Athletics & Rec
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We’re planning to have modified campus services open for fall 2021. This page is your guide to parking, hitting the gym and accessing on campus amenities.
Under guidance from the Ontario Camps Association (OCA) and Hamilton Public Health, the department of athletics and recreation is holding limited in-person summer camps on campus until August 27.
Sport Fitness School & Junior Leadership will be the only camp program offered this summer. Visit the camps 2021 website for up-to-date information.
For athletics and recreation services available during summer 2021, please visit the Mac Moves website.
The following athletics and recreation facilities are expected to be open to students starting fall 2021:
- Outdoor fields and running track
- David Braley Sport Medicine & Rehabilitation Centre
- Trails
- Softball Diamonds
The Pulse Fitness Centre will be reopened in a limited capacity for students beginning Monday, July 26. More information here.The expansion of the Pulse Fitness Centre and the addition of ‘The Hub’, McMaster’s new student centre, is expected to be completed in 2022.
Students are encouraged to visit ‘Pop-up Pulse’ locations within the David Braley Athletic Centre where you’ll find everything you need to enjoy a workout.
Access to The Pulse and other athletics and recreation facilities are available at no additional cost to all McMaster undergraduate students.
Please visit macmoves.mcmaster.ca to learn more about how to book a workout and safety measures in place to protect community members.
McMaster Recreation expects to have a variety of outdoor intramural sports running in the fall – soccer, spike ball, ultimate frisbee, touch rugby, and softball. These activities were chosen based on safety considerations and the ability to deliver them safely without compromising the experience for students. Check back on the intramural web page for updates.
There will be in-person, drop-in time available on outdoor fields this fall with maximum capacities/group sizes consistent with the latest public health regulations. Indoor availability is still to be determined.
Outdoor fitness sessions will take place throughout the summer on the field at Ron Joyce stadium. Virtual fitness classes will continue online through the fall.
Follow @mcmasterpulse on Instagram or Twitter or visit macmoves.mcmaster.ca for the latest schedules.
There is a plan in place to return to varsity competition in a modified fashion to ensure the health and safety of all involved. Attendance at these events is unclear at this juncture, but direction will come from all health authorities. Please visit the athletics and recreation website for updates on the status of varsity sports.
Food services
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Dining options and spaces to eat on campus.
Hospitality will be opening their main locations (11 of 18 units) for fall 2021. La Piazza in MUSC will open August 3, and the others will open on various dates in late August / early September.
The remaining smaller seven locations plan to open in January 2022.
All off-campus restaurant partners will be accepting meal plans as of August 3. These are listed on the Hospitality website.
Employees with closed-door offices can eat at their desks. Otherwise, in order to maintain physical distancing, please eat in common areas with marked signage. There will be indoor and outdoor options, such as employee lounges and outdoor gathering spaces.
Spaces to gather
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Planning underway to develop spaces to gather, study and connect on campus for fall 2021.
In addition to preparing indoor spaces, we have reimagined our outdoor spaces on campus to maximize opportunities for people to safely learn, study, socialize and collaborate in the fresh air.
The university has invested in developing different types of seating (Adirondack chairs, picnic tables, benches, stones) to allow for maximum utilization of green spaces on campus.
We have created these outdoor spaces while considering the needs and comfort of our students, staff and faculty members, including things like proximity to a strong wireless internet connection.
McMaster libraries will be open for the fall term. We will be opening library spaces to the maximum capacity permitted with public health guidelines.
Although there is not yet a final decision around capacity for the fall term, library leadership is planning for a number of different scenarios and will be ready to welcome you back.
Once a final classroom schedule for the fall has been released, the university will evaluate classrooms and other large spaces to support study activities.
McMaster is looking to safely increase the number of student lounge and study spaces indoors to allow for physical distancing.
Transit and Parking
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Information for parking on campus as faculty, students and staff transition Back to Mac.
McMaster’s Parking Services team is excited to welcome more students, staff and faculty members to campus in the Fall. In anticipation, flexible parking pass options to accommodate new or increasing levels of in-person activities on campus will be available this Fall. Everyone is encouraged to learn about their parking options for Fall 2021 on Parking Services’ website.
Individual staff or faculty members who had parking passes before the pandemic will be offered the option to renew their parking pass, select a part-time option or choose to place their parking on hold while we adjust to our new normal. In the winter of 2022, these options will be reassessed and communicated.
We’re asking leaders to be inclusive and to prioritize flexibility for their teams when a return or partial return to working onsite is identified. This could include different start/end times to support new circumstances, such as a modified public transit schedule, that individuals may experience since the pandemic began.
Campus stores
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Information for parking on campus as faculty, students and staff transition Back to Mac.
The front of the Main Store (GH B101) has reopened for in-person shopping as of July 15, 2021. Based on Public Health retail capacity guidelines, . Visit the Campus Store website for more information.
The Health Science Store (HSC 1G1) will reopen with controlled access based on Public Health retail capacity guidelines that are in place at the time.
To minimize traffic in-store during rush, the focus of this operation will be course materials and required supplies through September 20th. In addition, health Sciences crested merchandise will be available online or potentially through the main store if space allows.
As long as the retail occupancy COVID-19 capacity limit remains above ~75%, then the Campus Store will fully reopen for the rush period to facilitate in-person shopping. For more information on course materials and store services, please visit the campus store website.