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Ontario Tech acknowledges the lands and people of the Mississaugas of Scugog Island First Nation.

We are thankful to be welcome on these lands in friendship. The lands we are situated on are covered by the Williams Treaties and are the traditional territory of the Mississaugas, a branch of the greater Anishinaabeg Nation, including Algonquin, Ojibway, Odawa and Pottawatomi. These lands remain home to many Indigenous nations and peoples.

We acknowledge this land out of respect for the Indigenous nations who have cared for Turtle Island, also called North America, from before the arrival of settler peoples until this day. Most importantly, we acknowledge that the history of these lands has been tainted by poor treatment and a lack of friendship with the First Nations who call them home.

This history is something we are all affected by because we are all treaty people in Canada. We all have a shared history to reflect on, and each of us is affected by this history in different ways. Our past defines our present, but if we move forward as friends and allies, then it does not have to define our future.

Learn more about Indigenous Education and Cultural Services

Car spoilers: effective, or just a drag?

UOIT researcher explains spoiler dynamics in Globe and Mail story

Dr. Martin Agelin-Chaab, Assistant Professor, Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science, UOIT.
Dr. Martin Agelin-Chaab, Assistant Professor, Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science, UOIT.

They are a typical option for buyers of new cars, and you see them on the back end of sports cars all the time. The question is: do spoilers really make a car perform better aerodynamically?

University of Ontario Institute of Technology (UOIT) researcher Dr. Martin Agelin-Chaab was recently asked by The Globe and Mail for his take on the effectiveness of spoilers on vehicles.

“The vast majority of spoilers out there don’t do anything – you don’t get any bang for your money,” said Dr. Agelin-Chaab, Assistant Professor, Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science. “They only work if they’re properly installed, and even then, they only work at speeds of at least 100 km/h or more.”

“Factory-installed spoilers on higher-end sports cars are very effective,” he added. “Many others out there probably aren’t so effective – and some car manufacturers even say their spoilers are for looks only.”

He also noted that proper spoiler installation requires at least three hours in a wind tunnel, such as the one at UOIT’s Automotive Centre of Excellence.