During the repairs for the initial break, water was turned off in many campus buildings and forced washrooms, food services and laboratories to close temporarily
On Feb. 27, a water main on campus ruptured, disrupting McMaster University campus life, food services and academic facilities.
Water services were shut off around 2 p.m. on the same day to the Life Sciences Building, McMaster Museum of Art, McMaster University Student Centre, Mills Memorial Library, Psychology Building and many other buildings so that repairs could be completed.
According to Alvin Baldovino, director of engineering operations at facility services, facility services was first informed of the break between MUSC and Mills Library near parking lots B and C around 10 a.m. on Feb. 27. A third-party contractor was then quickly brought in to fix the break.
“We had to hire a third-party contractor because we don’t have the equipment to address a water main break,” said Baldovino.
We had to hire a third-party contractor because we don’t have the equipment to address a water main break.
Alvin Baldovino, director of engineering operations, facility services
As a result of the break and the water being turned off, food services and washrooms were closed in the affected buildings. The university and food services provided an online list of the eateries on campus that were available in unaffected buildings.
The university also stated in an online post that laboratories requiring running water would be temporarily shut down until the repair of the break was complete.
When asked about the suspected cause of the break, Baldovino said it was difficult to say for sure what happened.
“The infrastructure is aging. . . It could have been a pressure fluctuation in the past, [but] you can’t really say exactly what the cause was. When we did uncover the pipe, it was corroded,” said Baldovino.
The infrastructure is aging. . .It could have been a pressure fluctuation in the past, [but] you can’t really say exactly what the cause was. When we did uncover the pipe, it was corroded.
Alvin Baldovino, director of engineering operations, facility services
Essential repairs to the water main were completed overnight and running water was restored in all affected buildings by the morning of Feb. 28. The university also stated that facility services would be cleaning and changing the filters of all water fountains in the affected buildings.
The area where the break occurred was still gated off as of the week of Mar. 4, though all affected services have since returned to normal operations.
When Baldovino was asked about the progress of the work at the site of the break and when it is expected to be fully completed, he stated that though the pipe has been fixed and the hole dug to conduct repairs had been filled in, the concrete pad at the area still needs to be replaced. He stated that it will take some time to complete this final step of replacing the surface concrete and could not provide an estimate as to when this will be done.
This is an ongoing story.
Photo C/O flowersformeplease, Reddit
Better drink up before you go study
McMaster University students took to the r/McMaster sub-Reddit to share that their drinks were being confiscated by Mills Library Learning Commons.
On Jan. 14, McMaster announced a list of places where students were able to eat and study during the limited reopening of campus.
While the Silhouette reported that food and drink would be prohibited, it's safe to assume that everyone thought this meant you couldn't eat or drink in there, but if you brought in a water bottle that would be fine.
Well, Reddit user flowersformeplease, surely proved us wrong
The user posted the photo to r/McMaster on Wednesday, Jan. 26 which caused an uproar in the student-Reddit community.
"This won’t spread Covid at all. The mouths of the bottles almost touching is waaaaay more safe than putting it in your bag. Smh," said user LowFatTastesBad.
Another user shared their experience before the current set of restrictions.
"They were very lenient last semester, I saw people with drinks in there all the time. It seems a little bit much to take water bottles away tho," said user mspag5000.
Some students on the Reddit thread have put into question the different restrictions that Ontarians are facing across the province. While McMaster has its own sets of restrictions, the elementary school sector has a completley different set of rules.
"[E]lementary students are eating and drinking together for 20 min[,] 2 times a day. There is no logic to this pandemic anymore," said Maplesugar2112.
With campus currently slated to open in a larger capacity on Jan. 31 to welcome level one students, we will have to see if this rule sticks around.
In a statement to the Silhouette, McMaster University officials say this rule is due to the current COVID-19 restrictions.
"Users are not permitted to bring food or beverages into McMaster libraries. This prohibition – a requirement under pandemic-related public health rules – is posted clearly. Library users are required to consume their food or beverages prior to entering or to leave any food and drinks at the entrance for retrieval upon leaving. This policy will continue to be enforced as long as public health protocols are in place," stated McMaster officials in an email to the Silhouette.
In the meantime, drink as much as you can before you head into Mills because you'll have to leave your bottle on the middle desk.
By: Kamini Persaud
Soon students will be able to take out more than just a book from Mills Library. By the end of September, pending approval from Environmental and Occupational Health Services, McMaster will be host to the Bike Library, a new initiative by the organization Start The Cycle.
Start the Cycle will be providing McMaster students with five bikes with helmets that can be borrowed on a 24 or 48 hour basis, similar to a library book. This unique share plan promotes community responsibility, universal access and the already thriving cycling culture on campus.
This not-for-profit organization was founded by two McMaster students, Charles Burke and Justin Hall, who modeled Start the Cycle after similar for-profit bicycle share projects seen across North America. Burke is completing his doctorate in transportation planning and Hall is currently a master’s candidate conducting research on active transportation and urban social geography.
The bikes themselves were donated by the two co-founders, as well as MacCycle Bike Co-op, which collected and refurbished bikes that had been abandoned on campus.
Many community partners contributed to McMaster's Bike Library, with donations such as bike locks from Dundas Canadian Tire and helmets from the City of Hamilton. Due to its community nature, there are no fees associated with the program, including in the case of lost and stolen bicycles.
This project aims to give everyone at McMaster equal access to sustainable transportation. The Bike Library plans to expand to at least ten bikes by spring 2015, and if the service is in demand they could expand to offer over 40 bikes by the end of 2015.
Start the Cycle's new Bike Library pilot project intertwines with cosmetic city changes in preparation for the Pan American games coming to Hamilton, including the new Cannon Street bike path. This new bike path will create an easy, active and innovative route between the Pan-American and Para Pan-American game venues.
