Provincial funding allocated to retrofit campus heating system

According to The Gazette, Queen’s has secured provincial funding to revamp the heating systems on west campus.

The $8.9 million West Campus District Energy Conversion project seeks to reduce emissions produced by the current, outdated heating system on the satellite campus. 

West campus is currently powered through a natural gas heating plant, located on main campus. Its heat is sent  through a 46-year-old 2.5-kilometer underground steam line down Union Street.

The new system will provide heat to Duncan McArthur Hall, Jean Royce Halls 1 and 2, John Orr Tower, the Donald Gordon Centre and the Saint Mary’s of the Lake building. 

The university plans to install a “more efficient” natural gas system with dedicated “high-efficiency boilers” at each site.

Kingston Green candidate Robert Kiley named deputy party leader

On May 4, local Green Party candidate for provincial office Robert Kiley was voted in as deputy leader of the Ontario Green Party.

A vote among the party executive confirmed Kiley for the role.

“We are excited to have Robert join our leadership team. He is a strong voice for Kingston and Ontario, with an excellent track record of community involvement and a passion for our shared Green vision for this great province,” said Green Party Leader Mike Schreiner in a statement. 

According to the statement, Kiley is running for MPP in Kingston & the Islands on a platform of “economic, environmental, social and democratic justice.”

“In the last provincial election, he more than doubled the Green vote in Kingston and the Islands and has built a strong team and support for his candidacy in this election,” Schreiner continued. 

“I am deeply honoured to be entrusted with this role and to be able to bring a Kingston perspective to provincial issues in my new role as deputy leader,” Kiley said.

OUSA contributes to new joint publication on campus sexual violence

The Ontario Undergraduate Student Alliance (OUSA) contributed to a new joint report on campus sexual violence titled Shared Perspectives: A Joint Publication on Campus Sexual Violence Prevention and Response. 

The publication was compiled with contributions from 8 provincial student alliances across the country.

“It is important that student organizations from across the country are collaborating to bring more awareness to the issue of sexual violence on post-secondary campuses,” said Stephanie Bellotto, student at Wilfrid Laurier University and board member at OUSA.

OUSA represents over 150,000 professional and undergraduate, full-time and part-time university students at eight student associations a cross Ontario.

Each member institution’s head of academics sits on the organization steering committee—OUSA’s decision-making body. Uniquely, Queen’s holds two spots on the steering committee.

According to the statement, “the publication identifies challenges and opportunities that exist in individual provinces, but also looks past provincial borders in order to highlight sexual violence as a problem all jurisdictions need to solve.”

“Shared Perspectives provides an understanding of the issues students experience on campuses across our country, and highlights how we must work together to end sexual violence on post-secondary campuses across Canada,” the statement continued.

Expanded space for athletics announced in nearly-complete Innovation and Wellness Centre

Queen’s has announced that the new Innovation and Wellness Centre (IWC)—set to be completed this fall—will boast new space for athletics.

According to The Gazette, “when the former Physical Education Centre was closed for construction in 2016, there were three gyms located inside. Once construction on the IWC is complete, two gyms will be re-opened and a third gymnasium will be located on the lower level.” 

The completed IWC will also include a high performance training centre for varsity athletes, set to open in January 2019.

Additionally, the new space will have 4,000-square feet for a weight room, a medicine ball power development wall and a 35-metre turf area for conditioning and skills development.

“The combination of facilities, equipment, and dedicated strength and conditioning programming in the High Performance Training Centre will allow us to create a unique training environment for our student-athletes,” Leslie Dal Cin Executive Director of Athletics and Recreation, said in The Gazette.

“Moving the athletes out of the ARC will increase the availability of weights and other equipment for all students looking to work out and get active.”

New national research institute to be headquartered at Queen’s

On May 10, Queen’s announced the creation of a national research network comprised of eight university partners and five affiliated research organizations.

The new Arthur B. McDonald Canadian Astroparticle Physics Research Institute will be headquartered on Queen’s campus.

According to The Gazette, the institute’s creation can be attributed to a $63.7 million investment from the Government of Canada’s Canada First Research Excellence Fund.

“The launch of this new institute represents a major step forward for our efforts to create a world-leading astroparticle physics research network, building on an area of research expertise for the university and Canada” Principal Daniel Woolf told The Gazette.

The institute will be focused on advancing research into neutrino science and dark matter. Additionally, the institute has a mandate for scientific outreach, including the development of university programming.