

Unfortunately, we are often reducing one type of pollution by increasing another type.

Paradox II: Renewable energy is nonrenewable.

Are solar panels, wave power and wind turbines free, non-polluting sources of energy. Not really.

It depends on how much energy is created over the life cycle of the technology, and what pollution is

avoided. The good news is that these technologies will produce more energy over the expected life than it took to make the technology, so they do work.

In reality, these alternative technologies create only a tiny fraction of the electricity we use, no more than six per cent. In Alberta, it’s roughly one per cent. To manufacture, install and maintain these technologies requires a substantial amount of fossil fuel energy. If we do not invest significantly and immediately in renewable energy technologies, renewable energy will remain non-renewable.

Paradox III: Self-sustainability is not sustainable.

Self-sustainability has a “stickit-to-the-man” appeal: slather the home in solar panels, wind turbines, geothermal heating, wastewater recycling systems, a half metre of insulation in the walls and ceiling, and so on. Unfortunately, if every home was build this way, it would consume multiple earths before becoming sustainable. In other words, contrary to common perception, this approach to home design is not sustainable, and arguably not even environmentally friendly.

Self-sustainable thinking externalizes much of the impact and costs to the environment without properly accounting for the real costs. Taking advantage of the environment as a sink for our wastes without assessing the ultimate costs has led us to the emerging environmental crisis.

Sustainability, in the more holistic sense of the term, will require efficient and communal infrastructure. In Lethbridge, for example, we have a state-of-the-art water treatment and wastewater treatment system, with piping systems designed for optimum performance. For each person to collect, filter, disinfect, and re-use wastewater would be neither as efficient nor as cost-effective. The

8 • WIDER Horizons/Winter 2009/Cover Story

appeal of self-sustainability should not blind us to the bigger picture.

Paradox IV: The more you waste, the more you save.

Most green products and systems are expensive; many never pay back their costs. Some “zero-energy” homes invest more than $100,000 to save $1,000 each year in utilities.

Furthermore, much of the advertising suggests better returns on investment than are readily achieved.

For example, a tankless (on-demand) water heater is much more efficient than a standard water heater with a tank. But it is only saving you energy (and money) when you are heating water. So, using more hot water improves the rate of payback for the additional costs of this system. In other words, by conserving hot water you will take longer to pay back the additional costs of the water heater.

?

Does it always make sense to upgrade to more efficient products

Paradox V: Being a business person in the home, and philanthropist in the car.

The last paradox is that we tend to make business-minded decisions when building or renovating our homes, and place different values on our automobiles. We look at the cost payback on the high-efficiency dishwasher and find that our rate of return is five per cent annually for 15 years, whereas we could invest in stocks and make more. The next minute, we walk into a car lot and buy a fast convertible that will depreciate half its value in two years.

Is it not possible to use the same value system for the home? What about buying a solar water heater because it reduces our footprint on the planet? Or another system will make a home more comfortable and healthier? Maybe the payback is poor or even non-existent, but it makes the owner feel good (and you can replace the white silk scarf with a comfortable cardigan).

9

Green savings

The following chart summarizes some of the options for environmentally responsible design based on the return on energy (Energy Return over Energy Invested, EROEI), and return of financial investment (ROI) in both years and annual savings in per cent of original investment.

As a Canadian Blood Services donor, Roxanne Dautremont (right), administrative assistant for the college’s College and University Preparation program, has the potential to save three lives every time she donates.

The chart has been organized from the best energy return (EROEI), which is the predominant measure for environmentally responsible design. Other measures might include pollution like ozone depletion, climate change potential, acid rain, landfill, water pollution, among many others – comparing pollution is an ongoing challenge in the field of ecological economics.

The most apparent choices are those products that have much the same energy to make compared to the less efficient standard choices. It would be expected that, in the near future, the cost differences will be negligible and these items will become standard in home construction.

The costs for these technologies may decline with greater market demand, but the challenges in marketing them will likely remain. Other motives (like home comfort or the prestige of lessening one’s ecological footprint) may be more effective perspectives to foster in consumers. Only the most intransigent deny the importance of reducing our impact on the planet, the discussion is open on how to best achieve these goals. In the short term, however, it will require a transformation in values to one that includes the community and the environment.

Saving Lives one drop at a time

Initial Cost

Cost Difference

EROEI

ROI (years)

ROI (%)

Low flow shower

200

50

Immediate

0.3

383.3

In the past, donors like Roxanne have directly contributed to the lives of those near and dear to our

Programmable thermostat

100

75

Immediate

1.0

100.0

college community, including those pictured below, who have required blood and blood products.

Turn the page to find out how Lethbridge College recently helped save 573 lives.

Low Flow toilet

500

200

Immediate

5.8

17.3

High Energy Furnace

6000

1000

Immediate

8.7

11.5

Demand Water Heater

2300

1600

Immediate

9.4

10.7

Energy Star Dishwasher

700

350

Immediate

18.3

5.5

High Efficieny Windows

23500

12000

0.3

35.7

2.8

ICF Basement

20200

6000

0.4

19.6

5.1

Heat Recovery Ventilator

2500

2500

0.4

19.6

5.1

Solar Thermal (2 panels)

10500

10500

1.2

41.7

2.4

15000

1.7

30.5

3.3

13000

2.2

96.3

1.0

Double Wall Assembly Icyenne Insulation

16000

10 • WIDER Horizons/Winter 2009/Cover Story

Jocelyn Dufresne

Darren Neuberger

Kyra Wolsky

(daughter of Sandra Dufresne, Alumni Relations co-ordinator)

(husband of Jaylene Ulmer, graphic design and brand co-ordinator)

(daughter of Karla Wolsky, Nursing instructor)

When the college decides to contribute to the well-being of the community by actively recruiting blood donors from its staff and students, they also provide an opportunity to bring some awareness to our need to recruit 95,000 new donors over the coming year.

Dorinda Emery, community development co-ordinator Canadian Blood Services

Clay Boyes recalls the incident like it was yesterday: just a typical day on the farm stacking hay bales with a friend and his eight-year-old son, Nathan.

Suddenly, the steady pace is broken by Nathan’s bloodcurdling screams; his leg is stuck in the rotary chain of the bale machine, and he’s slowly being pulled in.

Instincts prevail, and Boyes shuts off the power take-off, unsure of where his son is. Once found, they immediately begin working to free his leg, which was later found to be mangled, with a damaged femoral artery.

Today, Boyes, facilities manager for Lethbridge College’s Aquaculture Centre of Excellence, says Nathan is lucky to be alive with only a minor limp, thanks to a much-needed blood transfusion.

”

volunteer hours were recorded by more than 200 college and community volunteers.

TLC was a vital part of the blood drive, raising awareness about the importance of donating.

“President Tracy Edwards approached me about having TLC host a blood drive challenge,” says Kelly Burke, alumni relations specialist. “We wanted to encourage people to go out and donate blood because it’s the right thing to do.”

Edwards, a team captain, says she felt compelled to be part of the project because many college staff have benefited from blood donations.

“This drive is a way for us to give back and also show how Lethbridge College supports our local community,” says Edwards, once a regular donor.

“We should all remember that we have life to share with others and your donation could save a child’s life,” says Boyes.

“I was a regular blood donor in my 20s and 30s, but a busy lifestyle got me out of my routine. This donation is hopefully the first of many to come.”

The need for blood is greater than ever, says the Canadian Blood Services.

Lethbridge College understands that need. Last fall, staff and students rolled up their sleeves to help people like Nathan receive the greatest gift of all: life.

An impressive 191 staff, faculty and students participated in the drive, including 81 first-time donors.

The blood drive was run by Totally Lethbridge College (TLC), the oncampus volunteer program that began last year to recruit volunteers for the 50th Anniversary celebration. The program was so successful, the college decided to continue it, recruiting volunteers for college and community functions. Last year, more than 2,500

Burke notes many people are misinformed about blood donation, and tend not to give.

“People can give every 56 days,” she says. “A lot of people are deferred, not because they can’t give blood, they just may not be able to give blood that day, if they have a cold, for example. But, we still counted that as participating because they found out about going, they were interested in going, and they took the time to go.”

Every donation adds up.

Auto Accident/Gunshot wound

up to 50 units

Cancer Treatments

up to 8 units/week

Coronary Artery Bypass

1-5 units

Fractured Hip/Joint Replacement

Dorinda Emery, community development coordinator for Canadian Blood Services, says she’s pleased with the college’s efforts.

“I am very passionate about the cause and enjoy my job because I am not asking people to give money, but rather to give something more precious: the gift of life,” she says.

However, it’s a tough sell: although one in two Canadians between 17 and 61 can donate, only one in 60 do.

“When the college decides to contribute to the well-being of the community by actively recruiting blood donors from its staff and students, they also provide an opportunity to bring some awareness to our need to recruit 95,000 new donors over the coming year.”

The need for blood is constant.

Medical procedures such as liver transplants use up to 100 units, while the average leukemia patient uses about 72.

Burke explains holding the blood drive at the college makes sense because it targets a large population in one area.

“With the college, between students and staff, we have probably 5,000 people that are being encouraged,” she says. “It’s just a great group of people to access.”

The college is also a prime location for such an event because community spirit really pulls people together. Both staff and students aided in various promotions to bring awareness and interest to the blood drive. Charles Parker, head of Culinary Careers and

Of the 191 donors in the blood drive, 81 gave for the first-time.

2-5 units

Food Services, offered iron-rich lunches for $5 during the campaign because iron is a vital part of blood donation as it helps rebuild blood cells.

“I give blood on a regular basis as I believe I can make a difference in saving someone’s life,” says Parker. “I know full well how important it is for Canada to have enough blood supply to help people who need blood for operations or ongoing treatment.”

This is true for Roxanne Dautremont, a Lethbridge College administrative assistant in the College and University Prep program, whose son benefited from blood donation after he was scheduled to have heart surgery.

“Our son recovered with flying colours, and now at age 19 will be donating blood at a local event this year,” says Dautremont. “The lives of someone’s children are behind a lot of these blood donations, and as a parent I can’t tell you how important it is to feel secure in the knowledge that the supply will be there when needed.”

Burke says TLC was glad to play such a large part in the event, and it has opened her eyes to the importance of blood donation.

“The more research I did, the more I realized I really can give, and I’d been making excuses to avoid it,” she says.

“So, I can honestly say, people need to call and find out how to give.”

TLC will be continuing its efforts throughout the year with various volunteer opportunities, offering prizes to those who report the most hours.

Burke says volunteers make events such as the blood drive possible.

“Because we’re encouraging volunteerism within our staff and student population, it’s really building on that culture of giving back, and it’s also encouraging staff and students to be more engaged in our campus.”

Campus spirit one of giving Christmas is a time for friends, family, and great memory-making while sharing the joy of the season.

But, it can also be a time of great stress for those without the resources to buy gifts for loved ones.

For the eighth year, Lethbridge College ran its Christmas Store in November, providing items donated by faculty and staff for sale to students at low cost, allowing them to purchase gifts without breaking their budgets.

Since its first year in 2000, the store has raised more than $25,000 for the college’s scholarship fund.

Monica Ekvall, organizer and instructor in the College and University Prep program, says the store is a great way for employees to rid their homes of unused items and help students have a better Christmas.

“We’ve had so many students who have said they couldn’t have had a Christmas in their family if it wasn’t for the store, and that really touches my heart,” says Ekvall.

“We probably all have things at home that we don’t use anymore that are packed away. So why not recycle and give them another use, particularly for our students, who are the target audience for the Christmas Store.”

Another Christmastime initiative is the annual Adopt-a-Family. Run by the Students’ Association for nearly a decade, it helps students receive Christmas hampers from anonymous ‘adopters.’

Angela Fretts, services co-ordinator for the Lethbridge College Students’ Association, says the SA has received a wealth of positive feedback about the program, which is its own reward.

“It is very rewarding when you see the faces of the families that are picking up the hampers. The adopters put together absolutely wonderful hampers.”

The Christmas Store and Adopt-a-Family program work closely together and are often intertwined during the holiday season.

“If we don’t sell everything at the Christmas Store, we let Adopta-Family organize it,” says Ekvall, who enjoys the team environment.

“It was rewarding for me to help students realize that’s the kind of atmosphere we have at Lethbridge College. It’s definitely a community effort; we all work together.”

13

“

”

Post-secondary education is important for soldiers. . . the scholarship will help those who feel they can’t afford it.

Brig.-Gen. Mike Jorgensen

General studies: scholarship salutes soldiers Brig.-Gen. Mike Jorgensen extends a hand and executes a friendly squeeze that belies his many years in the field of combat. The much-decorated Canadian soldier has come to Lethbridge College to attend a gala dinner in recognition of the 18th Air Defense Regiment and 100 years of military presence in Lethbridge.

The black-tie event, hosted by the college last fall, has drawn dignitaries both military and civilian, including the Honourable Norman Kwong, lieutenant governor of Alberta and college president Tracy Edwards. In addition to supporting local armed forces personnel, one of the objectives for the evening is to introduce an educational endowment fund spearheaded by Howard Tennant, former University of Lethbridge president.

The initial funding for the endowment will come from a portion of the ticket proceeds for the dinner, matched by donations from Lethbridge College. The money will be available to Lethbridge College students who are reservists or former full-time members of the regiment.

Though not directly involved in the fundraising aspect of the dinner, Jorgensen is enthusiastic about the opportunities that may be provided by the endowment.

“I would love to see if there’s a way that we could leverage, if you will, the military calling that some of these young people

14 • WIDER Horizons/Winter 2009

have and, perhaps, indicate that with a little bit of education and a little bit of experience, we could make quite a career out of some of these young folks.”

Tennant says military personnel often have difficulty transitioning back to civilian life when their period of duty is completed.

“They have to anticipate that their 20 or so years of military service will be over and they need to upgrade their skills,” he says.

Tennant says Lethbridge College is a good fit for the soldiers because of the availability of counselling and support services, an important benefit for those who may be daunted by the prospect of undertaking full-time studies. There may also be some who are limited by financial considerations.

“Post-secondary education is important for soldiers. . . the scholarship will help those who feel they can’t afford it,” says Tennant.

Despite their fears about making what may be a monumental life change, Jorgensen says he believes soldiers are often quite well prepared to commence a civilian career.

“Most of the time I think military people don’t realize the skills they have . . . A military career doesn’t line up neatly with many other careers. On the other hand, people who make that leap

find that the skills they’ve learned in the military — leadership, time management, management techniques, people skills, communications — all can be applied immediately to almost any job at all.”

Not all members of the armed forces who pursue an advanced education are doing so after a long military career, however.

“A lot of young people these days are not making it a 30-year career,” says Jorgenson. “They want to make a fairly short career out of it. They want the excitement of a short tour, for instance, but then they would like to have a way to come back and start another career.

Perhaps that would be the ideal purpose [of the fund].”

The general acknowledges the tremendous sacrifice made not only by full-time army personnel, but also by the reserve forces who may be called to active duty and must put their lives on hold for the duration of their service.

“Citizen soldiers make a huge sacrifice to come; most of them have to negotiate with their employers to get considerable time off. Today, they would have to commit for a period approaching a year and a half. The bottom line is at least six months of pre-deployment training, at least six months for the tour. By the time you add a little bit of postdeployment leave and post-deployment administration, you catch up on life in

general, you can see how quickly 18 months goes by. It’s a huge commitment . . . you can’t make that decision lightly.”

Jorgensen says the experience of reservists has changed significantly.

“You might have been able to, 20 years ago, serve in the reserves and, except for local exercises at Suffield maybe and an extravagant tour to Wainwright, that would be sort of the extent. You could have quite a fulfilling, happy career within your unit. You could attend your normal parade nights, you could do your twice-a-month exercises and so on. You probably wouldn’t deploy anywhere.

“That pattern really disappeared more than a decade ago, but it has really transformed completely, in my view, with the arrival of the war in Afghanistan.

“The regular forces began, in many ways, to depend on reserve soldiers to come and fill some of the positions within the required troop level. Reserve soldiers have proved . . . they are fully up to the challenge of undergoing a three- to fourweek training period and then contributing fully in a very difficult operation like Afghanistan.”

Jorgensen says he’s hopeful the soldiers who have given such dedicated service will be able to take advantage of the opportunity to continue their studies when

they return home.

Though some former armed forces members are transitioning to a second profession, others attend college with the goal of upgrading their education and skills as a way to advance their military career.

“If there’s a way of recognizing their military contribution, and then allowing them to benefit from that contribution by supporting their education and their military career, that would be terrific.”

It will likely be some time before any students are in receipt of the endowment funding. The initial banquet revenue of just over $30,000 will be conservatively invested and allowed to mature a while before any funds are drawn. The details of eligibility are yet to be hammered out, such as whether the fund will become a scholarship or bursary.

In the meantime, Tennant urges those wishing to contribute to the fund to “donate early and donate often.”

Arrangements for donation can be made by contacting Steven Dyck, executive director of the Lethbridge College Advancement Office.

Jorgensen says those who feel a military career might be right for them should contact the regiment recruiter at 403-3203386 or visit the CFRC Recruiting Office in Lethbridge at Vimy Ridge Armoury, 337 Stubb Ross Road.

15

Borderline behaviour Hands-on experience with a ‘terrorist attack’ THE SCENE In the cool morning air, rays of light from the rising sun glint off swirls of roadside dust stirred by a passing pickup truck.

Knots of people band together under and around the canopies set up over the registration tables. Uniforms mix with fatigues, denim, safety vests, and casual business attire. Snippets of chatting and a few laughs are shared over coffee and bottled water. Here and there, cell phones or walkie-talkies are pressed to ears as hurried conversations take place. Names are written down. Introductions are made. Duties are assigned.

Occasionally, a livestock vehicle pulls in to the veterinary inspection building behind the canopies – the drivers staring at what must be an unusual disturbance in their routine runs across the Montana/Alberta border.

Down by the train tracks, a truck is off-loading at the grain elevator and a few farmers stand around sharing news about how the harvest is going.

It is the calm before the storm.

Operation Sweetgrass is about to ignite with a real bang, sweeping away the façade that this is just another business-as-usual day in the small Montana border town. After extensive planning and preparation, a mock terrorist event affecting both Canada and the U.S. will soon test the responses of approximately 30 different agencies from the two countries.

16• WIDER Horizons/Winter 2009

Front and centre on the firing line, a group of students and instructors from Lethbridge College are about to discover exactly what it means to gain hands-on experience in a real-world situation.

17

“

”

It was an invaluable experience and I expect it’ll be an event they will remember long after they graduate from Lethbridge College.

D’Arcy Kavanagh, Communication Arts instructor

THE BACKGROUND

Sponsored by the Montana Department of Military Affairs – Disaster and Emergency Services Division (MT DES) and the Montana National Guard (MT NG), Operation Sweetgrass was an exercise conducted by the State of Montana and Alberta Emergency Management Agency. On Sept. 18, the Sweetgrass Border Port of Entry was turned into the staging grounds for an imaginary confrontation with terrorists attempting to cross the border to carry out attacks in the southern U.S. While participants knew they were taking part in an exercise, many of the actual details were kept from them, only to unfold throughout the day. The main objectives of the exercise were to coordinate a joint response between Canada and the U.S. and demonstrate intelligence and operational information flow and coordination.

“The purpose of an exercise is to test our plans and procedures,” says Brigadier General John Walsh, the Adjutant General for the Montana National Guard. “We have an opportunity to evaluate many of the things we do well and identify those areas of operation that could be improved.”

So what were Lethbridge College students and instructors doing at the site of a planned disaster? They were doing exactly what they do best, contributing skills, enthusiasm and a quest for learning to a scenario that would enhance the knowledge base for everyone involved.

College instructors Ken Taylor, Criminal Justice (CJ), and D’Arcy Kavanagh, Communication Arts, say students played a needed and valued role in the exercise while benefiting

18 • WIDER Horizons/Winter 2009

from a unique learning opportunity.

“The CJ students played the roles of victims, witnesses and civilians,” Taylor says. “They were able to see how victims are handled and treated.”

CJ students also took on the task of playing insurgents; the suspects responsible for the incident that initiated the exercise. Jan Welk, a second-year Criminal Justice-Policing student, says the experience was very realistic and he was treated as though he was an actual insurgent.

“When we first crashed the border and were pursued by the authorities, we were pulled over and given commands on how to get out of the vehicle and what to do,” he says. “I didn’t respond exactly as ordered and ended up being yelled at.”

Taylor says this exercise provided students with a unique opportunity to encounter agencies, equipment and procedures that many never get to work with in their careers. Students also had the chance to tour the port facilities and see the equipment U.S. and Canadian border officers have at their disposal.

“Our students were able to interact with many of the agencies and discuss their roles within the justice system. It was also a good opportunity to learn about the difference in laws between the two countries.”

James Gulak, Senior Program Officer with Public Safety Canada regional office in Saskatchewan, says while the students learned from the exercise, they brought their own strengths to the event.

“No matter what roles they were playing, the students’ enthusiasm to learn by being part of the exercise was energizing for the other participants,” he says. “The level of realism they

brought to the exercise made all aspects of the training as complete and accurate as possible.”

This wasn’t the first time Lethbridge College students have participated in such an exercise. In 2003 and 2004, CJ students took part in similar exercises.

Through the earlier experience, instructors and students established a positive reputation for the college resulting in the invitation to take part in this larger exercise.

Taylor says he hopes one result of Operation Sweetgrass will be a further enhancement of the college’s reputation and a resulting opportunity to build partnerships.

“Other positive outcomes that we expect are the contacts we made with the specific participating agencies.

In the past, some have come to give presentations at Lethbridge College and others have provided material to keep instructors current,” he says.

While CJ students have been involved in the past, the Sweetgrass exercise was a first for Communication Arts students, Kavanagh says.

of media direction and containment to ensure safety and fairness in availability to all was another valuable challenge for us.”

James Richardson, Critical Infrastructure Protection Analyst with the Public Safety Canada regional office in Edmonton, agrees having the Communication Arts students enhanced the entire exercise.

“They definitely provided a sense of realism in how the media would approach an event like this. We couldn’t have had a more accurate simulation of the real thing,” he says. “Their presence allowed for other participants to do their jobs while seeing what it would be like to have the media on hand.”

Larry Overcast, area port director for the Sweetgrass Border Port of Entry, says the Communication Arts students added a dimension of realism to the exercise, demonstrating the need for agencies to be prepared to share available information in a timely manner.

Kavanagh says the students benefited from seeing how various agencies work together in emergency situations, gaining insights into what they can expect as they pursue careers in the media. This included writing at the scene to meet tight deadlines, capturing images and video to transmit to colleagues back at the college, interviewing agency representatives and offering a very real media scrum experience for agency representatives assigned to provide information about the unfolding disaster.

“The media students were a fantastic addition. It gave our people who were assigned the role of public information officers an opportunity to deal with a media response to a complex event as it was unfolding,” he says. “The issue

“Our students came away with a better understanding of how they need to function to cover such an event with speed and accuracy,” he says. “It was an invaluable experience and I expect it’ll be an event they will remember long after

The Print and Broadcast Journalism students took on the role of media responding to the disaster.

they graduate from Lethbridge College.”

Second-year Broadcast Journalism student Quinn Ohler agrees, saying it’s better to learn how to respond to disasters in a mock event than the real thing.

“It gave me the hands-on experience I needed to handle a disaster situation in the real world,” she said. “It could be years before you ever experience it, but it’s important to know how to respond.”

THE SCENE II Tension slowly builds as the zero hour approaches. Those gathered for the exercise don’t know exactly what to expect. The sun is promising higher temperatures to come. People mill about, anxious to get under way. Another cattle truck pulls into the yard . . . and it happens.

Down by the train track a loud ‘bang’ draws everyone’s attention. Minutes pass and a second blast is heard. Plumes of yellow smoke billow from the site of the explosion, close to the border crossing.

An unsuspecting civilian hurriedly flees from the scene, adding a sense of unexpected realism.

The first emergency calls come in and Operation Sweetgrass is underway.

Events escalate as first responders find bodies lying next to the track, and then succumb to what eventually proves to be a toxic nerve agent. To the east, a second group of insurgents is nabbed in a truck after entering Montana at the Whitlash border crossing. A container of the gas is

found in the back of the truck. National Guard vehicles arrive in Sweetgrass.

Helicopters circle overhead. A line of unmarked black SUVs rolls onto the site.

College CJ students are dropping from the affects of the ‘gases’ released in the blast. Miraculously, the ‘dead’ rise after a scene is cleared to once again walk the earth as, perhaps, a fresh injured victim.

Communication Arts students scramble to report on the disaster, capturing images for print and broadcast and interviewing on the scene. It’s a little too realistic for some emergency responders who have to break character to ask if the college reporters are students or the ‘real’ media.

CJ students have endured 30 C as victims lying in the hot sun, been nabbed as terrorist suspects and had great opportunities to learn from agency experts. Communication Arts students have raced from disaster scene to multiple media conferences and on to their temporary headquarters to produce stories for print and broadcast.

It’s been a day that has provided the kind of hands-on experience of which most students can only dream; a once in a lifetime opportunity to contribute to an international exercise while gaining insights that will help form a career.

19

student perspectives Kinga Santa Criminal Justice - Policing

Scott Schmidt Communication Arts – Print Journalism

When Ann Parks first asked me to take part in this National Exercise Program I was a little hesitant, not knowing exactly what it was I would be doing. I was not sure if I really wanted to miss a full day’s worth of classes.

The sound of the explosion rang through my head so fast I could hardly register how loud it was.

I was lucky enough to work hand-in-hand with three other students from Lethbridge College at the registry station where we helped organize and start the day’s events. Since we were not assigned to act in any roles as terrorists, emergency crews, military officials or media, we were able to observe and take part in every scenario of the exercise.

As a Criminal Justice – Policing student I was able to follow the police in the exercise and relate my studies with the way they conducted their work in such an event.

It was amazing to see all the steps and levels that are involved in dealing with the complications and issues of such events.

When I am in class sometimes I wonder, “Why do I need to learn this if I am in Policing?” In this particular event, classes such as English, Sociology and Ethics & Interpersonal Skills played more of a significant role than courses such as Law or Criminalistics that we seem to sometimes take more seriously.

Having also been able to spend time with the military officials and emergency crews, we got to take part in tours of on-site command centres, and laboratories where they kindly educated and demonstrated the use of many pieces of equipment, radios, satellites, and safety uniforms that would be used on site in an event such as the one we were taking part in. At the end of the day, after spending time with all these different people and observing their roles, I was able to confirm my own personal career choice.

Overall, I believe Operation Sweetgrass was a successful exercise. It was great to see both sides of the border were able to set aside any differences and work together in such a respectful manner in order to achieve their common goals. The students of Lethbridge College should be very proud and honoured that we have been asked to take part in this exercise more than once now; this says a great deal not only about our students but all faculty members that help make these opportunities possible for us to be a part of.

Then yellow smoke began to billow around the train car almost immediately, at first so dense and bright it was almost beautiful.

But when the mass grew, its beauty faded as the suffocating cloud began to consume everyone around it.

Ken Taylor Criminal Justice instructor, Lethbridge College

My first thought was to get the best photograph possible. With only the U.S. Army blocking my way, I laid facedown underneath a train to steal some shots of a dead woman. I figured those men in camouflage wouldn’t mind; they looked pre-occupied with the expanding mist that was now engulfing them as well.

“First of all, the organizers and players gave another round of applause at the meeting to the college and to our students for what they said was a major and positive contribution to the success of the exercise. Of particular mention at the meeting was the endurance and positive attitudes of the CJ students, who spent the entire exercise in the heat of the main incident site without complaint.”

My second thought was that this is the last thing I’m ever going to do; this canary cloud is clearly toxic and I’m going to die.

When one of the men told me it might be dangerous to lie under a working train during the exercise, I snapped out of my reverie.

Exercise?

Organizers had taken such care in this so-called exercise, that I had to convince myself I wasn’t filling my lungs with deadly chlorine fumes. In fact, I was front row as the U.S. government played the biggest game of cops and robbers I had ever seen.

They were playing terrorist attack.

On Sept. 18, while the U.S. and Canadian governments were executing a 33-agency training exercise in Sweetgrass, Mont., finding reality was an exhausting task, but it was also my job.

As one of 30 Lethbridge College Communication Arts students involved, my duty was to pretend every single minute of the day was really happening, and drill everyone I could find for vital information.

What was that cloud? How many are dead? Are any suspects known or in custody? Was it a terrorist attack? What’s the next step?

Drill them, I did. I figured, if the government wanted a realistic practice session, it was going to get one.

Today, I am not a second-year college student, I am the public’s only link to information that could save their lives, and these folks in uniform are going to give it to me.

We surrounded government officials hourly, torturing them for information updates, then sprinted to media headquarters to transform facts into copy and get them on the Internet for the public, before racing back to the next mauling.

Part of disaster control is handling the media, and in a situation such as this, the media swarm would be unimaginable. I would like to think my part in Operation Sweetgrass strengthened the capabilities of our governments.

I just hope unnecessarily so.

20 • WIDER Horizons/Winter 2009

Reactions from the field

Monique T. Lay public information officer, Montana Disaster and Emergency Services “The Lethbridge College students introduced a new level of motivation to the response efforts with their swathe of energy, new ideas, insightful questions, and technological brilliance. While we respect the academic process of studying hard and passing tests, the best measure of overall success is throwing that knowledge into the field. And they took on the challenge!”

James Richardson critical infrastructure protection analyst, Public Safety Canada regional office, Edmonton “The student volunteers played roles that were essential to the success of the exercise. They were ready and willing to do whatever was asked of them. We were also fortunate to have college instructors involved during the planning phase of the exercise. Lethbridge College’s participation in the exercise was a major key to its success.”

Scott McWhinnie Criminal Justice – Policing, student McWhinnie took on multiple victim roles during the exercise. Initially, as with other ‘victims,’ he received tags identifying his various symptoms. He was listed as having minor injuries and facial lacerations. After being ‘treated,’ his ‘condition’ went downhill and he was reassigned as a fatality.

Highlights “It was a great opportunity to observe how different agencies interact and to be able to approach people with questions. We had a fair amount of down time to meet with the agencies, particularly during the debriefing.”

Key lessons “You could see the complete agency interaction when a serious situation arises. It was important to see how the different agencies worked together during a crisis. The military efficiency really stood out when they moved in.”

Quinn Ohler Communication Arts – Broadcast Journalism, student Quinn, one of the Communication Arts students on the scene, currently also works as a casual reporter for Global TV and with The Lounge radio station. Taking on the role of a media representative at Operation Sweetgrass provided her new insights in her chosen career.

Highlights • “My job was to report the incident had happened and what we knew up until noon.

It was frustrating not knowing how things would end, but we really got to learn about the importance of deadlines.”

Key lessons • “You have to take in everything that is happening now, focus on it and still be able to handle your nerves and emotions at the same time.”

21

Fast Facts ’09 Size of the entire campus grounds: 274.8 total acres (91 developed acres) Number of Buildings: • 12 Instructional and Administrative Buildings • 2 Residence Main Buildings (RAC & Res Hall) • 25 Residence Buildings Number of labs on campus where students receive hands-on experience: • 10 Computer Labs • 13 Science Labs • 2 Auto Shops • 3 Carpentry Shops • 6 Lecture Theatres

Drawn to the future

Visioning tomorrow’s Lethbridge College After more than 50 years of serving as southern Alberta’s centre for technological education, Lethbridge College is heading back to the drawing board to recast itself for the next 50.

the campus’s 91 acres and its existing buildings will be used in the coming years, what new structures may be needed, how best to orientate the campus for improved vehicle access and, as with everything done at Lethbridge College, how to ensure sustainability.

A campus development plan, a broadbrush guide to the future approved by the college’s board of governors in September, It’s a road map to where sets the tone for you can go, built on the finer details to begin taking what Lethbridge College shape. The plan positions already has.

Lethbridge College’s future Art Ferrari, Ferrari Westwood Babits Architects 2007 Lethbridge College Distinguished Alumni with Alberta’s economy of tomorrow.

“It’s a road map to where you can go, Under the guidance of Lethbridge firm built on what Lethbridge College already Ferarri Westwood Babits Architects, has,” says Art Ferrari, the school’s 2007 the plan provides guidance on how

22 • WIDER Horizons/Winter 2009

”

Distinguished Alumni honoree. “It’s a chance to revitalize, to create centres based on student activities.”

The plan is a resilient and living document, not contingent upon continued enrolment growth. It outlines a flexible, effective and accessible strategy aligned with Lethbridge College’s vision of being green, global and socially responsible.

While much of the plan stares far into the future, several needs are on the immediate horizon. They include: • Renewal of the Trades Building.

• Consolidation and expansion of Student Services and student amenities.

• Renewal of the Buchanan Library and Learning Resources Centre.

• Renewal of other infrastructure and support services.

• Expansion of student housing.

“This plan is not built on the need for millions of dollars for construction,” says Ferrari. “A lot of it can be done when the college has the money.”

In fact, says Peter Milne of Research Management Consultants, the redevelopment will be guided by three principles that speak to just that: optimizing the use of the existing facility; ensuring prudent use of available capital funding; and creating a unified, cohesive and compact campus that focuses on student needs and services.

“You can’t just depend on continued growth,” Milne told the board of governors last fall. “Be best at what you do now, rather than simply getting bigger. The message we’re getting from faculty and staff is that the campus needs to be more student centred.”

The plan’s peek into the future is

broad and dynamic. It proposes adding a second main campus access from the north entrance off Scenic Drive, to the south side of the campus from the Wal-Mart area to reflect future city growth in that direction. It proposes a campus quad (or green area) east of the Trades Building by relocating the soccer pitch and parking lots. New residences, already well into the planning stage last fall, will rise just west of the D.A. Electric Barn.

Expected to open in the fall of 2010, they’ll bolster campus residences by 106 bedrooms.

Oldest building on campus: • The Barn, built in 1950 Did you know: The Cousins Building was the original University of Lethbridge.

Number of trees on campus: • 2300 +

“The development plan is causing us to think about the college’s legacy,” says Chris Egan, the institution’s facilities director.

“We’re thinking differently in the short term to positively affect the long term. This plan helps us translate values and vision into reality.”

23

“”

Key elements in the plan are the renewal of the Trades Building and development of a Centre of Innovation in Trades and Sustainable Technology, possibly in one facility.

The vision entails a highly functional, flexible and interdisciplinary living ecological laboratory focused on developing and teaching innovative ideas and initiatives in alternative energy and building construction technology and their role in product development in collaboration with industry and business.

The Trades Building is the flagship area and the start of a sustainable campus and will create a positive domino effect.

The initiative will assist Lethbridge College in attaining its goals of making ecology a cornerstone and its desire to be recognized as one of Canada’s “greenest” colleges, a facility at which students, faculty, staff and graduates hold sustainability and social responsibility as a fundamental value.

The plan incorporates Lethbridge College’s five strategic goals of sustainability, accessibility, quality, diversity and collaboration, and its desire to build on its program strengths, lead the community in environmental sustainability, focus on learner excellence and address the challenges of Alberta’s economic boom and societal shifts.

The plan is guided by the college’s goal to be student centred.

It hopes to use student movement patterns to determine where components should be relocated. A key to this vision is the creation of a “mainstreet” along the central hallway between the present main entrance and the Trades Building. This would relocate student-related functions in the most accessible and high-profile locations along this main north-south spine.

The plan suggests strengthening the identities of schools and programs through functional zoning and visual cues, clustering program and faculty offices to enhance integration, academic collegiality and student access.

The plan seeks to renew the heart of the campus to provide a more welcoming, engaging and informative main entrance, and group Student Services in this area to provide one, easily accessible location.

Improved space for study and socialization has been made a priority, recognizing that study and social spaces need to be interchangeable. This initiative will bear in mind the demographics of the Lethbridge College student body, which is two-thirds female, comes from urban and rural homes, is increasingly Aboriginal and international, spans several generations, and has a rising need for on-campus housing.

The plan will align classroom sizes with class sizes to maximize seat occupancy. It will monitor and assess trends in program delivery, learning and instructional methods, and class sizes to effectively plan for future needs of the region and be in alignment with the province’s priorities.

We are a very diverse community of our own, complex and complicated.

Chris Eagan, director, Facilities Management

Chris Eagan manages a ‘town’ of 5,000 folks Chris Eagan’s official title at Lethbridge College is director of facilities. But, if his employer wasn’t a post-secondary institution, he could be called town manager. Lethbridge College, you see, has a daytime population of about 5,000, greater than most southern Alberta communities, including Cardston, Raymond and Claresholm.

Also in the works is the redevelopment of the Buchanan Library. Originally, the project was to include a second storey, but after a closer examination of the library’s uses and future needs, the planning consultant for the Campus Development Plan calculated the library could meet the facility’s goals within the present space for a lower price tag.

“We have people who live here, work here, eat here, park here and are educated here,” says Eagan. “We have the same magnitude of problems as many communities.

We are a very diverse community of our own, complex and complicated.”

“With every project we do, our vision needs to be longterm,” he says. “We cannot become derailed from our plan. The principles are sound and will endure the shortterm, high-priority, but not-so-important ‘flavours of the day’ that go quickly out of date. In 20 years, the value of what we are doing now will become apparent to anyone who is paying attention.”

So, like any competent town planner, Eagan is patching the “pot holes” in Lethbridge College’s present path, while designing the highway to take it into the future.

He has a development plan for guidance, support from college administration, and a vision to keep the campus as much a mirror of the community as he can.

“It helps that we have no problem with land,” says Eagan. “We can double our instructional space without having to build up, unlike, for instance, SAIT in Calgary.

A 10-storey building wouldn’t fit with the community, which is why you won’t see anything higher than four storeys on our campus. We want to keep that residential feel.”

The 91-acre campus can, therefore, allow for space that will keep pace with the city it serves, while maintaining its character. First up is a project that will see upgrades to the Trades Building to sustain it until the Centre of Innovation in Trades and Sustainable Technology project is funded by government.

Eagan, a Nova Scotian with a civil engineering degree from Dalhousie University, recognizes complex environmental concerns have impacted construction.

He supports the college’s desire to build in a sustainable fashion.

“That’s not news to me,” he says. “I’ve been doing that elsewhere for years as I’ve been allowed by budgets.

At Lethbridge College, we know we’re not strip-mall developers. We have to get 50 to 75 years out of every project.”

It’s one of the reasons Lethbridge College was able to snatch him from the University of Regina where he was director of planning, design and construction (yes, he’s a Roughriders fan), that and the rapidly emerging campus environment of collaboration and empowerment.

He says he believes in creating teams to tackle challenges, and views every building as unique. At Lethbridge College, he’s dealing with buildings from five to 50 years old, an eclectic mix that creates a specific set of challenges all on its own.

With the Cousins and Andrews building renovations complete, the development plan in place and a roofing project set for next summer, Eagan will soon be turning his attention to a new trades wing, a $40- to $60-million project that, were it to begin today, wouldn’t be completed until 2014.

“We pride ourselves in getting the best value for the money invested in us by the government,” says Eagan.

“In 20 years, we want people to look back and say we had a vision for the future that wasn’t derailed.”

24 • WIDER Horizons/Winter 2009

25

Muscling in on the fitness revolution Want to help the Canadian economy? Put down this magazine now and walk around the block.

Physical inactivity robs Canada of roughly $5.3 billion in production annually, while its bloated partner in crime, obesity, takes it for another $4.3 billion. And, the two account for almost five per cent of the nation’s healthcare costs.

So, when are you going to get off your cushy sofa and do something about it?

Turns out, many of you are already. And you’re using personal fitness trainers to help you reach your goals. It’s one of the fastestgrowing industries in Alberta, and many entering the field are Lethbridge College graduates.

Lethbridge College’s two-year Exercise Science program, now in its fourth year, is turning out graduates fully prepared to take advantage of the boom in helping clients reach their own desired fitness level.

The students will achieve the level of training expected by major fitness facilities in Alberta and throughout Canada. They’ll also learn the basics to set up their own businesses.

“When our students graduate, they enter the field right away,” says Stacia Nelson, Exercise Science

instructor who developed its curriculum. “And, they are working not just as fitness trainers, but also in administration roles. They get a well-rounded education on the entire business of fitness, including health promotion and lifestyle counseling. It’s not just about personal fitness training.”

An initiative between Nelson and Tyler Wall, of Lethbridge College’s Educational Enhancement Team, was introduced in the classroom this month to aid students in their understanding of biomechanical concepts.

“The physics of human movement is not easily learned from textbooks,” says Nelson.

To provide students a greater sense of realism, she designed a computer simulation program (pictured below), which Wall brought to reality.

This computer simulation program is being used as a teaching tool within the classroom as well as online, adding blended learning to the Exercise Science program’s repertoire.

“This is something I’m extremely excited about,” says Nelson. “I would love to be able to add a new blended-learning initiative every year.”

Lethbridge College’s two-year diploma, says Nelson, includes the gold standard required to practise as a fitness professional: certification by the Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology and the Alberta Fitness Leadership Certification Association.

“Anyone can call themselves a fitness trainer,” says Bertil Johansson, the program’s initiator.

“Professional certification speaks to their ethics, annual reviews and ongoing monitoring of skills and knowledge.

“With Alberta schools implementing daily physical fitness programs, an aging baby boom generation and a greater awareness of personal responsibility for health, fitness trainers will be in great demand. And there’s a corporate market to tap as well. This will not be a mere business boom, it will be a lifelong experience.”

That experience Johansson mentions has already taken Nelson from her hometown of Stavely to Brisbane, Australia and back, a journey that included a diploma in fitness leadership from Mount Royal College in Calgary (the program is no longer offered), a bachelor of science in exercise and physiology from the University of Calgary, and a masters of applied science

in clinical exercise science from the University of Queensland. That’s a lot of paperwork, but the one she found the most useful was the first one.

“The college diploma, like any college program, was hands-on and allowed me to work in the field while I was in university,” says Nelson, who also ran her own business in Brisbane before returning to Alberta. “The same is true of our program. By the fourth semester, students are no longer sitting in classrooms listening to lectures; they’re participating in courses and keeping up with the growing and changing industry.

“It used to be the fitness trainer was the guy with the biggest muscles in the gym,” says Nelson. “Now, fitness is recognized as a science that impacts on healthcare. Training is no longer a philosophy of ‘go hard and go home.’

It’s about living actively.”

Exercise science students learn how to draw the link between theoretical knowledge and practice. They can make educated decisions about training regimes. They develop skills to educate, motivate and counsel people.

“This is critical as nearly 60 per cent of our population is not active enough to derive health benefits, and more than half of the people who embark on a fitness regime will quit within six months,” says Nelson. “Our students understand motivation and counseling to prevent people from quitting.”

Students learn to design fitness programs, carry out fitness assessments and create advanced conditioning regimens. And, Lethbridge College’s curriculum teaches the entrepreneurial aspects needed to set up and run a fitness business, including web page development. It’s a comprehensive course, ensuring grads are prepared to succeed.

Certified personal trainers are required by fitness clubs, physiotherapy and medical clinics, health and resort spas, sports teams, recreation groups, seniors’ centres, schools and outreach programs, rehabilitation agencies, corporations, the travel industry, sports organizations and community facilities.

“We are finding mature students excel in the program because they understand it’s about more than the physical. A good fitness trainer has to know what’s going on inside the body and make educated decisions. It is, after all, a science program.”

While some may consider personal trainers a luxury, afforded only by Hollywood stars or professional athletes, Nelson suggests they are an investment in oneself.

“Personal trainers are less expensive in Lethbridge than elsewhere,” she says. “And remember, for every hour they spend with you, they’re putting in another two to three hours developing your program.”

Exercise by the numbers

36:

percentage of adult deaths attributed to diseases associated with physical inactivity.

2.1 billion: dollars

spent on direct health care costs attributable to physical inactivity.

0-35of:reduced risk 2percentage

of premature death in active adults.

20-40:

percentage of reduced risk of colon and breast cancer in active adults.

40-60: minutes of exercise required per day to prevent weight gain.

Animations put together by the college’s Educational Enhancement Team (EET) help Exercise Science students learn the planes of motion in their biomechanics class. This simulation exercise of the bench press allows the students to see how the planes of motion are applied during movement. EET is now working on animations to show the impulsemomentum relationship, using volleyball as an example.

26 • WIDER Horizons/Winter 2009

Adapted from: © (2008). Planes of motion. Retrieved May, 2008 from http://www.rigging101.com/. Used with permission. All rights reserved.

27

Fit, focused, fanatical Our training trio will get you in shape Anyone who thinks obtaining a Lethbridge College diploma is a “no-sweat” proposition hasn’t visited the Physical Education Complex.

Students, alumni and the community are welcome to work out here, and can take advantage of the Val Matteotti Gymnasium (three full-size gymnasiums) with seating for some 1,100; four international-size squash and racquetball courts; a fitness testing centre and therapy centre; a weight training centre complete with Nautilus machines, free weights, aerobic equipment, and a multi-purpose dance room and combatives room. A steam room is also located in each locker-room area.

Prices include an alumni rate ($34 a month/ $336 annually) and a community rate ($46 monthly/$462 annually) plus family plans.

But perhaps it’s the personnel who make Lethbridge College an attractive place to shape up. Here are three top-flight folks who bring their A-games to work every day: Kloe Miko (weight room co-ordinator/fitness trainer): Miko (Recreation Management 2003) is updating her CSEP certified personal trainer designation, which allows her to provide healthrelated fitness assessment/appraisals, physical activity and lifestyle counseling. She obtained her personal fitness trainer diploma from NAIT, a recreation management diploma from Lethbridge College and a business administration degree from Athabasca University.

Alison Pilsner (Be Fit For Life director): Pilsner earned degrees in education and exercise science while on a volleyball scholarship in South Carolina, and holds a masters in exercise physiology from Eastern Washington University. She’s served as a fitness instructor for 12 years.

She manages The Be Fit For Life Network, running active living programs for school kids to seniors.

Her offerings embrace several dance forms, hunter education, yoga and Pilates, nutrition and stress courses, fitness testing for the Lethbridge Hurricanes and emergency services personnel, life skills and more.

Stacia Nelson (Exercise Science instructor): Nelson, a Stavely native, holds a diploma in fitness leadership from Mount Royal College (the program is no longer offered), a bachelor of science in exercise and physiology from the University of Calgary, and a masters of applied science in clinical exercise science from the University of Queensland, Australia.

28 • WIDER Horizons/Winter 2009

Two of every three people who begin an exercise program are still at it after one year. You can beat the dropout odds and make a successful transition to a lifestyle that incorporates exercise. Here are Kloe Miko’s tips to help you stay motivated and working out in a healthy and safe manner:

2. Aerobic exercise –

Regardless of your

(cardiovascular training)

age, health status or current fitness level – fitness training

• A healthy adult should sustain a minimum of 20 minutes, three to five times a week. (To lose weight, five days per week, minimum 30 minutes.)

are numerous. By

• Small bouts of exercise are better than nothing.

the benefits of regular

increasing your activities become easier, the risk for

1

lifestyle diseases and

keep a record of your workouts and improvements

conditions (heart

schedule your workouts

disease, diabetes,

stretch to prevent soreness and injury

osteoporosis, obesity)

distract yourself

are decreased, and

drink lots of water don’t wimp out watch your diet

T

It’s the middle of winter, so you figure you’ll just wait for the robins to return before starting your program.

Nice try. You live in Canada, so unless you flew south with the birds, cold is just part of the deal. Here are some tips on winter exercising from Alison Pilsner:

Outdoors warm up sufficiently dress in layers don’t sweat

llow time for your body to adjust when a you return indoors; remove layers slowly. drink plenty of water.

Indoors create a home gym

T

T

find exercise DVDs at the library use the stairs at work and home

et wet: find a pool offering lap swims or water g aerobics

alk indoors: if it’s too cold to get outside, try indoor w walking at the mall or at the college.

T

T

• Aerobic exercise includes jogging, cycling, swimming, rowing, walking, inline skating, sports such as soccer, and dancing.

fitness, regular daily

begin slowly, build gradually make exercise non-negotiable

2

• Involves elevating your heart rate for an extended period of time.

1. Resistance training – (weight training, strength training) • Improves muscle strength and endurance; promotes good posture.

• It’s essential to fitness because muscular weakness can limit functional capacity (ability to carry out daily activities).

mood is elevated.

• General-purpose strength training should be done two to three times per week.

There are three

• For muscular strength, six to 10 repetitions in two to three sets is ideal.

major components to a fitness program: aerobic exercise, resistance training and flexibility.

• For muscular endurance, 12 to 20 repetitions in two to three sets works well.

y l w o l s begin adually build gr

3

Kloe Miko helps get Kodi in shape.

3. Flexibility training – (stretching) • Improves range of motion available at a joint.

• Prevents muscles from becoming tight and sore, promotes balance (symmetry) throughout the body.

• Hold a stretch for a minimum of 20 seconds, do not bounce. Breathe deeply, allowing your muscles to relax.

• Strive to stretch daily, it only takes a few minutes. Stretching after an aerobic or resistance training workout is essential for injury and muscle soreness prevention.

29

Hubbard Collection a digital animal act When Alf Hubbard agreed to donate his extensive collection of Alberta’s wildlife to Lethbridge College, he stipulated it had to be made accessible to the public.

He believed the collection he spent years compiling would one day help bring students throughout southern Alberta closer to the wonders of the natural world.

Perhaps even Hubbard could not have envisioned his taxidermy specimens part of an Internet-based learning project that will place wolf, wolverine and waterfowl on the monitors of children around the world.

Lethbridge College, with a grant from Inukshuk Wireless, will digitize its Hubbard Collection, the most comprehensive of the province’s wildlife, for online access.

“When it’s completed, it will provide a media-rich, highly interactive resource for students of all ages, allowing them to manipulate a virtual model of each specimen,” says Karen Harker, chair of Lethbridge College’s Educational Enhancement Team. “It’s a way for us to share a valuable resource with the community.”

So many students have limited resources to take them out of the classroom and into the natural environment; the Hubbard project will expose them to animals they may never have an opportunity to see in the wild.

They’ll be able to turn each specimen 360 degrees, and, through a short video clip, view the animal in its habitat and learn about its sounds, tracks and zoology.

Students will interact virtually with each specimen in engaging ways, resulting in their ability to recognize, identify, explain and describe the animal’s characteristics, habitat, and behaviour.

Shane Roersma, an Environmental Science instructor leading the project, also sees it as a marketing tool.

“By putting the Hubbard collection within a mouse click of the world, we can reveal what we have to offer here at Lethbridge College,” says Roersma. “We know the public is less likely to come on campus to see the collection. This way, we can introduce Environmental Sciences to junior and senior high school students, provide them motivation to consider it as a career and stimulate on-site visits.”

Lethbridge College has invested $77,600, while Inukshuk Wireless chipped in slightly more than $90,000. Owned by Bell Canada and Rogers Communications, Inukshuk is committed to long-term, mutually beneficial partnerships with learning communities; Lethbridge College secured roughly 40 per cent of the Inukshuk annual budget.

“Inukshuk Wireless is proud to be able to help Lethbridge College create a media rich web resource that will allow access to a digitized and interactive version of the Hubbard Collection,” says Yanick Boily, learning plan administrator at Inukshuk Wireless.

“This project is a good example of how Inukshuk is partnering with Canadian educators to increase learner access to high quality e-learning content and to preserve valuable collections of Canada’s natural treasures.”

The funding provided for the Hubbard Collection Virtualization project is part of Inukshuk’s ongoing commitment to invest in the promotion of online learning. It allows Inukshuk to continue the success of its Learning Plan initiative by building on past successes in Alberta as well as other parts of the country.

Environmental Science students will assist in creating each display, another opportunity for hands-on learning.

“It’s a perfect chance to involve our students and create a buy-in,” says Roersma.

There is much work to be done before the finished collection can be showcased.

Each specimen must be photographed 360 times to allow the three-dimensional effect and there are hundreds to do. While that might sound daunting, Roersma says the result will be invaluable to the teaching of environmental science, not just at Lethbridge College, but anywhere there is an interest in Alberta’s wildlife.

Indeed, besides students and educators, researchers, community and industry will also mine a wealth of information. Local school districts estimate some 8,000 students will be logging on to the digital Hubbard collection, and have expressed interest in the project.

“We’re not in competition with other institutions,” says Roersma. “We’re more interested in creating a province-wide learning opportunity by sharing our information with others.”

To book a tour of the Alfred Hubbard and Family Alberta Wildlife Collection, contact Shane Roersma at -403-382-3484.

Where are they now?

Keep us updated on your successes. Drop us a note at alumni@lethbridgecollege.ab.ca Ryan Armstrong Civil Engineering Technology 2006 Grande Prairie: works as a bridge technologist for Genivar Consultants.

Kyilee Friesen Business Admin-Accounting 2006 Lethbridge: attends the U of L and is working full time for the Town of Taber.

Nadine (Hines) Bonsant Recreation Management 1994 Sherwood Park: worked in sport/ recreation field, including the Paralympics Association and Alberta Sports and Recreation, then worked with seniors. She is married with three children and teaches pre-school courses for Strathcona County Parks and Recreation and works for the Alberta Impaired Drivers program.

Josh Harding Environmental Science 2005 Calgary: Owns and operates Harding Environmental Ltd. and Harding Investments Corporation.

Nikki Christopher Broadcast Journalism 2003 North Battleford: since graduation, has worked in her hometown of North Battleford doing the afternoon drive on 1050 CJNB.

Jeff Lindemann Multimedia Production 2003, Wind Turbine Technology 2007 Ripley, Ont.: worked as turbine technician with Acciona Energy at Magrath Wind Farm, then accepted promotion and transfer to the firm’s newest project in Ontario as assistant site manager. The Ripley Wind Power Project includes 38 turbines.

Ilan (Cooley) Clemens Communication Arts 1991 Edmonton: worked for ITV in Edmonton, then became director of promotions and marketing for CISN and Power 92 radio. She started her own communications consulting business in 2001 and has clients such as Labatt Breweries. She has finished multiple marathons and Ironman events.

Martin Klassen Travel and Tourism 2001 Red Deer: coached his family to run a successful motel in central Alberta, before moving into sales.

Sheldon Solomon Business Admin-Accounting 2007 Lethbridge: he is the Finance and Administration Manager at YWCA Lethbridge and District.

Kevin Turner Business Administration 2002 Lethbridge: works for RE/MAX Bridge City Realty, and started TurnProf Renovations.

Sheldon Wolfe Communication Arts 2000 Winnipeg: worked at CKSA Television in Lloydminster for 1.5 years before moving to Winnipeg where he spent 6 years with Global Specialty Networks.

He is currently working as an Avid Editor for Global Winnipeg.

Winn ip

Calga

eg

ry

Red

Kimberly Schmidt Multimedia Production 2008 Saskatoon: works as graphic artist for Global Saskatoon.

Dee

r

Ripley Saskatoon Sherwood Park

Lethbridge College Events

Lethbridge

Jan 15 - Feb 27 Be Fit For Life Centre’s Winter Active Jan 22

Tiffin Conference “Lessons Learned in the Red Meat Industry”

Feb 11

Be Fit For Life Centre’s Winter Walk Day

March 12 Tiffin Conference “Intergenerational Family Farming – Do You Know Where Your Parents Are?” April 23

Distinguished Alumni Event

April 25

Fashion Design Student Fashion Show – Exhibition Grounds

April 30

SW Alberta Regional Skills Competition

May/June

New General Studies Study Abroad Program – SOC 275 in Nijmegen Holland.

31

Hit the wall?

Find your New’d career

lethbridgecollege.ca