Not if, but whenThe director of the Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center tells Keith Regan that itÔÇÖs only a matter of time before the key is found to creating transportation biofuels out of grasses and trees. The current crop of biofuels generates more than its share of heated debate. Created from the sugars in corn and soy, the existing version of ethanol puts transportation needs in competition with food supplies.

Official openingsAfter writing last year about De BeersÔÇÖ progress towards its first diamond mine in Canada, Martin Ashcroft finally has the opportunity to cover not one, but two official openings. A long and winding road reached a milestone in July with the historic official opening of two new diamond mines in Canada. On Friday 25 July, De Beers Canada cut the ribbon on its Snap Lake mine, located 220-kilometres northeast of Yellowknife in the Northwest Territories.

A strong currentAs the official energy supplier to the Province of Qu├®bec, Hydro-Qu├®bec finds energy in both the water and the air. Hydro-Qu├®bec owns and operates 53 power generating facilities across the Province. In 1944, the Qu├®bec Hydro-Electric Commission was created by the provincial government from the electric and gas assets of Montreal Light, Heat and Power Company Consolidated.

Better healthcare by designOWP/PÔÇÖs healthcare practice director Deb Sheehan tells Keith Regan that the firm focuses on the care itself first and the bricks and mortar second. OWP/P has carved out a global reputation for its integrated architecture, interior design, engineering and consulting work to clients worldwide.

Sharing expertisePushing the envelope on sustainability comes naturally at the University of Victoria, Sarah Webb explains to Gary Toushek. "When you see how beautiful our campus here is, beside the ocean, with gardens and open spaces and aesthetically pleasing green buildings, any student interested in sustainability issues instinctively wants to apply those aspects to life at home and in the community at large, and it can be a rewarding experience.ÔÇØ Sarah WebbÔÇÖs energy and enthusiasm reverberates through the phone line as she describes the wide ran

All part of the planWith a new mission and a higher profile, Vancouver Island University is in the midst of its first major campus master planning initiative in decades, and Keith Regan reports that sustainability is included in every facet of that plan. In the spring of 2008, the British Columbia provincial government introduced legislation that will change the institution long known as Malaspina University College into a fully chartered university known as Vancouver Island University.

Looking aheadA future-focused approach builds a foundation for UNM HospitalsÔÇÖ Barbara and Bill Richardson Pavilion, Jenn Monroe reports. Being the only public hospital in any city brings with it a number of challenges. Add that it is the only teaching hospital in the state, and you have the venue for University of New Mexico Hospital in Albuquerque.  ÔÇ£Our medical care is cutting edge, and the UNM School of Medicine faculty treat our patients. ItÔÇÖs top-notch healthcare,ÔÇØ says Lyn Kehoe, internal communications manager.

Charting a new courseUnited Maritime Group emerges from obscurity to answer the complex transporting needs of a global world. Kate Sawyer reports. United Maritime GroupÔÇÖs captains are familiar with the worldÔÇÖs vast shipping lanes, both deep-water transcontinental ocean courses and continental river systems. No matter what the cargo, or where the destination, this companyÔÇÖs unique structure of comprehensive specialty divisions allows it to get the job done.

New city lifeWhen Patrick Turner of Turner Development comes across a rundown inner-city area, he doesnÔÇÖt see terminal hopelessness; he sees an opportunity to revitalize the urban landscape, reports Ruari McCallion. As the nature of the economy changes, some places are inevitably going to be left behind. The old industrial heartland of the US is, increasingly, presenting a panorama of abandoned buildings, crumbling infrastructure and echoes of prosperity long since moved on.  Docklands and manufacturing areas suffer in a sad silence.

┬áObsessive propulsionMarine propulsion systems designed and manufactured by Thrustmaster of Texas are used all over the world, Gary Toushek learns. When it was founded in Houston in 1984 by owner and president Joe Bekker, Thrustmaster of Texas was a small manufacturer of outboard, deck-mounted propulsion units. Bekker is a graduate (with a degree in mechanical engineering) of the University of Amsterdam in The Netherlands and was always interested in propellers and propulsion systems, especially for marine applications.