After hearing feedback from students at the UTMSU Ministry of Student Services, the student union has finalized a decision to open a convenience store on campus.
The store will be in the now vacant room next to the Multifaith Centre, which previously housed the UTMSU Copy Centre. Initial discussion for use of this space was divided between using it for a convenience store or for a dental office.
In a vlog posted to the UTMSU YouTube page on May 18, UTMSU VP university affairs and academics Nour Alideeb explained that placing a dentist on campus would provide students with a way to easily make use of student’s health and dental insurance plan.
“A lot of students don’t take advantage of [the dental plan] because it takes a lot of extra time to commute to wherever [their] dentist is,” said Alideeb. “Having a dentist on campus would be really beneficial.”
On August 24, UTMSU president Ebi Agbeyegbe and VP internal and services Francesco Otello-DeLuca appeared in another vlog to announce that a store will be coming to campus.
“Over the years, many students have brought up this idea at the Ministry of Student Services,” said Otello-DeLuca in an email to The Medium. “The idea became more feasible after the UTMSU-managed printing service became so popular that it was relocated to the information desk.”
According to Otello-DeLuca, items sold will include products regularly found at convenience stores, except for lottery tickets and cigarettes, though specifically which items will be sold will depend heavily on student opinion.
Otello-DeLuca also told The Medium the store plans to compete with other campus vendors to provide affordable options to students and pricing will be structured to ensure the store does not run a profit or deficit, so that it remains a service and not a profitable venture.
It is currently unclear when the store will open and according to Otello-DeLuca, items sold at the convenience store will be decided at the next meeting hosted by the Ministry of Student Services.
