There's sNOw way to get to campus

Every Nipissing student should recognize this picture. It’s the upper gate of the Monastery Trail that we all know and love. It looks a little different in this picture though (thank you Google Maps) because it is one of the few months in North Bay when there is no snow. Believe it or not, this trail plays a huge role in our lives, and holds a special place in our hearts. Unfortunately we only have access to this trail for about 3 of the 8 months we’re here (Sept-April).

As we drift in to the depths of a North Bay winter so does the Monastery Trail. Oh, and by “Trail” I mean the section of walkway from one orange gate to the other. Understandably the Monastery Road does receive adequate snow removal so students can get from Main campus to the Monastery. But that’s not the issue at hand. The issue is that: the TRAIL section does not receive any snow removal during the winter months, none.

As you can see above, I've outlined the residences (blue=Nipissing, red=Canadore), the gates (orange=upper and lower gates), and the section of the trail that doesn’t receive snow removal (white=waist high snow). The unplowed region is roughly 500-600m which is just enough to freeze your toes and ruin your day on campus. To see a picture of my toes from the walk today please click here.

You're probably wondering right now “why does it matter if we can’t walk to school, there are busses every 15 minutes?” The reality is that the busses only come every 3 days, and that I should be able to walk to campus. I’m not really sure why Nipissing was built on top of a hill, or why residences were built on the bottom, but I do know that somewhere in between we need snow removal.

Whether you’re walking to your 8:30AM class, or walking home from the bar at 2:30AM, we should all have access to a safe, walkable (not a real word) trail. With the snowplows nowhere in sight, I managed to purchase my own snow-shoes which allow me to walk to campus with ease. So right now, the problem is solved for me, please stay tuned for my Monastery Trail “Bear Sighting” blog post coming soon!

***Please take a moment to check out the rest of my fully updated blog pages!

Nipissing University is getting an ASTROTURF soccer field…

      
          Well not really, but it should. And don’t stop reading because you think that I suckered you in to reading this article with my eye catching title. The idea of Nipissing getting a turf field has been thrown around for years, and has never been classified as a “need”, but more of a “want.” Well I’m here to let you know that it is in fact a dire “need” from the students, athletes, programs, and just about anyone affiliated with the University. I’m going to outline a couple of key reasons that I feel we need an artificial turf field:

Fall in North Bay= mud

• The Deep North- It’s where we live. Typically Northern Ontario sees about 6 months (at least) of dark, cold, snowy winter. This dramatically shortens our grass field’s lifespan because we can’t really play much in the spring or fall. A Turf field can be used all year round, rain or shine, and even during the toughest winters.
• Academics- There’s a very real need in our academic programs (specifically the Schulich School of Education) for a more sustainable field. What I mean by sustainable is a field that will be usable all year round, with low maintenance ...and classes won’t have be cancelled for the BPHE and Education students because it’s too muddy.
• Athletics- Lets be serious, we’re one of the last universities in Ontario without a turf field. Actually, now that I think about it there are more and more high schools every year (in this province) that have successfully fundraised for a synthetic field. We’ve had to cancel OUA games and even pay money to play on city fields. Our Athletics Department also has to re-seed, irrigate, and maintain the field every year... which can be very demanding job.
• Student Life- Universities that do have turf fields are usually booked solid from early in the morning until late at night. We’d finally have a place to play catch with friends, intermurals, or do just about anything.

You wouldn't see these divots on Turf.

• Recruitment/Retention of students- Students typically choose a university based on the "extras" it has to offer. Nipissing University has a lot of "extras," but I think along with our outstanding residences, new library, athletic centre expansion, new research wing, and one of the country’s best student bars I think a turf field would fit in nicely.
• Revenue- Nipissing could have the only Turf field in North Bay, and they next closest one would be a few hundred miles (yes miles) away. This brings opportunity for hosting soccer, ultimate frisbee, and other tournaments= money!
• Partnership- Nipissing shares a gym with Canadore College, but we also have our own, The Robert J. Surtees Athletic Centre.  SO maybe it’s time to partner up again, just like the libraries, and engage in a joint venture building this field.

The future of Nipissing?

           So there it is... I’ve laid out all kinds of reasons why I think we “need” this field. Obviously nothing will happen without the financial backing from investors/sponsors, and support from university community. With a price tag of just under a million dollars (that’s all!) we’d have to come up with some pretty creative ways to raise the capital... maybe selling turf for $171.00 per square yard could be a start?

*OUA soccer fields are 70x100 yards= 7000 square yards, there’s a million dollar price tag to build a turf field, which costs roughly $171.00 per square yard

Thanks for reading this post, and be sure to vote in the POLL to the right!>>>