Still no home for hockey teams
Queen’s Golden Gaels hockey teams won’t be playing in the Memorial Centre until next January at the earliest, said city councillor Ed Smith.
The University is in negotiations with the city to rent ice time in the Memorial Centre for its teams.
An agreement is expected to be made before mid-August. Smith, councillor for the Williamsville district, said the decision must be approved by council.
He said even if a deal is reached, Queen’s won’t have access to the Memorial Centre ice until early next year when Kingston’s new sports and entertainment complex is complete. The complex is expected to open in January 2008.
He said the only way Queen’s may get access to the Memorial Centre before next year is if the city can offer the teams daytime hours.
Men’s hockey coach Brett Gibson said he has no idea where next year’s team will call home.
“[The athletics department] kept a lot to themselves,” he said.
He said he’s aware that the University is considering both the Memorial Centre and the Strathcona Paper Centre in Napanee, which is half an hour outside Kingston, as options for the teams.
—Katherine Laidlaw and Erin Flegg
AMS to hire new media director
The AMS Board of Directors decided June 17 to hire a media director this summer to fill the space left by Jordi Friese, ArtSci ’08.
Friese was hired earlier this spring but quit on May 1. She wouldn’t comment on why she gave up the position.
Since then, John Manning, AMS vice president (operations) has been covering the third director’s duties.
The board considered eliminating the position entirely and redistributing the services that fall under media director’s jurisdiction, but decided the work load would be too large for two directors.
Because the new director will be hired part way into the year, a more detailed job description will be provided to applicants.
Manning said that for the past three years, applicants have applied for different jobs and been offered the position of media director.
“I’m hopeful that by having this opportunity to hire specifically for this job at the time, we’ll find someone dedicated to media services,” he said.
Applications will be available this Tuesday and due July 13. Interviews will take place the following week.
The time frame for hiring will depend on the size and quality of the applicant pool, Manning said.
—Erin Flegg and Adèle Barclay
Campus prepares for blast-off
The blasting of the limestone bedrock beneath the block bounded by Clergy Street West, University Avenue, Earl Street and Division Street is set to begin in July.
Approximately three blasts daily for five months will probably be needed to clear the limestone.
A press release from the University said the vibration and noise created by the blasting will be minimal and will fall within safe levels. The excavation is not expected to have any effect on the buildings within the area.
Before each blast, a series of warning sirens will alert those nearby. A long siren will indicate when all is clear.
—Lisa Jemison
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