For many students at the University of Manitoba, it may feel like a long time since their campus watering hole, Wise Guys on Campus, was closed; luckily for them, it may not be long before The Hub opens its doors.

Construction of The Hub, the University of Manitoba Students’ Union (UMSU) owned pub, is now in its final stage and is expected to be open by mid-November.

UMSU presented a proposal for a student owned and operated pub to university officials last November. The proposal was accepted and the new business was named “The Hub” over the summer.

Camilla Tapp, UMSU president, said there will be series of events held in the first week of the pub’s opening to welcome students to the new pub.
“The Hub will be just like other UMSU run businesses, such as Degrees or GPAs,” she said.

UMSU has hired a pub manager and will soon be hiring other staff including bartenders and cooks. Tapp explained UMSU is just waiting for their liquor licence permit from the City of Winnipeg to go through.

Tapp noted that The Hub, being a student run business, will also create more employment opportunities for students who are seeking part-time work.
UMSU is also looking into getting wireless Internet for the pub as well, and is currently in discussions university administration to coordinate it with university’s wireless system.

Student groups and associations are also excited to see the campus pub back. Navjeet Brar, president of the Science Students’ Association (SSA), said his council welcomes the return of the U of M’s campus pub and believes that it will be a great venue for students to come together and enjoy.
“Now that party busses and limos are banned, we really need a convenient location on campus; SSA will definitely organize events at The Hub,” he said.
Many students told the Manitoban they are looking forward to have an on-campus location to party.

“It’s an awesome idea, especially for the students living on-campus. It would bring fun into the equation, rather than just school work,” said Julie Blaich, a student in the faculty of arts.

Varinder Sidhu, a student in the faculty of science, said he is happy to have a new pub on campus. After Wise Guys closed, the university was missing out an important aspect of student life, Sidhu explained.

“The Hub will bring in the different crowd to the usual university scene. We would get a lot of new faces in the area.”