1848 reopens; Pivik to undergo construction in December
Lindsay Macmillan | Fulcrum Staff
1848 has reopened after a summer of construction and the Student Federation of the University of Ottawa (SFUO) is now looking to make improvements to one of its other businesses, Pivik.
Due to there being fewer students on campus, some SFUO businesses like Café Alt and 1848 are closed during the summer.
“During closures, we take the opportunity to update and renovate our spaces in order to best suit students upon their arrival in the fall,” said SFUO vp finance Dave Eaton.
Over the summer, 1848 was renovated in order to create more space for a growing student body and to better accommodate events. Eaton noted that with increased student attendance every year, the SFUO aims to make 1848 “the place to go” throughout the year for student-run bar events.
“We put a fresh coat of paint on the walls and on the pillars,” said 1848 manager Adam Brouwer. “We gave them a stain to match the bar, we had the floors redone, and we purchased four booths, so that will bring the capacity up to about 100. I cut down the size of the stage, built a few more tables, and got the booths.”
Pivik will also undergo renovations during the holidays in December. New shelving was installed over the summer, but more food space and changes to improve the store’s traffic flow will be added during the winter break. The SFUO is trying to encourage plans to increase the availability of healthy food choices on campus.
“Last year was a record year in terms of students using all four of our student-run businesses,” said Eaton. “And the SFUO sees this as a sign that we need to upgrade our spaces in order to keep up with students’ demands.”
Making use of the times when fewer students are on campus—like the holiday breaks and summer sessions—ensures that the renovations interfere with the student experience as minimally as possible.
With an ever-growing student body, students are looking to use SFUO businesses more frequently and in larger numbers.
“Last year there was a lot more day business, which is where the seating problem came in,” Brouwer said. “There were quite a few times that I had to pull out plastic fold-up tables to accommodate everybody coming in.”
The constitution of the SFUO states that the businesses exist to fund the political and social activities of the organization, to give members chances to earn wages to fund studies, and to offer products with reasonable prices to fit within students’ budgets.
“We strive to serve our members as best as we can by providing healthy, affordable food alternatives, as well as by creating spaces for social activities in order to foster an environment where campus community can thrive,” said Eaton.
By constantly modernizing and improving the businesses and their workspace, the SFUO hopes to keep up with the growth and needs of the student body.
