Carleton University Students’ Association’s (CUSA) board of governors has officially finalized its decision to close Haven, according to an email statement to the Charlatan.
Dec. 6 will be Haven’s last day of operation, according to a statement shared to CUSA’s Instagram.
“After careful consideration and in-depth consultation with external professional services, the board of directors of CUSA confirmed the difficult and final decision to cease operation of Haven,” the statement reads.
Financial accountants confirmed “substantial financial losses and hardship for Haven over the last two years,” which is cited as the reason for the café’s closure.
Haven lost more than $130,000 over the last six months, according to CUSA’s statement.
This announcement follows questions from Haven employees about the board’s decision to close the café and a CUSA council recommendation that the board halt converting Haven to a rental space. Council also proposed a student referendum aimed at keeping Haven open.
The motion for the recommendations passed during a Nov. 25 CUSA council meeting with eight votes in favour and seven votes against.
If the board decided to hold a student referendum, it would have occurred during the general election period in March 2025. However, the motion for the referendum was a recommendation, so the board was not obligated to comply.
Students would have voted for or against a $9 increase to the current $25 general CUSA fee per semester, which would take effect in September 2025. The additional $9 would go toward funding Haven.
Public affairs councillor Emma Girvan asked the board why it didn’t consider a levy referendum earlier if they knew Haven was facing closure.
“I don’t understand why the decision was to close instead of to go to students,” Girvan said.
During the Nov. 25 CUSA council meeting, CUSA president Sarah El Fitori said it was her decision not to propose a referendum.
“I don’t think it’s fair to ask students for more student money to fix our businesses before we implement the changes that are possible to fix our businesses,” she said. “From my understanding, from the consultation, there are not a lot of students in the space on a regular basis.”
The Haven delegation and community members shook their heads in disagreement following El Fitori’s statement.
Kiran Niet, a Haven employee and fourth-year Carleton student, said around 40 people attend each open mic night, and that exam season is an especially busy time.
El Fitori said selling Haven’s building and closing CUSA altogether is the worst-case scenario.
“I also want to caution that the future is not guaranteed,” El Fitori said.
CUSA arts and social sciences councillor Cass McIsaac said keeping Haven dormant until potentially receiving funds next September from a student referendum could do more harm than good.
“We will have to cut so many other services that we provide to students that honestly might outweigh what that café does,” McIsaac said.
McIsaac also said the 1,300 signatures on the Save Haven petition have not been verified.
A CUSA-proposed compromise is the transferring of some of Haven’s services onto campus.
Many councillors and community members claimed Haven’s artistic community and off-campus location cannot be replicated in another location.
“Rooster’s doesn’t have the same artistic community sense to it … I think having the location off campus does allow for Carleton students to interact with the community, which I think is really vital,” Girvan said.
“We’re losing money on every cinnamon roll, every cup of coffee that comes out of that place, that much is clear,” Aidan Kallioinen, CUSA’s associate vice-president government affairs said.
“But you cannot in good faith say that what Haven has done at its location on the corner of Sunnyside and Seneca, it can do … on campus.”
Featured image by Myles Bodie.
