By Nima Dorjee
Editors, the Gauntlet
Re: “McQ’s becomes McSU’s,” May 18, 2000
The current management of the Students’ Union refused to renew the lease of McQ’s. The SU decided to run the business themselves. They also refused to pay any compensation for the goodwill generated by the owners of this business; instead, they sent a letter offering to purchase any of their leftover inventories.
The family-run business has been on campus for around 15 years, building their business while supporting the students of this university by sponsoring scholarships for many years. The SU’s mandate is to serve the students on this campus, not to bully and take over family-run businesses. Students on this campus were well served by the owners of McQ’s and other independent businesses in the MacEwan Student Centre.
If the SU expects the government and others to treat them fairly they should learn to treat their tenants with the same fairness.