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6 We all remember, not so many months ago, the Government advertizing encourâ€" aging Canadians to conserve energy. We were told that to insulate our homes would be in the best interests of the country... _On December 18, 1980, the federal government banned the use of urea formaldehyde foam insulation in Canada. Until that day, UFFI was one of the products listed by Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) as approved for subsidized use under the federal government‘s Canada Home Insulation Program (CHIP). On October 5, 1982, the Hazardous Products Review Board tabled its long delayed study into UFFIL It recommended the extension of the ban. The study concluded that UFFI is both a health hazard as well as an expensive and inefficient way of keeping heat in homes. During the first week of October, the Parliamentary Committee on Health, Welâ€" fare and Social Affairs heard testimony from the major government, industry and health officials involved in the approval, production and installation of UFFI. The tangled process that began to emerge from those hearings has basically reinforced the position of the homeowners groups who What makes the University of Waterioo so special? It could be its mathematics faculty, the first of its kind in the world. Or its coâ€"op program, ‘which has grown to second largest in the world. Or the thousands of students who graduate each year from its engineering, mathemaâ€" tics and science programs. It could be any of these, but according to Dr. Gerald Hagey, the university‘s founding president, and Dr. Douglas Wright, its current president, what makes the university special, and has made it special since its inception, is its innovative approach to education. *‘The attitude in the university is that it is quite appropriate to be original and do things that other people don‘t do and there is nothing wrong if it turns out to be something different than other universities," explained Wright. This year University of Waterloo marks its 25th anniversary and the yearâ€"long celebrations climax this week with an open house Oct. 21 to 24. Today, the university‘s future seems assured. Not only does it serve as Canada‘s major source of graduates in the engineerâ€" ing, math and science fields, but it has also achieved recognition as a world leader in mathematics and comâ€" puterization. _ *""There is no doubt that Waterloo is the best internationallyâ€"known new university, mainly due to its progress in mathematics," said Hagey. _ _ _A lot for a university to accomplish in the 25 years since it was established. Things were not always this secure, though, recalled Hagey who came to Waterioo College (now Wilfrid Laurier University) as president in 1953. The college, then sponsored by the Lutheran Synod of Canada, was not eligible for government funding because of its church ties, and because of this, suffered chronic financial diffiâ€" culties. During that period, said Hagey, other universities in the province had begun a practice of setting up independent faculties. Hagey saw this as a way for Waterloo College to expand its services and, at the same time, become eligible for provincial grants. It also, according to Hagey, gave the college an opportunity to upstage its longâ€"time rival St. Jerome‘s College, Kitchenerâ€"Waterloo‘s other churchâ€"sponsored college. This rivalry as much as anything led to the establishment of the nonâ€"denominational Associated Faculties of Waterloo College. The Associated Faculties were originally conceived as a way for Waterloo College to expand its limited science program, which at that time consisted of a oneâ€"year introductory course. These plans were soon shelved, said Hagey, because it was hard to justify setting up a faculty of science when most other universities in the country already had established programs. Instead, organizers opted to create a faculty of engineering to meet the growing needs of business and industry for technical graduates. They also began an intensive study of the coâ€"op programs that were operating successfully in many universities in the U.S. Progressive UW slows only to smell the roses WALTER McLEAN 25th anniversary weeken testified first. Neither the government officials nor the purchasers ever really knew what was being pumped into Canaâ€" dian homes...! â€" & UIGT NORTCDLL Here are some of the startling facts that came out of this month‘s hearings: â€" _ 1. UFFI received CMHC approval numâ€" bers in August 1977, BUT only for use in wood structures built to NHA specificaâ€" tions â€" NOT for use in brick and stone housing (which is so prevalent in Waterioo Region). 2. CMHC withdrew its approval numbers for UFFI on May 28, 1979, for nonâ€" compliance with government standards by the manufacturers and installers. This action was instigated by Mr. George Brewer, a materials acceptance officer with CMHC at that time. 2 days later, Brewer‘s immediate superior at CMHC met with foam industry officials in Toronâ€" to. 3 days later the approval numbers were reâ€"instated. Mr. Brewer resigned the same day. He said: "I couldn‘t live with that.... 3. Hon. André OQuellet, Minister of Consumer and Corporate Affairs, (Minâ€" ister responsible for CMHC in May, 1979), had a number of points to make in his tesâ€" We wanted something that would be economically justifiable. Coâ€"op appealed to us on the basis of studies that showed it would be welcomed by industry and would have a definite appeal to students,"‘ explained Hagey. When plans for the new coâ€"operative engineering faculty were announced, they were met with fervent opposition. The idea was considered not only novel but heretical, said Wright. The college‘s affiliate Western saw the idea as totally impractical and unrealistic and faculty members objected to the yearâ€"round classes that would seriously jeopardize their summer vacation. â€" SIiii, the new éng'ineering faculty opened in July, 1957 with 75 students registered for classes. The classes were held in two portable classrooms which had been set up in one of the college‘s parking lots. Conditions were primitive, Hagey recalled. The portables were hot in summer, cold in winter and equipment was limited. Faculty members soon convinced Hagey that better facilities were needed. A parcel of 200 acres of land was purchased on University Avenue (now the south campus of UW). This was the first step to physically isolate the two branches of the college. The first building of the new faculty was Seagram Stadium, constructed in 1958 with a $250,000 donation from Seagram‘s Distillery. A chemical engineering teaching building soon followed. Always the trendâ€"setter, the functional, yet economical design of the new building influenced the future style of university buildings throughout the province. Still, the Associate Faculty had to carve a niche for itself in the face of skepticism and outright opposition from other academics. It accomplished this, Hagey said, by an aggressive approach to growth. "In the early years we were anxious to grow numerically and also anxious to grow in the excellence of our academic programs," he said. "It worked well for the university and made the first progress to build up the university‘s reputation." Hagey felt that it was the university‘s innovative approach that enabled it to attract facuity members who wanted to try new things that they couldn‘t get support for at other established universities. The final separation of Waterloo College and the Associated Faculties did not occur until 1959 when a bill of the provincial legislature established three indepenâ€" dent degreeâ€"granting institutions in the area: Waterloc Lutheran University, the University of Waterloo and St. Jerome‘s College. ze . PAT ARBUCKLE The startliing facts a) "I was never informed of either the withdrawal or the reinstatement of the CMHC approval numbers in May/June c) ‘"For some people, the Government‘s current proposal for remedial assistance to UFFI homeowners under Bill Câ€"109 (maximum $5,000) is not enough to do what needs to be done. But I feel the federal government has done its share ... homeowners should knock on other timony: b) ‘"The drafting of product standards is a process which should be reviewed." _ d) "‘The Canadian Government does not feel we have any legal responsibility for the use of this product. It is the consumer‘s responsibility to ensure both the quality of his purchase, as well as its installation." 4. Mr. Campbeli Mackie, Federal Coâ€"orâ€" dinator for the UFFI Centre reported that of the 1400 Canadians who have taken action (before the final Remedial Proâ€" gram details are known), the vast majoriâ€" ty have ox':dd for complete removal. He also testi that the average $7â€"12,000 removal cost is being reduced with the introductionâ€"of new methods. He noted, _ , WATERLOO CHRONICLE, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 20, 1982 â€" PAGE 7 It was expected at the time that the three would eventually affiliate. Although it did affiliate with St. Jerome‘s, St. Paul‘s, Renison and Conrad Grebel Colleges in 1960, University of Waterloo, seeking to avoid control by the churchâ€"sponsored Waterloo Lutheran University, decided in 1961 to go it alone. This decision resulted in bitterness between the two institutions that persisted for many years, Hagey said. During that period (1958â€"1961), Hagey served as president of both UW and WLU. When the decision was made in 1961 to remain independent "having started the nonâ€"denominational college, it seemed only natural to go with them," he said. "I was never appointed president. I just was president." The ‘60s marked a period of growth for UW which surpassed even the most optimistic projections. Higher education became a priority for the province‘s young people and the university received assistance from an untikely ally â€" the Russian satellite Sputnik. The launching of the satellite made young people aware of the need for engineering skills, explained Hagey. This helped to boost enrolment at UW to over 10,000 by the end of the decade. New faculties were added offering a wide range of programs and new buildings began to spring up everywhere on campus in response to the influx of stuâ€" dents. «_ Cuts in provincial funding which began in the early ©70s have slowed expansion in recent years and pose the greatest threat to the university‘s future, in Hagey‘s opinion. . "“During the ‘60s, universities were accustomed to having most of what they wanted. Now, they will be forced to find ways to operate more economically," he said. Hagey also expects to see pressure put on universities by the government in the next decade to raise their own capital for operating costs. UW already launched its Watfund campaign earlier this year in a bid to raise $21 million for future improvements. Not only does UW remain Kitchenerâ€"Waterloo‘s largest employer, but its specialization in enginéering and high technology has attracted many industries and with them many highly skilled people to the area. An industrial complex, in which industry and the university can coâ€"operate in research, is currently being developed on the 800â€"acre north campus and is expected to inspire many other high technology industries to relocate close to the university. Both Hagey and Wright see this year‘s 25th anniversaâ€" ry celebrations as an opportunity to establish closer ties with the community that surrounds the university, to make its residents aware of their university and the many benefits they gain from it. But Wright also feels that the celebrations give those associated with the university a chance to look back on the past 25 years and forward to a brgght_fuu_lrg. _ "It gives us an opportunity to formally thank those who have supported us in the past and to renew our commitment for the future," he‘said. * however, that in the case of masonry structures, including brick and stone, *"....it would be much more expensive." _ The matter of the affects on health of UFFI is a matter of heated debate... The Hazardous Products Review Board report states that "....it appears reasonable for the Board of Review to accept the suggestion that formaldehyde gas release from UFFI poses a carcinogenic risk to And locally, Ace Willsie, Coâ€"ordinator with the Kâ€"W UFFI Group, (which repreâ€" sents nearly 1000 home owners in Waterloo region), says the government must begin to research the existing health cases. He calls for intensive research into both the immediate and longâ€"term health affects of hear one more day of testimony, probably in the last week of October. I join him in urging that the Committee‘s deadline of December 1 be flexible enough to permit the facts to be clearly known, and fear put to rest. Human healith and property values are at stake! ment by my colleague Geoff Scott, M.P., (Hamiltonâ€"Wentworth) the Committee wil} Due to pressure exerted on the governâ€"