See List of Guest Tours

University of British Columbia Clean Energy Centre, National Research Council Institute and Tri University Meson Factory (TRIUMF) - SOLD OUT

Date: Monday, November 15
Time: 7:45 AM - 11:30 AM
Cost: $25.00

Located on the University of British Columbia (UBC) campus, the Clean Energy Research Centre (CERC) and National Research Council Institute for Fuel Cell Innovation (NRC-IFCI) both lead the research in clean energy technology. The UBC Clean Energy Centre is dedicated to developing knowledge and solutions for energy sustainability and reducing the environmental impact of the use of energy. CERC provides unique state-of-the-art research facilities in a recently-completed building for the investigation of clean energy problems and the development of environmentally-friendly solutions. NRC-IFCI supports Canada's growing fuel cell and hydrogen industry through innovation and cluster-building. This involves working with Canadian universities, government agencies and companies to research develop and test new hydrogen and fuel cell systems. Finally, a visit to the Tri University Meson Factory (TRIUMF), Canada's National Laboratory for Nuclear and Particle Physics will conclude this morning's events. On the tour of this unique facility, TRIUMF scientists will explain the work they do, sharing their expertise and experience. Visitors will see the scope of TRIUMF's operations, from cancer therapy to international collaborations in particle physics. TRIUMF scientists conduct world-class research in nuclear physics, particle physics, nuclear medicine, and materials science. The facility is home to the world's largest sector-focusing cyclotron, operational since 1974. It is also a state-of the-art center for rare isotope beams. TRIUMF's ISAC facility provides exotic beams for studies in nuclear structure, nuclear astrophysics, and fundamental symmetries. ISAC houses several nuclear physics projects, including TITAN, the world's most precise penning trap facility for nuclear mass measurements, and DRAGON, a recoil separator for exotic astrophysical nuclear reactions.

*Please wear sensible footwear, and note that some parts of the tour may not be suitable for persons with a pacemaker or an ICD.

University of British Columbia Clean Energy Centre, National Research Council Institute and Tri University Meson Factory (TRIUMF)

Date: Wednesday, November 17
Time: 12:45 PM - 4:30 PM
Cost: $25.00

Located on the University of British Columbia (UBC) campus, the Clean Energy Research Centre (CERC) and National Research Council Institute for Fuel Cell Innovation (NRC-IFCI) both lead the research in clean energy technology. The UBC Clean Energy Centre is dedicated to developing knowledge and solutions for energy sustainability and reducing the environmental impact of the use of energy. CERC provides unique state-of-the-art research facilities in a recently-completed building for the investigation of clean energy problems and the development of environmentally-friendly solutions. NRC-IFCI supports Canada's growing fuel cell and hydrogen industry through innovation and cluster-building. This involves working with Canadian universities, government agencies and companies to research develop and test new hydrogen and fuel cell systems. Finally, a visit to the Tri University Meson Factory (TRIUMF), Canada's National Laboratory for Nuclear and Particle Physics will conclude this morning's events. On the tour of this unique facility, TRIUMF scientists will explain the work they do, sharing their expertise and experience. Visitors will see the scope of TRIUMF's operations, from cancer therapy to international collaborations in particle physics. TRIUMF scientists conduct world-class research in nuclear physics, particle physics, nuclear medicine, and materials science. The facility is home to the world's largest sector-focusing cyclotron, operational since 1974. It is also a state-of the-art center for rare isotope beams. TRIUMF's ISAC facility provides exotic beams for studies in nuclear structure, nuclear astrophysics, and fundamental symmetries. ISAC houses several nuclear physics projects, including TITAN, the world's most precise penning trap facility for nuclear mass measurements, and DRAGON, a recoil separator for exotic astrophysical nuclear reactions.

*Please wear sensible footwear, and note that some parts of the tour may not be suitable for persons with a pacemaker or an ICD.

2009 Olympic Millennium Village and Neighborhood Energy Utility

Date: Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Time: 7:45 AM - 12:00 PM
Cost: $25.00

Project Manager Roger Bayley will provide an overview of the award winning $1-billion-plus Vancouver Olympic and Paralympic Village in Southeast False Creek, the previous host of 2,800 world-class athletes during the Vancouver 2010 Winter Games. Millennium Development Corporation developed the property, also known as Millennium Water. The Millennium Group worked with the City of Vancouver to develop Millennium Water. Completed in November of 2009, the new 14 acre landmark development is an urban centre that comprises residential, commercial/retail and public use while serving as a ground breaking sustainable community, a precedent for future projects in Canada and North America.

Greenroofs are one of the most visible green aspects of the Olympic Village, and at least half of the 22 buildings' roofs are greened as mandated by the City of Vancouver. "Many other sustainable features are included - the buildings also reuse rainwater to flush toilets and irrigate landscaping, and the project is built close to mass transit. And the most innovative green project is a $28 million system that takes heat from untreated sewage to provide heating and hot water to the village and surrounding neighborhood - all while reducing greenhouse gases. The Neighbourhood Energy Utility (NEU) project, the first of its kind in North America, NEU will supply hot water and heating to residents by garnering heat from the sewer system. This initiative will reduce carbon emissions by 7,700 tonnes a year, which is equivalent to taking over 1,900 cars off the road." (The City of Vancouver). On February 16, 2010, the Canadian Green Building Council announced the Gold certification of all residential buildings on the Millennium Water site. In addition, the US Green Building Council awarded LEED^® Platinum ND to the Olympic Village in Vancouver's Southeast False Creek community.

SkyTrain and The Richmond Olympic Oval

Date: Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Time: 8:15 AM - 12:00 PM
Cost: $25.00

Canada Line is a rapid transit line in the Metro Vancouver region of British Columbia, Canada. Opened in August 2009, it is the third line in TransLink's SkyTrain metro network, servicing Vancouver, Richmond, and the Vancouver International Airport. The Canada Line comprises 19.2 kilometres (11.8 mi) of track; the main line goes from Vancouver to Richmond, while a 4 km spur line from Bridgeport Station connects to the airport. It opened fifteen weeks ahead of the original schedule, well in advance of the 2010 Winter Olympics in February. The line was built by SNC-Lavalin, which will also operate it for 35 years. The tour will continue onto The Richmond Olympic Oval - With the Games over, the Oval has now become an international centre for sports and wellness. The Richmond Olympic Oval is a sport venue like no other. The multi-use facility brings together summer and winter sports with room for 2 Olympic-sized ice sheets, 8 basketball courts, an indoor 200 metre running track, four fitness studios (including BC's first Kinesis studio), a 110m indoor sprint track (unique in Canada), one of the largest fitness centres in North America, a timing and athlete monitoring area, a state-of-the-art sports medicine clinic, yoga rooms and restaurant and retail space. The Oval will be the centerpiece of a major new urban waterfront neighbourhood featuring a mix of residential, commercial and public amenity development. The city of Richmond made sure that the building would be a model of cutting-edge green design. It's designed to use energy and other resources efficiently, minimize waste and result in high quality indoor environments. The Oval's 3 key environmental elements are: Heating with ice: When making ice, the heat that is removed from the concrete slab is captured and used to heat other areas of the facility. Reclaiming wood: In Northern BC, winters haven't been cold enough to kill off the pine beetles. The Oval's interesting and beautiful ceiling is made of salvaged pine beetle-kill wood. With a size of about 100 meters by 200 meters, the roof is believed to be the largest surface ever covered by this once-discarded wood. Reclaiming water: All the rain water that falls on the Oval's roof is collected and circulated through the urinals and toilets. This rain water is also used for irrigation of the soft landscape in the spring and summer months. The water collected will also stop the erosion of the banks of the Fraser River.