Our campus community becomes quiet over the Winter Break: You’ll see only a few people walking through the hallways or laneways, a handful of individuals in common rooms or spaces, and many areas normally bustling with activity will be quiet or even empty.
A number of supports will be in place to ensure the safety and security of students staying on campus during the winter break. It’s important you fully read and understand the information we’ve provided you here, follow the processes we’ve put in place for you, and abide by our Residence Standards.
FAQs
Can I stay in residence over the winter break?
As per the Residence Contract, students pay for their housing and meal plans on a per-term basis; Term 1 ends on Dec. 21 at 12 noon, and Term 2 begins on Jan. 5 at 12 noon. For those students in exceptional circumstances, stay-through housing may be offered for a fee of $300. As these dates fall outside of the Residence contract, the $300 fee covers the basic operational cost of keeping the residence buildings open and staffed (i.e., meal plan costs are not included)
What services are available while campus is closed?
For the weeks in between Terms 1 and 2, the campus is closed. That includes food service locations, the library, bookstore, and other amenities usually in operation during an academic term.
Students who meet the criteria to stay and have been given permission to remain in residence during the winter closure have been granted an exception due to very specific circumstances, on the understanding that the campus community closes down for the holiday break, and minimal services are available.
The $300 fee for staying in residence covers housing only. Students who remain in housing during the winter closure must procure their own meals.
Important Contacts
- Winter Advisor On Call: 250-863-3960 | residencelife.ok@ubc.ca | Available 5:30 PM – 10:00 AM all days
- Residence Life Staff: residencelife.ok@ubc.ca
- Campus Security: 250-807-8111 (emergency) | 250-807-9236 (non-emergency) | Available 24/7
- Housing Office: 250-807-8050 | Check office hours here.
- Health and Wellness: If you become ill over the holidays and have any questions or concerns, contact the front desk.
Keeping Us Informed
To ensure your safety and security throughout the Winter Break, we will have Student Housing Front Desk Staff and Residence Advisors available each day in case of emergencies or if you have any questions throughout the break.
1. Drop in Programming with the Residence Advisors
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The Residence Advisors will be in the Nechako Gathering room every evening from 7pm-8pm, please stop by to hang out, play games, watch movies and connect with other students.
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To contact the Residence Advisors between 5:30pm - 10am please call 250-863-3960
2. Visit us at the Student Housing Front Desk in Nechako
- Front Desk hours can be found here.
- Please feel free to stop by if you need help with a lock out, collecting your mail or have any questions about Student Housing over the winter break
3. It is required that you notify Student Housing if your plans change and you will no longer be staying over the break.
- This is so we know you’re not going to be around and aren’t worried when the Advisors haven’t heard from you
- Please send an email with the dates you’ll be away to residencelife.ok@ubc.ca
Please remember that there are relatively few people on the campus, so we want to ensure you have a safe and enjoyable Winter Break!
Services on Campus
Please Note: There are limited services available to you over the Winter Break.
Campus Food Services
All Food Service locations on campus – including Pritchard Dining Hall – are closed during the winter break. More information about specific location hours, as well as ways to order food for delivery, can be found further down this page.
- To see all hours for the various locations, please visit Food Services.
Housing Office Winter Break Hours
- Front Desk hours can be found here
Mail
- Mail will be delivered to the office during regular office hours and will be processed throughout the day during the Winter Break. Electronic mailboxes are accessible 24/7, but only in-person pick-ups will be available during office hours. While every effort will be made to have mail processed the same day, please be aware that processing of mail may take longer than usual.
- Should you be ordering grocery delivery or meal delivery, please be sure to use your building address and be available for contact with the delivery drivers. The Student Housing office cannot accept grocery and or meal service deliveries such as Instacart, Uber Eats and Skip the Dishes.
Winter Advisors
The Winter Advisors will be on call from 5:30pm – 10:00am daily. Should you have any questions or concerns, they will be your first point of contact. They will be able to assist you with:
The Winter Advisors will complete rounds of residence daily, and will need you to check in with them a minimum of two times during the break. Should you need assistance during this period, please contact the Winter Residence Advisors 24/7 (250-863-3960). They will be able to assist you with:
| · Any emergency situations
· Being locked out of your unit
· Key cards/keys not working |
· General questions or concerns
· A friendly chat |
- The Winter Advisors will complete rounds of residence daily, and will need you to check in with them a minimum of two times during the break. Should you need assistance during this period, please contact the Winter Residence Advisors (250-317-9064).
- Security is also always available should you need their services. You can reach their emergency number at 250-807-8111 or the non-emergency number at 250-807-9236.
IT Service Desk
- December 3: 12 noon closure for phone & walk-up support for IT Open House
- December 10: early closure phone and walk-up support for staff event
- December 25-January 1: CLOSED
- January 2-3: phone support only 7:30 am – 4:30 pm
- January 6: normal services resume
UBCO Bookstore
- December 24th: Closed at 4:30pm
- December 25th to January 1st: Closed
- January 2: open at 9:00am – 4:30pm
- Check out our extended Back to School hours at bookstore.ubc.ca
Maintenance
- On site daily from 8:30 am – 4pm except stat holidays.
- No maintenance staff on Dec 25, 26, 2024 & Jan 1, 2025
Residence Life Winter Break Programming
Our Residence Advisors typically run daily events starting at 7pm in Nechako’s Gathering Room from Dec. 22 to Jan. 4. These can range from movie nights, cookie decorating, games and more! We’d love to have you attend! Please share this invitation with other UBC students who are around campus over the break.
Other off-campus things to do
Christmas Day Curling and Dinner
This Christmas Day from 1 pm – 5 pm, Kelowna Curling Club is offering a fun and free Curling session for UBCO students!
Located in the upstairs lounge, students can come with their friends to enjoy games like pool, foosball, air hockey, ping pong, and more!
Students will also have a chance to learn how to curl. Volunteers will be available to help you and your friends become curling pros.
- Dress warmly, wear gloves and a winter coat for curling
- Wear clothing that you can move comfortably in
A special Christmas Turkey Dinner will be served at 4 pm!
This event is available to undergraduate and graduate students who will be on-campus or in Kelowna over the winter break.
This event is FREE, spaces are limited and pre-registration is required.
CLICK HERE to register!
Festive Lights
- Festival of Trees at Mission Hill Winery. More info here.
- Wild Lights at Kamloops Wildlife Centre. More info here.
- Candy Cane Lane, Rutland. Free, but donations of non-perishable food kindly welcomed. More info here.
Outdoor Skating
- Stuart Park Ice Rink, Downtown Kelowna: Open for free, drop-in skating daily. Food Truck open during peak hours. More here.
- Apex Skating Loop, Apex Mountain Resort, Hedley: Glide through the forest on this 1 km zamboni-maintained loop. Open daily. Tickets and skate rentals available in the Village. More info here.
- Skating Pond, Big White: Take a spin on Canada’s highest outdoor skating rink, then warm up by the bonfire. Open daily. Free for all to use. More info here.
- Silverstar Skating Pond, Vernon. Lace up your skates and glide across Brewer’s Pond’s 2.5-acre natural rink. Tickets are $8 per participant. Rentals available. More info here.
Sleigh Rides
- Half hour, one hour, private, and dining tours available at Big White. More info here.
- Choose from a hot chocolate tour, fondue tour, or charcuterie tour at Silverstar. More info here.
Taking it Easy
- Many find that the holidays bring as much stress as they do joy. But there are ways to ease through the season. Click here for some some mindful tips to make the holidays brighter.
Resources
BC Transit Holiday Service
Grocery Deliveries
If you have access to an equipped kitchen and plan on making your own meals, consider ordering groceries online for delivery to your door. A popular and near-by option is Save-On-Foods (select “Kelowna” and “UBC” when ordering). We recommend you order well in advance of your preferred delivered date. Take a look at the blog post below for advice on what to cook.
Meal Deliveries
Skip the Dishes has a huge variety of restaurants (including fast-food and local restaurants) that deliver to campus.