Gert’s acts as a confluence for McGill students, a Breakfast Club of sorts. It’s an amorphous, yet remedial space for studying and artistic expression, and it is great for those who just need a drink. Since my first year, Gert’s has provided a vessel for what would, by my fourth year, become a nostalgic enterprise of experience. One can recall countless Thursdays spent making embarrassing decisions and forgetful conversation post-BDA, boisterous St. Patrick’s Day festivities, trivia nights (an event that really gets the McGill pheromones going), nights filled with music we pretend our friends should pursue… I even celebrated my 21st birthday in that venue. I hope with the reopening this semester we will see many more of these days.
So where has Gert’s been?
The Bull & Bear had the pleasure of interviewing 4th year student Meg Baltes, the VP of Operations and Sustainability with the SSMU. After receiving limited information from other SSMU avenues, we could not have found a better source.
We began by discussing how Gert’s closure has impacted her role significantly. She had only begun training for her role in May, officially taking on the position on June 1st. At the beginning of the summer, she was informed of the closure, and therefore lost the largest method of student engagement in her position, something she was most looking forward to.
Baltes clarified to The Bull & Bear that the decision to close was never tied to a specific date. She never received an exact timeline for the closure and has been dependent on others’ schedules. Although discussions had been ongoing since the start of the summer, she shared that the lack of communication was frustrating. She regrettably wishes she had been able to inform students of the Gert’s agenda earlier than this Wednesday. The official announcement was delayed in hopes of gaining more clarity, but there are still no definitive dates.
Reasons for closure
Baltes described that the circumstances that prompted the closure are complex, and there is no one in particular who made the final decision. Not only was it driven by internal restructuring and processes focused on resolving back-end business administration issues, but also structural constraints pressuring the separation of the café and bar spaces. These desires were driven by: the cafe outgrowing its space, the insufficient safety exits and infrastructure, and the alcohol permit rules.
For those who arrive at McGill pre-adulthood, you may know that the café couldn’t serve anyone under 18 due to Quebec permit rules. So, in tandem with revenue generation considerations, the decision to separate the two spaces was a logical step. However, the separation became a stagnant process because while McGill owns the building, not SSMU, any changes need approval from Facilities Management and Ancillary Services. With other major ongoing construction projects around campus, Gert’s outstanding work orders (including plumbing, electrical, and carpentry) have been backlogged behind the surplus of other maintenance requests.
Baltes also shared that one of these maintenance requests involved addressing McGill’s (recently passed) regulation that prohibits Point Of Sale systems on their Wi-Fi network, requiring new network cards and wiring. This technical issue was left for the student team on SSMU to figure out because the university did not offer an alternate solution to re-wiring the space, making the renovation process even more time-consuming.
Personnel changes
Baltes shared with The Bull & Bear that the beloved security guards at Gert’s were employed by a third-party organization whose services are very flexible and can be adjusted with little notice, making the firing process just a reassignment issue.
As for the bar and café staff, the process was handled differently, but Baltes did not provide any specific details about their situation. The students who hoped to be part of the returning staff team in the Fall did not receive any information over the summer. A previous Gert’s staffer informed The Bull & Bear that communication was initiated by a coat check staff member in late August, hoping to verify a renewal of the team’s employment contracts. Following a vague response to this staff member — which alluded to a temporary closure — an official email was only sent out on the 10th of September informing the employees of changes in renovation and management. The source confirmed that the lack of information was disappointing, and even more disheartening, according to previous Gert’s staffers, was the announcement that employment for the bar’s re-opening would not be guaranteed for previous staff. However some staff, like Isara Burgess, told The Bull & Bear that this lack of guarantee does not change her enthusiasm to return. Although she expressed some annoyance at the delay in communication, she was eager to share that she would definitely be reapplying as she “loves” both her coworkers and her time working there; she thinks “it’s a great thing that’s part of McGill.”
Addressing rumors
Baltes emphasized that the closure was primarily due to physical space issues rather than financial strain. Although a base fee increase for general operations did place a burden on resources, it didn’t expedite the closure process for other service providers either. Internal job procedures and accounting processes were addressed over the summer, but the lack of resources and personnel also didn’t directly cause the closure.
She wanted to clarify rumors that the decision to close was not driven by its financial deficit. While other student bars, such as BDA and Blues, may run greater deficits, Gert’s is also a subsidized service and not designed to generate profits. It operates with discounts in student spaces, and sponsorships are structured to break even, not make a profit.
Further, its closure was not influenced by the strain the encampment put on SSMU or campus spaces. Baltes wanted to underscore that the two issues were entirely unrelated, and Gert’s was never impacted by the encampment. The only strain could have been on SSMU resources having to involve third-party security, but that responsibility fell on McGill, not SSMU.
Impact on the student community
The temporary closure of Gert’s has significantly impacted the creative organizations and various clubs that used the space, especially since it was such a frequently utilized venue. Specifically, without a clear timeline for reopening, it has been particularly challenging for clubs and performers such as the Musicians’ Collective, the Players’ Theatre, and McGill Wine Society, all of whom rely on Gert’s for their performances and events. While Gert’s has tried to accommodate these groups by offering other areas of the building, it has still been difficult for them to operate. There is strong student demand and passion for getting the venue back, as Gert’s serves as an important third space on campus.
As for the future of the bar, there is hope that Gert’s will definitely reopen in the next few months, unless unexpected issues arise. Baltes clarified that some remaining challenges include network issues and staffing concerns. The hiring process for new bar managers, which includes screening and interviews, should take a month or two, but reopening cannot happen overnight. However, the goal is to reopen in a better and more sustainable way, ensuring that the bar can serve students effectively moving forward.
Now it would be easy to make some distasteful joke about drinking and needing yet another McGill avenue to spend money. But in reality, the temporary closure of Gert’s represents something deeper. It’s not just about losing a bar – it’s about the loss of one of the few remaining third spaces on campus that aren’t a busy library. These are spaces that offer more than just a place to socialize; they provide a vital sense of community, especially for commuter students, those who feel isolated, and the countless others seeking camaraderie. Gert’s is one of the few places where students from all areas of campus and interests could come together, and its closure risks alienating many and removing a core part of the McGill student experience. Hopefully, with its reopening, Gert’s will not only return but thrive, ensuring it continues to serve as a hub for student life, expression, and connection.
