Page 7 - Eureka-2013

Biology

Situated slightly away from the rest
of the academic buildings, the H.H.J.
Nesbitt Biology Building is easy to spot photo: Nanci Jolicoeur carleton.ca/biology
on campus because of its two attached
greenhouses. But like all departments
in the Faculty of Science, biology had
to wait its turn to get its own building. earliest and longest-serving faculty
In 1959, when Carleton moved to its members.
present day location on Colonel When Dave Omond was hired as a
By Drive, only three buildings had biology technician in the early 1970s,
been built: the Maxwell MacOdrum the only science programs still housed
Library, the Norman Paterson Hall in the Tory building were biology and
for the arts programs and the Henry earth sciences. “Biology was in several
Marshall Tory Building for Science. places then – Tory, Steacie and ELBA.
As the building’s name implied, the I went back and forth between the
Tory building, named after Carleton’s buildings, but was based primarily in
founder and first president, was the Tory.” Omond’s duties included running
central hub for all science programs. experiments for faculty and graduate
The biology department built its first students, preparing the teaching labs,
campus greenhouse on the top floor. working in the biology stores, repairing
Today the building is used primarily equipment and driving students and
for administrative offices. faculty in the ‘biology’ bus to field work Ed Bruggink
In the mid-1960s, in response to sites. The greenhouses have also appeared
the ever-growing student population, Omond remembers how the in a film recalls Bruggink. In 2002,
construction began on the E.W.R. atmosphere among the faculty and local filmmaker and Carleton film
Steacie building for chemistry and the staff developed over time. “When I studies graduate Katie Tallo shot some
Gerhard Herzberg physics building. first started, the department was run scenes there for her first feature film.
Construction crews did not turn with a very strict hand, but when Gray “It was fun filming the scene there,”
their attention to biology’s needs Merriam became chair in the late 1970s says Tallo.
until closer to the end of the decade. it became less formal. Staff and faculty “A touch humid, but perfect for
Smaller than the Nesbitt building is worked better together and still do.” what we needed, which was a florist’s
today, the original structure was called Omond retired in May 2012 but still greenhouse.
ELBA, short for the Environmental stays in touch with his colleagues on The plot involved a suspected killer
Laboratories Biology Annex. After an campus. stealing her sister’s flowers for a shrine
extensive renovation in the late 1990s, One of Omond’s long-time colleagues she is creating for her dead friend. It’s a
the building was renamed after H.H.J. is Ed Bruggink, the Nesbitt building raunchy girls-gone-bad drama about
(Bert) Nesbitt, one of the department’s supervisor and greenhouse manager four friends who get caught in a killing
who started working at Carleton in spree, some are victims and one is
1981. Bruggink was instrumental in revealed to be the killer in the end. It
getting the first butterfly show off the starred Adam Beach (Arctic Air), Jessica
ground in 1998. “It’s a big part of my Paré (Mad Men), Emily Hampshire
job, getting ready for the show,” says (Snowcake), Sarain Boyland (Bon Cop,
Bruggink. “We bring in close to 1,400 Bad Cop) and Stephanie Von Pfetten
butterflies representing 41 different (Cracked).” One can catch a glimpse of
species worldwide. The butterflies the greenhouse in the director’s demo
arrive in 5 different shipments and we reel at www.katietallo.com.
have to be very organized, preparing “There is a good atmosphere among
the greenhouses, handling the the people who work in this building,”
butterflies and coordinating the school says Bruggink. “I think we are a bit
photo: James Park is worth it. “Every year, 10,000 to 12,000 away from everyone else. And we often
closer because we feel we are a little
tours.” But Bruggink says all the work
don’t mind that,” finishes Bruggink
people go through the 10 days of the
Dave Omond show. Families come back year after with a laugh.
year and the kids absolutely love it.”

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