Stop 5: Butterdome/PAW Centre
So… as you moved into residence and started navigating campus you might have asked yourself what is this big yellow building kind of looks like…Yup butter “. This is the Universiade Pavilion most commonly known as the Butterdome. The Butterdome is a 64,000 sq ft multi-purpose facility that houses a wide range of sporting arenas. Additionally, in pre-covid years this massive building was used as a space for exams. Also, at the start of the pandemic, the Butterdome was set up as a field hospital with help from the Canadian Red Cross. Luckily, our hospitals were never too overrun and the Butterdome never had to host a patient. It has now been taken down, and we are proud to say that our campus was prepared to help during trying times.
To the right of the Butterdome is Van Vliet Complex (VVC). Here you will find the campus gym, some classrooms, an aquatics centre and more! And, see that cone-shaped building on the corner of 87th and 114th? That’s UofA’s rock-climbing wall! Gym access is built into your tuition fees via your OneCard. Additionally, if you want a more private space to work out, living on East Campus, you can access the gym in Nîpisîy house. There’s no need to step out in the winter when these facilities are available throughout your stay.
Shall we head onto the next location? We are headed to Main Quad! Go back towards SUB and pass it on your left. There should be a statue of two people caught in an engaging conversation at the entrance to this area. Ask your fellow peers or your student leader who they are.