Last month, the SFSS announced that Highland Pub would be closed for the summer semester, causing an unplanned four-month hiccup in drunkenness to SFU’s Burnaby campus. But do not fret, my fellow classmates, as the notorious student-fee sinkhole isn’t the only place folks can go to for a drink on Burnaby Mountain; here are five alternatives for where you can get boozy after — or, let’s be honest, before — class.
Club Ilia: With happy hour everyday from 3 to 5 p.m. and a formidable menu to choose from, Club Ilia seems like the candidate most likely to become the go-to destination for Burnaby students to get gooned. The summer is also prime time for drinking on a patio, which Ilia counts among its amenities.
Mountain Shadow Pub: Located just a short 135 bus ride away, the Mountain Shadow Pub has been a staple of an SFUer’s liquid diet for the past three decades and… oh really? It did? Just last year? They tore it down to make room for more condos? Huh. Weeeeell let’s just keep the Shadow on this list as an in memoriam, okay?
The parking lot down the street from the new BC Liquor Store: April 13 marked a brave new era for Burnaby Mountain, with the opening of a BC Liquor Store within walking distance of campus. What the parking lot down the street from the BCL lacks in food and services, it makes up for in sprawl and pavement, solidifying its spot as a fan favourite for students to go drinking.
Visitor’s Parkade, West Mall: Are you a summer baby, but your birthday falls on a weekday this year? After class is over, round up your favourite classmates and head on down to the Visitor’s Parkade, which is adjacent to the lower bus loop. Sure, there are no fancy ‘chairs’ or ‘tables’ in this echo-filled, multi-floor parkade, but one student’s place to park their car is another student’s summer hangout spot. Just remember to keep an eye out for moving vehicles, and you’ll be making memories in no time.
A goddamn field: Let’s double-check the requirements a place needs to be a perfect haunt for you and your school chums to partake in the consumption of alcohol. Does it have ground or a floor for people to sit/stand on? Yes? Then this field passes with sky-flying colours. Just quit your complaining and make sure you keep an eye out for any buzzkill security guards who are really just trying their hardest to stop you from having fun.
