Maxime Bolduc removes radiators damaged after pipes froze. PHOTO: OWEN EGAN

Blue collar "heroes" kept McGill going

DANIEL McCABE | As biology professors and departmental staff returned to their offices in the Stewart Biological Sciences Building on Monday, some were confronted with a distinctly unpleasant odour. "Many of the specimens we use for teaching and research had thawed out," says Professor Don Kramer, the chair of the department, "and there was the smell of rotting fish." There are other examples of blackout-related damage across the University -- most notably in the Faculty of Engineering where 40 radiators burst in an area connecting the Macdonald and McConnell Engineering Buildings. Given that the downtown area was largely without electricity for a week, such difficulties are hardly unexpected. In fact, what might be surprising is that McGill came through the lengthy power outage in such good shape. "The blue collar workers are the real heroes," says Robert Savoie, director of Human Resources. Steve Sura, director of the Department of Facilities Management, supervised the work of the dozens of electricians, mechanics, plumbers, building directors, foremen, groundskeepers and cleaners who worked long hours ensuring that McGill didn't suffer extensive damage as a result of the power outage. "Honestly, I can't say enough about these people. They did a magnificent job." Roy Dalebozik, the executive director of Facilities Development, says that the University learned a great deal from the last major power disruption it experienced -- a 50-hour blackout that occurred in 1996. "We were better prepared. I don't think we'll see the same losses this time, even though it was a much longer blackout. Of course, some researchers will suffer serious losses, but it really could have been much worse for the University as a whole." What McGill was able to do this time around, thanks to cooperation from Hydro-Québec, was ensure that a modicum of energy generated enough heat in all of McGill's buildings to prevent major damage -- frozen pipes bursting, for instance. McGill had 1,000 kilowatts of electricity to work with for most of last week. "On a regular day, we use about 14,000 kilowatts," says Alain Fournier, supervisor of the University's Power House. "We knew [the blackout] was coming," says Tom Kilbride, supervisor of electrical operations. "On the Friday it happened, we were watching our voltage levels go up and down like a yo-yo." The Montreal Neurological Institute was affected first, when a 4,000 volt switch gear coil burned out from overstress. Facilities Management crew found an emergency generator for the institute, but they soon had a much bigger problem to contend with as most of the downtown area effectively shut down Friday afternoon. "We had a crew of 10 electricians working around the clock," says Kilbride, who himself logged 164 straight hours. "Three or four of the electricians lived in the 'dark triangle' [where the blackout was especially severe]. They had their own lives and homes to worry about." Electricians weren't the only ones on the go. Groundskeepers and cleaners cleared away toppled tree limbs and branches and removed dangerously heavy ice deposits from rooftops. A team of security guards and dispatchers were on duty at all times, keeping an eye out for problems. "Everything went out at one point or another -- first the electricity, then the water supply," recalls Fournier. "We sent a crew of 20 plumbers into the tunnels to drain all our pipes after the water went out. We use steam to heat our buildings, so we had to turn off the whole campus." Fournier says that Hydro-Québec was supportive during the ordeal. "We had a very good relationship with Hydro-Québec. They gave us 24-hour notice about what they were going to do next." After the power went out downtown, Mark Romer, manager of the Biology Department's Phytotron, kept a careful watch over the facility's unique plant, insect and culture specimens. "I outfitted my car like a tank to make the drive from NDG to McGill," says Romer. "I had 80 kilos of sand and salt. I had a tree saw to cut away branches blocking the car." The Phytotron stayed partially operational, thanks to an emergency generator, but Romer did have to assemble a team of volunteers at one point to move all of the Phytotron's plants into the facility's greenhouse area. The Phytotron uses computers and heat and ventilation systems to mimic a wide variety of environments -- from Arctic cold to a rainforest's humid warmth. Romer says that long-term research projects involving plants which have been altered genetically suffered no disruptions, but other projects, built around plants grown from seedlings in very specific climatic conditions, were knocked off course by the blackout. "Some people lost months of work." One researcher whose work was salvaged is Murray Humphries, a graduate student in biology. Humphries studies hibernation patterns in a group of 75 chipmunks who make McGill's reseach facilities in Mont St. Hilaire their home. Chipmunks don't hibernate deeply the way other animals do -- they wake up periodically. Humphries thinks this is because the animals recognize that they're becoming dehydrated. Although hibernating chipmunks are quite comfortable with temperatures a few degrees above the freezing mark, they could die in colder temperatures. After the ice storm severed all electricity to Mont St. Hilaire, Marc-André Langlois, the senior forest ranger who oversees McGill's properties there, supplied some kerosene heaters to keep the chipmunks in good health. Canadian military officers have been using McGill's Mont St. Hilaire facilities as a base of operations -- good news in that they've provided emergency generators to keep the workshops and the dorms warm -- frozen pipes would have been a problem otherwise. The forest itself did suffer severe damage. Contacted on Saturday, biology professor Martin Lechowicz, McGill's scientific director, says he wouldn't be surprised if 25% of the trees were lost. Lechowicz doesn't find the prospect disturbing. "It's an excellent research opportunity for us -- what happens in the aftermath of something like this?" Some of the worst damage occurred in the Faculty of Engineering. A circulating pump malfunctioned and -- combined with the cold that entered the buildings when some windows were left open -- resulted in about 40 radiators bursting last Thursday night. Facilities Development project manager Robert Stanley supervised a crew that made sure the engineering buildings would be up and running on Monday when students returned to class. Roy Dalebozik sympathizes with researchers who have to contend with damage, but advises them to maintain their cool. "After the fire in Lady Meredith House in 1990, we were able to recover 80% of the material on hard disks that were thoroughly soaked. If you've suffered damage, don't throw things out right away. Even if it looks like a lost cause, we might be able to fix it." Fournier advises departments to take stock of the experience and to make a list of items that could be vital to them should McGill ever endure another event along these lines. "Send your requirements to Facilities Management so that we'll be able to coordinate everybody." Steve Sura has another piece of advice -- keep your eyes open. "Those signs on campus that say 'Beware of falling snow and ice' are there for a reason," says Sura. "The campus crew did a great job, working on the roofs of buildings, clearing off snow and ice. But we still have to be careful." Sura says the staff in his area have never been closer. "It was a little like going through a war. When things got rough, people kept each other's spirits up. I'm very proud of all these people."