A BRIEF HISTORY OF MAC HALL
Robert Eustace – SU President 1967-68
University of Calgary students built Mac Hall in phases. Over the last 64 years, students have voted three times to implement a temporary fee to fund the building and subsequent expansions of their student centre.
In 1962, students voted to implement a temporary fee to fund the original SU building. This first phase of construction was completed in 1967. The SU building included the original Ballroom and what is now the east end of the building that is home to CJSW, The Gauntlet, and NUTV.
It is a building whose foremost thought is people. It is a building designed for you and me, it is a building designed for us.
– Robert Eustace, 1967-68
In 1979, students voted again and agreed to contribute a fee to fund a building expansion. This second phase was completed in 1987 as part of the plans for the 1988 Olympics. This expansion – MacEwan Student Centre – included the food court, the North and South Courtyards, and space for services and businesses.
In 1995, students voted again to implement a fee for another expansion to their building. This third phase, completed in 2002, expanded the building further to the east and included the MacEwan Hall concert hall and MacEwan Conference and Event Centre.
Today, Mac Hall is central to student life on campus. Mac Hall is home to student services and resources, dining and seating options, club and event spaces. The building also houses several SU businesses and other revenue-generating spaces that offset student fees, keeping these fees among the lowest in Canada.
MacEwan Hall Expansion, Sod Turning. April 29, 1985
REFERENDUM FAQ
Why are we having a referendum?
Mac Hall is our student building, and students will have a say in any future expansion. Before any construction begins, students will have determined a direction and secured initial funding.
Will the building be shut down?
If students agree that Mac Hall needs to expand, we anticipate that some areas of the building may be shut down for construction phases as needed. Any redevelopment projects within Mac Hall will consider the academic calendar and aim for as little disruption as possible.
How much will it cost?
No final amount has been set. If current students are open to initiating the collection of a building expansion fee, this fee can be used by the SU to secure a mortgage to expedite the construction process. As always, the SU will continue to be transparent about any potential fee and the building budget.
Why are you asking students to pay for this?
MacEwan Student Centre (Mac Hall) is our student building. More than 60 years ago, it was students who voted to collect the first fee to initiate construction on the original building, and it was students who voted to fund two building expansions completed in 1987 and 2002. Mac Hall is a student space, and students determine the future of our building through referenda.
What happens if students vote against the fee?
If students vote “no” in this referendum, no additional fee will be collected at this time, and no expansion will be planned. Students will always determine the future of Mac Hall.
Why would I vote for this fee? I will graduate before construction is completed.
For some students, this will be the case. For this reason, the referendum question suggests a phased fee to acknowledge that students in higher years will likely graduate before they see the daily benefits of a renovation. However, we also recognize that the Mac Hall has always been built for students, by students. The Mac Hall we use every day was a vision funded by generations of students before us. A small fee in 1962 funded the original building where the Den still operates. A small fee in 1979 initiated development of the food court, courtyards, and clubs spaces. And a small fee in 1995 allowed us to build the conference centre and MacEwan Hall (concert venue). Students have invested in their building a several points over the last 64 years, each time adding more space and services for the next students who will need Mac Hall.