A majority of the McMaster undergrads who voted in a referendum last week were in favour of expanded recreation and student life facilities, but are undecided on what form that expansion should take. 

The ballot question asked students to consider two options. The first option would have added 60,000 square feet of new and renovated space to make room for a new gym, studios and an expanded Pulse fitness centre at the David Braley Athletics Centre. The second option included the DBAC expansion and would have added a 40,000-square-foot addition to the Ivor Wynne Centre to house a Student Activity building.

Though a majority of student voters – 56 per cent – had one of those two options as their first preference, the referendum ended up failing by 10 votes with the second expansion option trailing the “No” votes 3910 to 3900.

“Our students recognize that adequate physical space that enables community building and well-being is critical to their success and to the quality of their time here,” says Sean Van Koughnett, Associate Vice-President (Students and Learning) and Dean of Students. “Their reaction to this plan has been very positive, and we are continuing the discussions about how to make it a reality.”

Under the plan, The Pulse would have more than doubled in size, in addition to three new athletic studios, including a women’s-only fitness space. An additional $1.5 million worth of new equipment would have been installed, as well as earmarking funds toward more accessible equipment to meet the needs of all students on campus.  

In a recent survey, almost two-thirds of students indicated lack of space was their primary concern with The Pulse.  The facility was designed for a student population of 15,000 – McMaster now has over 22,000 undergraduates. Campus gym space is also highly in demand – gyms are fully booked about 90% of the time and many student requests for space go unmet.

“We’ve heard consistently that The Pulse is overcrowded and needs enlarging,” says MSU President Justin Monaco-Barnes. “An enlarged Pulse was central to my campaign platform during the last MSU presidential elections and there continues to be clear support for a project like this.”

Undergraduate students also want more student life space. The proposed Ivor Wynne addition included 40,000 sq. ft. of student lounge and study space, accessible event space for clubs, groups and services, and a multi-faith prayer space, and the potential for a nap centre, and a grocery store which would include fresh, local fruits and vegetables, as well as Halal and Kosher items.