SEPT
17TH 2011 - The Solar Greenhouse Classroom construction
has come a long way in the past few weeks. This is thanks
to the kindness and generosity of many companies and
individuals. We'd like to take this time to try to recognize
everyone who has helped us to get this far:
Design Ideas, Initial Drawings:
- Caroline Cote and Rob Guindon, teacher/student at
GL, for the initial idea to create a greenhouse classroom
- Sonia Joanis, architect, who donated her time to do
our initial drawings
- Alain Brierley, Martin Sing, Mathieu Carrière
and Joel Primeau at Genivar, engineers and sustainability
consultants who created all the official plans to get
the permits, and all the revisions afterwards!
Startup Funding for the Project and initial partners:
- Sobeys / Earth Day Canada
- TD Canada Trust - Friends of the Environment
- La Famille Maisonneuve/Bourgeois of Montreal (Karyne's
grand parents and great aunts)
- Projet Karyne (paid a good percentage of the greenhouse
with prior donations)
- The CEPEO and Roch Landriault, director of technical
services
- Battery Expert in Orleans for discounting the PV panels,
battery system and ceiling fans
Companies and individuals who have been exceptionally
helpful so far:
- Rick Guindon (Great Outdoors) who has donated many
days of his personal time and equipment to dig, fill,
load and unload gravel and coordinate all of the work
being done at ground level. Rick and Christine have
been there since day one and have helped us recruit
many of the other contractors and partners listed below.
- Alain Brierley and Mathieu Carrière (Genivar)
for their engineering and design expertise, and for
answering the many questions that came up. Alain has
come many many times on his off-hours to discuss various
changes with all the trades.
- Colin Von Rootselaar (PCL) and his family (Elizabeth,
Jacob and Alex) who have been on-site many times with
the Maisonneuves raking, shoveling, moving styrofoam
and any other dirty jobs as required.. Colin is also
our key advisor in helping us make a workplan and constantly
improve our design. Thank you Colin for your patience!
- Willy (United Rentals) for donating the rental of
excavation equipment and the fence surrounding our work
area - thanks for being so patient with the length of
time we have required it!
- Marc (Marc Robert Cartage) who donated his time and
some fill for the foundation last year
- James (James Locke Developments) who donated money
to pay for the greenhouse framing team
- Francois Poulin and his framing team, who have done
an incredible job not only in framing, but in helping
with adjusting the design and coordinating with the
other project leads where necessary
- Dave Brown (InterLock Roofing) from Toronto who donated
the entire blue interlock roof, including the installation
by Jeremy, our friendy installer who worked for 3 long
days and came from Guelph to do the job, and had to
wait around for a day because we were not quite ready...
- Melissa and Rachelle (Kott Lumber) for providing excellent
wood products and trusses at a discounted rate.
- Diane and Avi (GreenWall Solutions) for providing
a $4000 discount on our 40x18 polycarbonate glazing,
and their patience with our many many questions
- Martin (Simluc Roofing) who donating styrofoam, sand,
and most of all for saving our butts by getting the
polycarbonate glazing out of the storage depot with
their flatbed truck - at no charge!
- Adèle (Day and Ross Transport) for her extreme
patience in storing the glazing until we could pick
it up
- Alain and Dan (AL-DAN metal contractors) for their
understanding and flexibility since the design had to
be adjusted several times, and they pitched in a lot
of free time
- Sylvain (Maurice Yelle) who donated the delivery and
discounted the materials for the floor
- Hugo Lalonde (Furnace Doctor in Rockland) for helping
us plan the installation of the radiant floor and piping
around the greenhouse
- Pierre (Centennial Construction in Rockland) for discounting
the concrete floor which will be poured this week
- Ray Marks (Nature's Right Hand) for helping us get
discounts and free stuff
- Don Robertson (Robertson's Rent-All) for donating
the scaffolding rental
- Normand Brunet, science teacher at GL, who agreed
to build the solar heater made of pop cans with his
students
- Ian Robinson and Denise Rousseau who spent several
days helping Rick with the floor preparation. The gift
of time is the most hard to find!
- Alain Quirion who came out to help us shovel and install
styrofoam for the foundation walls
- Alex Gudbranson for cutting the grass (and the huge
weeds!) around the greenhouse
- All those who came to help put up the fence - that
was a lot of fun and went really quickly!
- Alex Rousseau, Karyne's friend - for taking on the
Golf Ball fundraising project (there are some left by
the way, check out our website)
- Terry Lemieux, who organized a super fun poker tournament
as a fundraiser for the project
- Eric, Alex and Leo of Evollusions illusionnist team,
for inviting our fundraisers during their big show
- The GL Enviro club and many teachers at GL for their
fundraising efforts, including the Wall of Founders
- Nancy Robinson, secretary at GL, for her help managing
the PK accounts and bills
- Elyse, Marc and Paul Maisonneuve, who we've dragged
into many last minute jobs at all times of the day
We hope we didn't forget anyone… Please know that everyone
who has contributed time, materials or money will be
recognized inside the greenhouse walls and that we appreciate
everything you have done!
What's Next This Fall/Winter?
Finish the floor, the metal works, framing and the font
part of the blue roof
Install the soffit and fascia and exterior flashing
Install temporary exterior sheeting and inside partition
Install solar rack, panels and tubing
Create the 18 'learning stations' describing the greenhouse
components for the students and visitors
Preparing the plaques for the Wall of Founders and banners
Construction of the desk/planters by Serge Poirier and
his class
... and much more in preparation for a grand opening
in late Spring 2012!
Thanks
Mary Lou and Carl
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