Feature Article February 26, 2004
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E-waste Centre being looked at by Communications Network
The Land OLakes Communications Network (LOLCN) has recently embarked on a project which could see the creation of a new facility in rural Frontenac County to deal with the emerging problem of electronic waste. Through the Community Technology Development Centre, which is part of the Computers for Schools program, the Communications Network has developed contacts in government and industry. These groups also have computers that are completely outdated and could easily end up in landfill. The idea, according to LOLCN director Jim MacPherson, is to have the space and the expertise to take in computers, divert reusable machines and parts to the Computers for Schools program, and then strip down the remaining material. We would find markets for what can be recycled, and determine where to send everything else for further processing. Most of the parts of computers are now, or are potentially, recyclable, with the exception of computer monitors, which are dangerous to handle and can only be dealt with at a few facilities in the country. The first phase of the E-Waste recovery project will take six months. It involves: researching the current status of e-waste recycling; researching best practice recycling techniques; identifying partners for a proposed facility; and establishing what kind of facility is needed and finding potential sites, determining what skills are needed to operate a collection and processing site, and continuing contacts with other facilities for research purposes. Ultimately, after 5 months it is hoped that a business plan will be in place that will attract private and public sector interest in setting up a business. I think there will be interest from the townships as well, since it deals with waste diversion and municipalities would like to extend the lives of landfills as much as possible, MacPherson said. The Land OLakes Communications Network and the Community Technology Development Centre have received a grant from the Human Resources Canada, essentially to keep their current group of workers on the job in order to put this business plan together and maintain the contacts that have been developed with Industry. It is hoped that the municipality of Central Frontenac will provide support with in kind contributions of facilities and time. If an e-waste centre is developed, it is expected that it will entail steady employment for a number of workers in the region.
Wireless experiment As part of its ongoing efforts to enhance the broadband service in the Land OLakes, the LOLCN will be putting up a tower at the Retail Centre at the junction of Hwys. 7 and 38. From the top of the tower, a signal will be sent to the Northern Connections building, which is located a kilometre away. This should give wireless internet service, using the broadband access the LOLCN has through North Frontenac Telephone Company, to the Northern Connections building. The pilot project may form part of the solution to the problem of developing rural broadband internet service.
If the switching works in Sharbot Lake, it might then be tried in Kenya. One of the centres in Kenya is a sister project to the Sharbot Lake Community Trades and Development Centre, and is within the line of sight of a school that is located high up a nearby mountain. Presently, a Sharbot Lake worker who is highly skilled in wireless technology is on exchange in Kenya, and if the equipment can be sent there, internet access may be beamed up the mountain in the same way.
Kenyan Ephantus Thuku flanked by his host Jamie England and Canadian Crossroads International representatives Christine Mylks and Joe Mwai on the first day of his exchange program with the CTDC in Sharbot Lake. Within two days of his arrival in Canada, Ephantus is a High School student back in Kenya with a keen interest in Computer programming. Within two days of his arrival in Canada. Ephantus had reportedly learned how to skate.
