Graphic By: Yoohyun Park/Production Coordinator
With more study spaces and expanded facilities, an updated hub for student life is underway
At McMaster University, the David Braley Athletic Centre serves multiple purposes for students, including recreation, fitness training and rehabilitation. As a staple building of McMaster for more than 14 years, this year, facilities at DBAC will be undergoing some changes.
In February of 2020, the McMaster Students Union announced that a new building will be added next to DBAC. The referendum to build this building was initially voted through by students in March 2017.
The MSU presented three name options for students to vote on, including “The Marauder Activity Centre”, “The Student Life Centre” and “The Hub.” Ultimately, students voted for the building to be called the Hub.
Within the Hub, there will be four floors. The main floor will have an open-concept study area and event space. The second floor will have a grocer and more lounge areas. The third floor will include peer support services. The fourth floor will have bookable multi-purpose spaces as well as multi-faith prayer spaces.
Currently, MSU peer support services such as the Student Health Education Centre and Women and Gender Equity Network are located on the second floor of the McMaster University Student Centre.
John McGowan, general manager of the MSU, said that even though the third floor of the Hub will include spaces for MSU services, the original location of SHEC and WGEN will not be moved. “The intent of the Hub was not to relocate our current services, but to provide more meeting space,” said McGowan.
Following the completion of the Hub, it will also be physically connected to DBAC, allowing students to walk between both buildings with ease.
Although the Hub was previously scheduled to open in 2021, the building is now scheduled for completion in the summer of 2022.
Although the Hub was previously scheduled to open in 2021, the building is now scheduled for completion in the summer of 2022.
Along with the building of the Hub, an upcoming expansion to the Pulse Fitness Centre will be completed. Currently, the Pulse is where students have access to a wide range of fitness equipment and facilities.
With an additional 60,000 square feet of space, this expansion will include new equipment, a women’s only fitness area, more cardio and weight training spaces, a climbing wall and a bouldering wall.
Since 2017, students approved a $95 per year fee whichwill increase by $2.99 per academic unit following the completion of the Hub. Included in this fee is the annual membership students have for access to the Pulse.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, students who wish to workout at the Pulse must sign up for a one and a half-hour timeslot in one of three Pulse locations. This includes the Sport Hall Pulse, Pop-Up Pulse, and Track Pulse.
As a consequence of the current construction occurring at the Pulse, fitness equipment is not evenly distributed amongst the three locations. However, Fitness and Wellness Coordinator Lee-Anne Wilson, said that students can check ahead of time to find out what sort of equipment is available at each location.
Fitness trainers are also available at each location and can support students in finding alternatives for their workouts.
Although she might not be able to experience the new expansion and facilities offered at the Hub following graduation this year, Victoria Cirone, a fourth-year kinesiology student and fitness instructor at the Pulse shared that she is excited to know that the Pulse will be expanded due to how busy the gym was prior to the pandemic.
“The gyms were crowded, there were a lot of people to a squat rack and especially at peak hours, it was really busy. I’m glad that there will be more equipment, facilities, rooms and that sort of thing," said Cirone.
“The gyms were crowded, there were a lot of people to a squat rack and especially at peak hours, it was really busy. I’m glad that there will be more equipment, facilities, rooms and that sort of thing.”
Victoria cirone, Kinesiology student and fitness instructor
If all goes according to schedule, students who will be at McMaster in the 2022-2023 academic year can look forward to enjoying this new change for DBAC as well as all the added facilities brought forward by the Hub.
By: Andrew Mrozowski
Tucked away on Barton Street East are a ton of local Hamilton shops with a lot to offer. On Barton Street East and Emerald Street North, a coffee shop is quickly approaching its one-year anniversary. Aptly named Emerald Coffee Co, the space creates a larger than life quality that has been ten years in the making.
Owner Phil Green grew up in Montreal. For the past ten years, Green worked in the automotive industry and lived in the United States, but he yearned for change. Leaving his job with thoughts of opening a coffee shop at the back of his head, Green made the choice to move back to Canada and live in Hamilton.
“I was walking my dog and saw that this place had a lot of potential. The neighbourhood was filled with young families, but they had to walk 15 minutes to get a coffee…A coffees hop is the hub of a neighbourhood and I wanted to create that hub here,” said Green.
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In the summer of 2017, Green embarked out into Hamilton to try and find a place. Setting up home base on Barton Street East, the owner knew that he was taking a chance with this spot.
“I took a risk and opened in a location where most people wouldn’t have but once the idea was in my head, I wanted Barton Street. We wouldn’t have been the same if we opened somewhere else,” said Green.
The doors to Emerald Coffee Co. were officially set to open in February 2018 but had to be delayed as the building was not up to code. Green eventually opened a month later on March 31, 2018 and received an unanticipated warm welcome.
“It’s been great! The neighbourhood has been amazing, I’ve met amazing people, and the coffee scene in Hamilton is friendly. It doesn’t feel like competition here, it feels like we are all friends. There is a real sense of community,” said Green.
Emerald Coffee Co. is a unique coffee shop as everything they use is natural. Green makes his own vanilla syrup using vanilla beans, a rose syrup from dried rose petals, and goes to the United States to get hazelnut milk.
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With a wide range of espresso-based beverages such as lattes, and americanos, Green also has kombucha and cold-brew on tap all year around. Emerald Coffee Co. also gets in a different roasts of coffee every two weeks to keep things fresh. A fan-favourite of Emerald is their hazelnut latte made with real hazelnut milk instead of using traditional hazelnut syrup.
“We try to make everything as genuine as possible,” said Green.
About once a month, Green also develops a special seasonal drink. Bringing back a fan-favourite, the rose latte will be featured for the shop’s one-year anniversary along with one-dollar coffee throughout the last weekend of March.
Aside from coffee drinks, the shop also has sandwiches and salads for customers to enjoy as well as sweets from local Hamilton bakeries such as Donut Monster.
Currently, Green is trying to develop a way to bring a nightlife crowd to Barton Street East.
“It’s a really gay-friendly neighbourhood with a lot of the owners being queer, and we are welcoming to everyone. Hopefully in the near future, I’ll have some coffee cocktails to serve in the evening because we really need a nighttime crowd in the neighbourhood,” explained Green.
Isolated from the hustle and bustle of the downtown core, Emerald Coffee Co. is a great place to study or enjoy a great beverage with friends in a warm and inviting atmosphere amongst a community that is working together to show more of what Barton Street East has to offer.
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