OCE-SUPPORTED COMPANY HELPING HAITI

HousAll's temporary shelters originally sent to Haiti for testing as classrooms give earthquake survivors a temporary home.

Ottawa's HousAll Systems Corporation – an OCE-supported start-up that specializes in long-term temporary structures for commercial, residential, military and emergency applications is sending thousands of its structures to Haiti to assist with the relocation of earthquake survivors.

Last year, as part of OCE's Connections program that connects students with industry to address a technology problem, four Algonquin College Mechanical Engineering Technology students joined HousAll to help design a new larger structure model. (See image one)

Through Connections, HousAll leveraged the knowledge and experience of students Rodney Schnarr, Faheem Khan, Mazen Badawi and Ryan Halpenny, all of whom helped design the larger model structure. (Two of the students were later hired for full-time positions.)

The structures were successfully field tested as classrooms last fall in Haiti (see image two) for the non-profit group, Save the Children, grabbing the attention of government officials, humanitarian groups in Haiti and even former US President, Bill Clinton.

HousAll has recently secured contracts and shelters will be shipped to Haiti as soon as possible.

• Ottawa Sun column on the initiative published Tuesday, January 26, 2010
• You Tube video from Save the Children that shows one of HousAll's structures providing shelter after the earthquake.
• HousAll Systems Corporation website