Website enhancement

Our home page now includes a form allowing you to subscribe to email updates.

Lobby improvements

The Board is reviewing quotes for removal of wallpaper, drywall repair and painting. This work should take place during the coming winter.

Exercise room improvements

The Board is considering renovations and revisions to the gym, table tennis and billiards rooms.

Christmas social

Mark Wednesday, December 9 on your calendar for this annual dinner event.

Bylaws

With the assistance of legal counsel, the Board is refining the draft language of proposed Bylaw 11 (operating) and Bylaw 12 (modifications to common elements, parking and locker assignments). At the info session we discussed the pros and cons of allowing nominations from the floor for Director elections at the AGM.

Sustainable business

I will be making a proposal to the Board that sustainable business practices be considered as one of the criteria in selecting firms for contracts with Frobisher Place. Some points to consider:

• Before asking outside companies to be sustainable we should establish sustainability as our own principle
• Costs should always be important in selecting bids for work
• A 5-year payback period might be a good guideline
• When sending out requests for proposals we could ask bidders to provide info on how “green” they are

Security

Owners are concerned about unauthorized entry to our building. Unknown persons may enter or try to enter when residents are coming through the front door. If this happens you may ask such persons where they are going. If you are not comfortable or cannot do so you should seek one of the staff if it’s during working hours. If it’s outside working hours, call the pager number: 613-239-4194

Fire system upgrade

While not discussed during the main info session, I was asked about this afterwards. You may expect an update at a town hall tentatively scheduled for Sunday, November 29.

Accessibility

It was noted that disabled residents and visitors have difficulty at our front entrance and the side, delivery entrance is not suited for disabled access. I will bring this to the attention of our Property Manager. It was also noted that the auto doors near the recycle bins on P2 may not stay open long enough for a mobility challenged person to pass through. I have taken this up with the Board.

Follow up

The next info session will be at 5:30, Monday, November 16. In the meantime you may email me.

Doug Brandy, VP/Secretary, October 27, 2015

It’s time to make sure your air conditioner has been properly prepared for winter. You will find detailed instructions here.

All units have fans installed in their bathroom ceilings. The fans vent air to the outdoor balcony. A properly working exhaust fan supports heat savings in winter as windows can remain closed. Such a fan also supports a reduction of in-unit relative humidity and condensation on windows. You should run your fan each time you have a shower.

As they age, many of these fans become quite loud as they wear and some eventually stop working altogether. Typically the electric motor wears out and fails so replacements are required.

Most stores sell only complete bathroom fans, i.e. the covering grille, the internals and the external housing.

While it is possible to replace the complete outer housing, all internals and the cover grill, this is a complex job. The original bathroom fans in our building were installed such that their metal outer housing is literally cast in concrete. Removal is quite difficult and often requires subsequent repairs to the surrounding ceiling.

Most economical and simple is to limit replacement to the fan motor and the fan blade. All other parts are cleaned and stay in place.

While many suppliers cannot find a suitable cross-reference to modern fans, our Superintendents have sourced a complete off-the-shelf fan assembly that can be purchased in many stores. The motor and fan blade of this assembly can quite easily be installed mechanically in the original fan box in the ceiling. The electrical connection is by means of a plug within the fan box. No electrician is required.

The NuTone basic fan, model 696NC, is currently available and has the fitting internals. It is fairly straightforward to remove the motor and fan blade from the new 696NC unit and install them in the existing, original bathroom fan housing as replacements. The rest of the 696NC unit would be scrap. The complete material cost is about $27.00 + tax.
Bathroom fan maintenance or replacement are the responsibility of the unit owner. The Superintendents can be contacted to assess if the 696NC motor and fan blade will fit the fan installed in your unit.

If you need a contractor to help you please contact me.