Pro vi nc·ial ·day of protest Pull-out center special Laurier University. Waterloo, Ontario Volume 25, Number 11 Student tenants sue landlords by Andrea Cole and Chuck Kirkham A decision by student tenants at 344 Hazel Street _North to take their landlords to court may have far· reachin~ effects. The tenants have formed a tenancy association and are taking their landlords to court to battle their contention they have converted the building into a boarding house. If the courts decide that the building now conforms to boarding house regulations, the landlords will be able to contravene some of the regulations of the Landlord and Tenant Act. If the building is a boarding house, it is regulated by the Innkeepers Act. In an effort to meet the requirements of the Innkeepers Act, the landlords, Manfred Hackenburg Sr. and son, claim to have installed a new plumbing system, furnished all of the rooms, provided a cleaning and linen service, and installed locks on the back and front entrances and the bedroom doors. The tenants claim that these renovations are not sufficient to warrent a change to boarding house status. The main complaint of the students is that the Hackenburgs are charging pro·rated rent. The agreement that all tenants have signed calls for payment of the rent for the one-year period in nine payments. The first of these would be paid on the day that the agreement was signed, and the last the first day of April. The Hackenburgs claim that this method of payments is because they are not accelerating monthly payments. Because the students have signed a lease for one year, the Hackenburgs are able to set the time of the rent payments. The Hackenburgs are also assured that the building now meets boarding house requirements. Before renovating the building, the men checked with the Landlord Tenant Advisory Bureau in Kitchener, Toronto, Hamilton, and London to assure themselves the changes met the requirements. They also contacted the assesment office in Waterloo and checked the housing regulations in the City of Waterloo. When they became aware that students were upset with the present rent system, they checked once more with the different advisory boards to clarify their position. Both men are confident that their building is a boarding "'. house. -Q·~ ~· According to Floyd Jenkins of the Waterloo Regional Assessment Office, the situation isn't as clear as the Hackenburgs suggest. Jenkins does not believe that q ~· putting locks on the bedroom doors is enough to make the building a rooming house. This is the building at 344 Regina Street North in Waterloo. The students in this building are taking their landlord to court in what will be a landmark "A rooming house has no facilities for self-sufficient decision. The landlord claims he can bypass the regulations of the Landlord living, such as a kitchen. An apartment has these capabilities," said Jenkins. Tena'1t Act by converting the building into a rooming house. continued on page 3 Safety problems at Hazel unresolved by Bruce Arculus and Pabicia Eyre . the region. That is why I think that we correctly." The region requires that a area. The lights were approved prior The safety problems at the would have a tough time selling the minimum of 40 pedestrians per hour to the warrants for lights being University and Hazel crossing remain idea of implementing any safety (on the average taken over the changed by the region three or four unresolved, and the region of measures at Hazel and University." busiest eight hours of the day) utilize years ago and in conjunction with the Waterloo has indicated they would WLU President Kevin Byers, who the crosswalk correctly in order for road-work that was going on. The be reluctant to undertake the made the safety of the intersection a any action to be taken. situation is an all-together difficult installation of a crosswalk. plank in his election campaign last Carroll said that the region is one. Hopefully the city and the region year, has approached the region with reluctant to install a crosswalk for will come up with something to solve Waterloo Mayor Marjorie Carroll the intention of getting either traffic safety reasons. "Drivers in the area of this dangerous problem." thinks that students will have a tough lights or a pedestrian crosswalk Waterloo are not accustomed to Byers said he hopes to change the time convincing the region that a installed. · crosswalks and the dangers of region's mind about their refusal to crosswalk should be installed. In a memo sent to Byers dated someone being run down install safety devices at the "I have personally had to stop October 30th, T.R. Mainland, accidentally increase. Therefore, the intersection. He said he is meeting while driving in my car at a green manager of traffic engineering for city council has refused installations with a city official on Friday to pursue light for both students and the region, concludes that a strictly for safety reasons." the matter further. pedestrians at the crossing of the pedestrian crosswalk would not be When asked about the installation Last year, a Laurier ~tudent was University of Waterloo at Seagram recommended "due to insufficient of lights at Columbia St at the struck by a car while attempting to free Drive. This attitude of carelessness pedestrian volume. It is our University of Waterloo (an area with cross the intersection. Although the which is often demonstrated experience, through observations of less traffic density than Hazel and victim was not seriously injured, the (possessing people to cross a busy the operational characteristics of this University), the Mayor explained, incident sparked student concern for intersection across four lanes of intersection, that an average of thirty· "Those lights were installed to open the danger faced by both drivers and traffic) concerns not only myself, but six pedestrians per hour would utilize the new Industrial Resources Park pedestrians at the intersection. other members of the council and and obey a pedestrian crosswalk and also to serve the arena in the ./ 2 Thursday, November 22, 1984 THE CORD WEEKLY Prep. Courses for news DEC. 1 LSAT JAN 26 GMAT for further information call: 1-800-387-3742 Birthright means Walk home service 'success' having a friend This will be be launched in the It and the event sponsored in when you are pregnant again new year. overseeing publicizing activities. with BACCHUS. won't have a three-week introduction night's conjunction and in need. by Bruce Maule and Lisa McKenzie Other for is a events planned SAFE period, though. "Three weeks was Awareness Week safety For free, The WALK program, sponsored also Week include in the too long a period, and after the first awareness program, promoted displays practical assistance Students Aware of Friends by week, the involvement and interest by the SAFE committee. It is slated concourse, demonstrations, and ca11... has been (SAFE) and films all of Everywhere subsided," Certosimo said. As a to begin on January 8 will promoting aspects safety. declared a success Matt the end of the by on both on-and off- At week Certosimo result, the second phase of WALK concentrate Certosimo, its to assess the principal organizer. will plans success of SAFE be limited to one week and will campus safety. Birth was at a right The discussed be a and decide whether to make it program coincide with Awareness Week One of the events offered will a 579-3990 meeting held by the SAFE Separate co ordinators for each of "drinking and driving" presentation permanent program. committee last week. "Walk was a with the four nights will be responsible for guest speaker Roy McMurtry. success in that it met our intended objectives, which were to increase student awareness of safety, and the encouragement of preventative thinking where safety is concerned", aid Certosimo said. Ethiopian sponsored is an The WALK program Bruce organized walk by Arculus group program which will start on Tuesday at 9:00 office on the second floor of the offers both a chance to which In an effort to provide some a.m. in the Concourse. Peters Building. As of last week, he socialize and a of home way walking assistance to Ethiopia's and WGSC is a some $125.00. The Write Place drought non-government non- had accumulated in Six from famine victims, the Laurier Christian safety. routes leading involved in now profit organization The two programs will be co- to communities is Laurier adjacent Fellowship sponsoring a international are ordinated. Research organization, data entry & development. They routes'. WORD were walk drive. statistical analysis, designated group fundraising working in Ethiopia to deliver basic Collins also said that a challenge PROCESSING, and electronic storage wanting the security of On the LCF will People Tuesday, be foodstuffs and emergency medial will be issued to the University of home in groups were to students to one meal, Waterloo double the Improve your grades in: walking asking skip supplies to families in the region to target set by • * * ESSAYS REPORTS meet in the concourse after night and donate the would money they stricken by the drought They have the Laurier group. Collins feels that * • RESEARCH PAPERS of fellow classes and join a normally spend on a meal to the group been promoting Third World students can be doing more to help, • ' BOOK LENGTH MANUSCRIPTS students home on the World Service of Canada. walking University since 1947. in this area. development programs especially COMPUTER ASSISTED TUTORING route. we would like to receive "We respective "Ideally, Collins said that she is working in complain about the cost and in most academic subjects, The also a chanceto dollar from each idea provided one student, so our with Eric Andel, availability of food, but in leisure topics, adult upgrading, conjunction new The were is to raise $4000," said Ann meet people.