At the University of Waterloo in Kitchener, Ontario, only two residences are open to students in the spring/summer term (May to August): Claudette Millar Hall (CMH) and UW Place (UWP). Of the two, only CMH offers AC.

UWP houses well over 1000 students in suite-style apartments, in four courts and two halls. The buildings are crusty and as old as Waterloo 🙂 In the past few months, students have been suffering temperatures of over 35 degrees with no AC. These are conditions that have broken 102-year-old weather records in Kitchener. Oftentimes, just going into a court's hallway for a few minutes will leave you more soaked with sweat than standing outside in the blazing sun will. There's no other way to put it: students are getting cooked alive.

UWP residents pay just as exorbitant housing fees as all other students on residence and yet have no access to the basic necessity in the summer that is AC. Living conditions are unbearable, forcing many residents to return home on weekends, spend as much time as possible in air-conditioned buildings on campus, and even take refuge in CMH overnight. Extreme temperatures have gotten people sick, and even then the university has taken no significant action. In fact, students are explicitly prohibited to find their own solutions: portable AC units are banned as the UWP infrastructure is too crusty to support them.

It's not as if the university lacks solutions-- Mackenzie King Village (MKV) is the only suite-style residence on campus with AC, yet the university keeps it available to visitors to book for recreational trips, rather than open it to students in the sweltering heat. On their website, MKV is advertised as a "fully-furnished, air-conditioned four-bedroom suite".

The University's commitment to student welfare should be demonstrated in more than just words. We are looking for an immediate action plan to address the dangerous heat levels at UWP. There are many possible solutions: installing temporary air conditioning units in rooms, opening of the air-conditioned residence for UWP student use, or provision of alternative cooling accommodations free of charge.

Comfortable living conditions are our non-negotiable rights. We urge the senior administration of the University of Waterloo to acknowledge the severity of this issue and act swiftly for the good of students.