For Carleton University students counting their blessings this holiday season, the school’s extensive underground tunnel system may be at the top of the list.
Anyone who has lived through an Ottawa winter can confirm the rumours are true. It is bitter, seemingly unending, and is often a deciding factor in the debate whether to make the trek to class in near-blizzard conditions, or to simply return to bed and spend the day in hibernation.
For a winter-fearing student like myself, the moment I heard about the extensive underground tunnel system at Carleton, enabling travel from residence to the dining hall to class and back, without ever emerging into the cold and snow, I knew where I’d be headed for university when the time came.
I can’t imagine having to put on a coat, let alone boots, between classes. The sight of the first snowfall doesn’t mean my attendance begins a slow decline. As grateful as I, and many others are, to travel in heated comfort for the frigid months of the year, I’ve begun to realize concerns about the safety of our tunnel system.
Conversations with other students, particularly with female friends like myself, have highlighted some serious misgivings we have about tunnel travel around campus.
During peak hours, the tunnels are filled with students and administration. We joke that a student’s only worry is being run over by one of fast-moving carts driven by maintenance staff.
But early in the morning and later at night, the tunnels can be deserted.
Many students, including myself, are often still active at these hours, whether going for an early workout, or returning from nighttime study at the library.
Everyone deserves to feel safe on campus. But I can’t say I feel secure moving alone through the concrete tunnels—long stretches with no windows or exits. Further fuelling this concern is the poor cell phone service underground.
It is inconsistent and sometimes absent altogether in certain areas. Besides being an annoyance during daytime hours, this is particularly worrisome for lone female students.
I’m not confident that I’d be able to call for help during an emergency.
Seven security cameras operate in the tunnels at Carleton, according to university spokesperson Steven Reid. This seems inadequate to service the several kilometres of tunnels across campus.
Certain tunnel access points are also open 24 hours a day. Virtually anyone, student or otherwise, can enter them easily.
In 2011, a female Carleton student reported a sexual assault late at night in the tunnel near Southam Hall. This incident shows the real and worrisome safety risk posed by late-night travel underground.
Statistics Canada reported that women aged 15 to 24 experience the highest rates of sexual violence.
According to a Maclean’s magazine investigation, one in five female students will be sexually assaulted on campus during her time at university.
Right now, campuses are reviewing sexual assault response policies and safety procedures. It seems to me a grave oversight that the tunnels, a defining structural feature at Carleton, may be the most unsafe area on campus.
Increased security presence, stricter requirements for access, improved cell phone reception, and the installation of more monitoring cameras are necessary improvements.
The tunnels are a disaster waiting to happen, as they are key means of travel across campus, especially as the winter semester begins. Carleton must make improving tunnel safety a priority.
