Tuesday, September 1, 2026

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• ​​​​​Bar service is coming back to The Bomber
• Waterloo prepares to welcome new students
• 10 Waterloo landmarks that shape the student experience

Bar service is coming back to The Bomber

by Samir Sharma. This article was originally published on the WUSA website.

The Bomber has been at the heart of student life at Waterloo for generations. Work to bring the Bomber and bar service back to campus, after its closure in 2019, started under the 2025-26 WUSA President, Damian Mikhail, and is continuing with the 2026-27 Board. I want to share an update on where we are at in securing permission to serve alcohol in the space.

Our previous business model tried to do many things at once by serving breakfast, lunch, dinner, hosting bar nights, and subsidizing the space for student events. Unfortunately, with the high staffing costs this incurred, along with low turnout for regular bar nights and a steady decrease in alcohol sales, the decision to close The Bomber was made as it was no longer a financially viable venture.

Since 2019, we have been working towards our longer-term SLC Lounge Plan, to really transform The Bomber into a space that students have told us they are looking for on campus. The long-term vision for this space is a spot where you can connect, recharge, study, host events, and feel connected to the campus community. In 2025, Mikhail ran as WUSA President with the goal to explore opening The Bomber for the interim, while we work on the SLC Lounge Plan. The goal of the pilot was to restart daytime bar service and offer limited evening events, as we’ve heard is something students want to see at Waterloo

I am pleased to share that, after almost a year, we have reached an agreement with the University and are now able to serve alcoholic beverages in The Bomber. Unfortunately, this won’t be in place for September with the work that needs to be done, such as creating operational procedures and hiring staff. We currently expect bar service to be available later this fall term.

I know this has been a long time coming, but our negotiations with the University took longer than expected. As much as getting this done sooner was the goal, we wanted to ensure we got it right and didn’t settle for anything less than what we needed to make this reopening a success.

We are grateful to the University and all staff who worked to make this possible. I look forward to seeing you at The Bomber this fall term!

Waterloo prepares to welcome new students

This week, Waterloo begins welcoming over 10,500 new undergraduate and graduate students to the Waterloo community. From move-in and orientation to the start of classes, the coming days will be filled with opportunities for new students and their families to connect, get settled, and begin their Waterloo journey.

The welcome begins September 3—6, with International Orientation for new international students, residence move-in and Warrior Family Orientation. First-Year Orientation gets underway September 6 and continues through September 12, with programming and events taking place across campus.

Graduate Orientation takes place September 8, followed by continued drop-in opportunities for new undergraduate students as classes begin September 9. The week wraps up with Black and Gold Day on September 12, bringing the Orientation experience to a close with a carnival and a Warriors soccer doubleheader.

More than 900 upper-year students are supporting Orientation this year, helping to plan and deliver experiences that welcome new students and help them find their place at Waterloo.

Find out what’s happening during Orientation by checking out the high-level schedule or use the open Orientation schedule in Portal to find specific events and locations.

Orientation at Waterloo is a partnership between the University of Waterloo, the Waterloo Undergraduate Student Association (WUSA) and the Graduate Student Association (GSA).

10 Waterloo landmarks that shape the student experience

by Darren McAlmont. This is an excerpt from an article originally published on Waterloo News.

For new students, campus can feel like a map of buildings and abbreviations. For returning students, it’s something different entirely. It’s the shortcut you take when you're late for class, the study spot that got you through finals and the place where you met your closest friends. 

Here are 10 places that help tell the story of student life at the University of Waterloo.

• Arts Quad: On warm days, the Arts Quad transforms into one of the most vibrant outdoor spaces on campus. Students eat lunch between lectures, catch up with friends, participate in events or simply take a moment to enjoy being outside. The space is used for everything from club activities to spontaneous gatherings, making it one of the University's most recognizable community spaces.

• Bridges and tunnels
  Waterloo’s network of bridges and tunnels connects more than just buildings. Originally incorporated into the University's early campus design, the pathways help students move across campus during rain, snow and winter cold. Over the decades, they have become part of Waterloo's culture, inspiring campus lore, including a student-organized “funeral” for a beloved bridge that was removed to make way for the new Mathematics 4 building. For many students, the bridges and tunnels are more than a convenient route to class; they’re a shared Waterloo experience that links generations of students together.

• Columbia Lake
  It’s easy to forget that a peaceful lakeside walk is just steps away from campus. For students looking to clear their heads, go for a run or take a break from studying, Columbia Lake offers a different side of campus. Throughout the year, the path around the lake becomes a favourite route for reflection, conversation and catching a sunset after a day of classes.

• Dana Porter Library
  For generations of students, Dana Porter Library has been synonymous with serious studying. Whether it’s claiming a favourite floor, gazing out across campus from the upper levels or settling in during exam season, the library is a place many students associate with determination, productivity and academic milestones. For some, it's where co-op applications get finished. For others, it’s where entire capstone projects come together.

• Davis Centre Library
  Not every great study space is famous. Beyond the well-known tables and group-work areas, many students develop a personal attachment to quieter corners of Davis Centre Library. These are the locations that get shared through word of mouth, recommended by upper-year students and carefully guarded during exam season.

Read the full list of 10 places on Waterloo News.