Mathies celebrate the reopening of the beloved Bombshelter

I started my statistics degree at Waterloo in 2021. It was important for me—as it is for any student—to get familiar with my new surroundings, so I began exploring the campus. When I set foot in the Student Life Centre (SLC), I noticed two closed doors in the hallway between the Tim’s and the cafeteria. Outside, on the pathway between Ring Road and MC that skirts just to the right of the SLC, I saw an empty patio that looked like it had seen better days. I didn’t know what was there before, but there was an undeniable feeling of something lost.

I don’t exactly remember when I first found out that those two aforementioned locations were once the site of a campus pub called the Bombshelter—lovingly nicknamed the Bomber—but there had been calls on the university’s subreddit to bring it back for a number of years, largely from upper-years.

I started digging to uncover the story of a bar where students once escaped their academic realities, fostered friendships and community, and had fun.

History of the Bombshelter

The Bombshelter site makes up a chunk of the original section of what we now call the SLC, which featured the Great Hall, the Turnkey Desk and the like. The SLC opened in 1968 as the Campus Centre during a time of rapid growth for the infant campus, and the bar was first opened that year as the Campus Centre Pub. The pub infamously played host to Elton John for five nights in 1970 before his famous California debut. In 1976, the Federation of Students acquired the bar and renamed it the Orange Bombshelter. Four years after that, the name was shortened to just “the Bombshelter”—an interesting name choice for a time when the Cold War was not yet completed and actual bomb shelters dotted the country.

Many recall the Bomber best for its weekly staple event: Bomber Wednesday. They recall the lineup to get in wrapping around the Great Hall and stretching past the Turnkey Desk. The dancing, DJ, and security inside. And the first and last Bomber Wednesdays every term being extra-circled on the calendar for party-happy students.

Math alumni share their Bomber memories

However, it wasn’t just Bomber Wednesdays that got students excited. Throughout the decades, the Bomber played host to a diverse range of fun and memorable events. I sat down with a few Math grads who were happy to share with me their memories of the Bomber.

John Hele (BMath ’80) recalls the Bomber of the late 70s. “The atmosphere was pub-like,” said Hele. “There were shuffleboard tables and there was Pong, which was the most advanced electronic equipment of the time.”

What he most fondly remembers, however, was being a Descartes Scholar teaching assistant and marking papers in the Bomber on Friday afternoons. Students would come to Hele in droves thanks to his approach of reteaching concepts, explaining mistakes, and even re-marking tests if students could correct their errors right there and then, earning him supplies of free beer.

Former Mayor of Waterloo Dave Jaworsky (BMath ’88) recalls the Bomber of the 80s. “It was very dark, there was no patio, and there was this big-screen TV which was a new luxury,” said Jaworsky about the Bomber of the 80s. It was “the place to be” at a time when there were few eateries on campus and, without social media, friends had to meet in-person.

He and his friends (they called themselves FAB𝑛, or Friday Afternoon Bombshelter 𝑛) gathered in the Bomber every day after class doing homework at their corner table. “Classes ended at 11:20 and the Bomber opened at noon with a lineup,” said Jaworsky. “And it was the place to wait between classes.”

Jaworsky and his friends lovingly dubbed their hangout spot “the Shelter” and enjoyed Rock n’ Roll and trivia nights there. Jaworsky even recalled receiving a free mug when he showed up for a beer on his birthday, and a “win a trip to Montreal now” contest, where students had to arrive at the Bomber already packed up because the draw would take place late at night, and the winner would be taken to Pearson to catch the last flight to Montreal. He was also present at the Bomber when it fell silent as the TV showed the news breaking of the Challenger disaster.

Ashwin Vadivelu (BMath ’16) was part of the Children’s 10 Foundation, which supported war-affected children in Sri Lanka. They held a fundraiser at the Bomber, complete with Stormtrooper costumes. They also raised $5,000 towards scholarships for well-deserving students. Vadivelu and his friends, including the late Samantha Schulz, gathered at the Bomber often.

“What did it mean to have a place like the Bomber?” said Valdivelu, reflecting on its importance to students. “It was a space of belonging, even when you were in the lineup.”

Closing and Reopening

Unfortunately, in the latter half of the 2010s decade, the Bomber was operating at a loss. This prompted Feds to make a difficult decision. The Bomber was shut down for good in January 2019. The final events held that month were the last first Bomber Wednesday and New Years’ Eve 2.0. The closure was mourned by students, alumni and staff.

From there, the site lay vacant. Feds, which was renamed the Waterloo Undergraduate Students Association (WUSA) later in 2019, threw around ideas to renovate the place, but the pandemic brought uncertainty about the food service industry, and shelved those hopes for a few years. Around 2022, some WUSA candidates promised to reopen the Bomber or use the space in a different way, and students agreed that the space had to be revitalized.

Fortunately, over the past couple years, the place has slowly come back to life. In 2023, it reopened as a student study lounge, for space booking and social spaces. During the Winter 2024 term, SmashBites opened there, offering a proven-popular menu, including delicious Smash Burgers with a side of the classic waffle fries. Then, in 2025, funding was expanded to the site, and WUSA officially announced that it was being renamed “The Bomber” (the official name is now the Bomber, not the Bombshelter) and the menu was being expanded. It was now open once again.

The Bomber Now

The new Bomber looks vastly different from the Bomber many remember. The logo is different, the jerseys are gone, and the walls have been painted over in WUSA’s current colour scheme. The current focus is to give students a social space where they can grab a meal or snack, and to give clubs a place to book for events. Indeed, the place now plays host to a variety of WUSA and club events, such as anime music concerts, painting lessons and more. The site now also offers a Pay-What-You-Can program providing meals to students in need.

Overall, the new Bomber is popular with the current student crowd and has been much more financially stable than the original Bomber. Students and alumni have been rejoicing at the re-opening. According to WUSA President Damian Mikhail, when the Bomber first re-opened, a group of alumni that reunite every few years gathered there to relish its return.

The Future of the Bomber

However, this Bomber is a temporary edition, running until April 2026. After that, renovations will continue on the site. At the last WUSA member’s meeting, a motion passed for plans to greatly expand the space, adding 14,000 square feet, up to 300 more seats, and an additional storey. When complete, the space is expected to serve one to two-thousand students a day. In this future, permanent Bomber, the bar will remain, but the focus will continue to be providing a setting for events or socializing.

A lot has changed in the beloved Bomber in the 58 years since its opening, but one thing is for certain: the place has captured the hearts of students in the past and present, and definitely will do so for future students.

If you have a special memory of the Bomber, please share it with us at mathalumni@uwaterloo.ca!