Historic building claimed by fire - Laval News

Science
Matters
By David Suzuki
Ban single-hulled
tankers now
Let me get this straight. The Prestige, that flimsy,
single-hulled tanker that recently sank off
the coast of Spain, was built in Japan, registered
in the Bahamas, owned by a Liberian
company based in Greece, chartered by a
Russian company based in Switzerland, last
inspected in Dubai and carrying a load of
Russian fuel oil to Singapore.
Ahh, the wonders of globalization.
The Prestige gets away with this ridiculous
pedigree because it is profitable to do so. In
spite of public demand, aging single-hulled
tankers still commonly ply the oceans. Our
reliance on oil to power our energy needs fuels
the demand and an economic system that puts
dollars above all else takes care of the rest.
It’s not like we didn’t see this coming. The public
has been acutely aware of the dangers of
single-hulled oil tankers ever since the 1989
sinking of the Exxon Valdez off the Alaskan
coast. Although that spill was far from the
largest in history, it had one of the biggest
impacts. According to the Exxon Valdez Oil
Spill Trustee Council, the disaster is estimated
to have killed some 250,000 seabirds, 2,800 sea
otters, 300 harbour seals, up to 22 killer
whales, and billions of salmon and herring
eggs. Thirteen years after the spill, many
species - including the common loon, several
species of cormorant and the harbour seal -
show little or no signs of recovery.
Public outcry after Valdez resulted in a promise
to shift to double-hulled tankers.
Unfortunately, that shift has been horribly slow
to materialize. There are nearly 7,000 oil
tankers roaming the seas, about half of which
are the same type of single-hulled disaster-inwaiting
as the Prestige was before it broke up
and plunged three kilometres below the surface
of the Atlantic.
To make matters worse, thousands of these
ships fly “flags of convenience” from nations
like the Bahamas, Liberia and Malta - countries
that have minimal safety, labour and inspection
regulations. Many have been christened “environmental
time bombs,” but they still continue
to operate - even in ecologically sensitive areas
like the British Columbia coast.
A United Nations treaty will require tankers to
have double hulls, but not until 2015. So for the
next 12 years we will continue to have poorlydesigned,
aging ships run by poorly-paid and
often poorly-trained crews carrying thousands
of tonnes of toxic cargo through environmentally
sensitive areas. That is unacceptable.
The Prestige was 26-years-old. The only thing
that separated its cargo from the ocean was a
few centimeters of steel. Now it is at the bottom
of the Atlantic, having lost some three million
gallons of fuel oil, which is currently fouling
Spain’s beaches. There’s still about 17 million
gallons left in the ship - and no one knows
if it will stay there or for how long. Talk about
an environmental time bomb.
Clearly, we cannot wait more than a decade for
better regulations to come into effect. We’ve
already waited more than a decade and little
has been done. In the short term, we must
immediately improve inspections and maintenance
procedures. The Prestige was deemed fit
for service only months before sinking. The
ship had no business being on the ocean, especially
in rough seas. This is the fourth spill to
have occurred off the Galician coast - an area
that depends on the abundant seafood that
thrives in its rich waters. Fishing along the
coast has temporarily been banned - a blow to
the region, especially leading up to the
Christmas season, which in Galicia is usually
celebrated with seafood feasts.
Single-hulled tankers should be phased out
more quickly. Until then, they should not be
allowed in rough seas. They should be inspected
more thoroughly and they should banned
from sensitive waters. Anything less would be
criminal.
area. The cabins were spotless, stocked
with fluffy towels you simply cannot
fake, and I spied the requisite waxing
strips neatly laid out beside the facial
equipment. Their manicurist/air brush
specialist was busily spraying her already
sterile equipment and the surrounding air
with a strong disinfectant. Although there
are no industry regulations as to training
for stylists and estheticians, Iannantuono
pointed out that all their staff, whether
their domain is hair, nails or makeup or
other services, are required to take
refresher courses in their area “at least
every season.”
Colour revolution
They see everyone from the extremely
affluent that come by once a week or
more to touch up hair colour or nails to
the younger crowd, perhaps less flush
with cash but looking for something different.
“I have a lot of fun with them. I try
and use techniques that last a bit longer
for them, so that they don’t have to constantly
come back every two months.”
Some readers might be surprised to learn
that she estimates that about 80% of her
clientèle uses some form of colour.
Recent trends tend towards extreme
shades of “fuschia, orange, even a bit of
canary yellow – but it’s not for everybody,”
Iannantuono hastened to point out.
Spas and salons more co-ed
Although many might view spas and
salons as a strictly female environment,
this is no longer the status quo. In fact, the
Lise Watier spa had to revamp their
packages, following an outcry from male
clients who felt they were being sorely
neglected in their offerings. “I’d say that
about 35 to 40% of our clients are men,
and just about all my young clients have
colour in their hair,” she explained,
gesturing at a twenty-something male
getting streaks done about 10 feet away.
“They’re insecure at first when they do it,
but they’re pleased when they get that
positive response.”
Choosing your salon
Finding a salon that is right for you is a
personal process, but there are a few tips
that can help you along. For one thing,
nothing is more powerful than word of
mouth – if your acquaintance had a fantastic
experience at a new beauty salon, at
least you have an impartial opinion as
opposed to a glowing advertisement. Ask
around your circle of friends to inform
ally gage a salon or spa’s reputation. This
doesn’t mean you need a prestigious
chain to get great service: a small local
salon could be an absolute gem, while
that downtown style mecca that charges
you $150 a haircut might not be giving
you the most personal care you could get.
In Deep Scissor’s opinion, some of the
higher end shops have an pre-conceived
notion of what styles they are going to
push – even before you’ve walked in the
door. “Not all trends are for everyone.
Some places operate a kind of ‘production
line,’ instead of a one-on-one basis.”
SALON SECRETS...
Continued from Page 21
Your last step: stop by the salon you’re
considering – nothing stops you from asking
a few hard questions right off the bat,
even before booking. If the employee
appears uncomfortable then perhaps
there’s an issue with their practices. Also,
take a moment to check your first impression:
if you don’t feel comfortable your
first time, chances are good that you
won’t be any more at ease on your next
Soula Tellides
Agent immobiliere agrée
CHOMEDEY:
Great location, 5½ room
condo, renovated, corner
unit , 2 balconies
MUST SEE!
visit. Iannantuono believes comfort to be
the most important factor – when asked
what she looks at first when evaluating a
salon, she replied that, above all, “I have
to feel welcome.”
Caroline Gardner’s email address is
caroline@chomedeynews.ca
Soft lighting and relaxing music sets the tone in one of the LW Espace
Beauté cabins, along with freshly-laundered linens and towels. “We
want people to be so satisfied when they come in that they fall in love,”
Iannantuono said.
CHOMEDEY: Detached 6plex,
aluminum windows,
very good location. All
rented, heating paid by
tenants.
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(450)
4427, Samson Blvd.
Chomedey
CHOMEDEY RENAU:
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basement.
EXCELLENT CONDITION
RENOVATED 8-plex, new
kitchens & bathrooms,
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paid by tenants.
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George Tellides
Agent immobiliere affilié
CHOMEDEY: Detached
bungalow, 3 bedrooms, possibility
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Hardwood floors, large lot.
Asking $139,000
NEGOTIABLE!
CHOMEDEY: Superb split
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Build in kitchen appliances
included DON'T MISS IT!
The CHOMEDEY News • December 7, 2002 • PAGE 29