Commuters

CMU works to establish a strong sense of community for the commuter students and encourages students to make a conscious effort to be involved right from the start of the year. Here are some suggestions of how commuter students can develop a sense of belonging in the CMU community:

• Attend as many Orientation events as possible. Check out the Orienation Guide and other details here.
• Attend Community Gatherings (Chapels, Small Groups, Forums, Wednesday Night Worship, and Recitals).
• Check out the wide range of Student Council events that are open to all students to attend.
• Plan to spend some leisure and study time on campus in the Library, Marpeck Commons, the Student Centre (south side), or the Great Hall (North Side).

CMU has a number of spaces designed for studying and fellowship which commuter students are encouraged to take advantage of.

South Side

• The Student Centre is equipped with tables for group work, homework, or eating meals together with fellow students.
• The Commuter Lounge, located near the Student Centre, has a fridge, two microwaves, and a sink where students are welcome to store and prepare their food. Coffee and tea are available for a nominal fee, on an honour basis.

North Side

• The Great Hall has couches and tables and is a great place for studying and hanging out. In an alcove off the Great Hall is a Kitchenette where students can prepare and store food.
• The Blaurock Café is a student-run business located in the Great Hall that offers specialty beverages.
• There are a plethora of alcove lounges on each of the three floors that are ideal spaces for those looking for a quiet place to study.

Students are responsible to clean up after themselves in these areas. Please be respectful to others and leave a clean space behind you.

CMU provides lockers on both sides of campus for commuters to store their belongings. In order to reserve a locker, students must register through the link provided on the bank of lockers (or below) and put a lock on that locker. Students must supply their own locks which must be removed at the end of the academic year. Locks left on lockers will be cut and belongings donated to charity. For more information, please see the Director of Student Community Life.

Parking

All commuter students who bring a car onto campus are required to purchase a parking pass. The cost is determined on whether you are enrolled as a full or part-time student. Scramble parking is available for commuters in Lot A on north side during the day, and also in Lot N on the South Side after 4:30 PM.

Carpool

We encourage students to consider carpooling as a way to save money, produce fewer greenhouse gas emissions, and make an even strong commuter-ty! Whether you can drive all the time, are open to sharing the driving, or are looking to find people who regularly drive to campus, sign-up for the the carpool group and learn about how carpooling benefits everyone! Sign ups will begin in September on the Student Hub.

Transit

CMU is located on bus routes 65 Grant Express, 66 Roblin & Dieppe, 66 Unicity, and 95 as well as a 10- to 15-minute walk from routes 67 Charleswood Express or 79 Charleswood. Students may purchase a post-secondary student peggo pass at the CommonWord Bookstore. A student ID card must be shown in order to purchase student bus passes. Information on bus routes and schedules is available at: winnipegtransit.com/en/navigo.

Active Transit

There are multiple walking and biking paths that can be used to access CMU. There are bike racks near the main entrances to North, South, and Marpeck Commons. If you will be cycling all year, you are welcome to use the bike shed for indoor (unheated) storage during the day. It is free to access but you will need to submit a $20 key deposit. See South Side Reception for more details.

Bike Co-op

Sanctoral Cycle is a member owned co-op and resource hub for your cycling needs at CMU. The co-op is located in the North Side basement. Membership gives access to tools, workspace, parts, accessories (lube, tubes, chains, etc.), education on bike maintenance, and a 15% discount off parts and accessories at the Olympia Cycle and Ski shop at 1813 Portage Ave. Memberships are $10 for students; $20 for faculty, staff, and alumni. To get a membership, contact the co-op's staff representative Danielle Morton.

If you want to live off campus, CMU is not responsible for finding you off-campus housing. CMU is located in the south-west quadrant of the city, in the neighbourhood of Tuxedo. When selecting an apartment, you may want to take proximity into consideration. There are a number of online websites you can use to find affordable housing. Here are a few to help you get started in your search:

1. Winnipeg Renters Hotline
2. Winnipeg RentSpot
3. Winnipeg Rental Guide
4. Winnipeg Free Press Classifieds
5. Kijiji

Things to Consider When Looking for Housing in Winnipeg

• Bus connections – how much time do you want to spend commuting to school?
• Proximity to CMU, grocery stores, day care, schools
• Make sure that you have a good landlord and know your rights as a tenant. Become familiar with the Manitoba Tenancies Branch website.
• Remember to find out what is included in your rental cost.
  • Are utilities included? If so, which ones? Hydro, water, heat, internet, phone?
  • Is it furnished or unfurnished?
  • What is the damage deposit? Is a down payment required? If so, how much?
  • Are pets allowed? Is there a pet damage deposit?

Neighbourhoods to Consider in Winnipeg

There are lots of housing options in Winnipeg, so the following are just suggestions and not to be limitations for an international student looking for housing.

• River Heights, St. James, Tuxedo, Charleswood, and Crescentwood are all located fairly close to the CMU campus with good bus connections, but may be a little expensive unless you have roommates.
• Wolseley, Sargent Park, and West End neighbourhoods (especially those closer to Portage Ave. between Kenaston Blvd. and Home St.) are a little further from campus, but are closer to downtown and have great bus connections to the university. These neighbourhoods typically offer lots of rooms and apartments for rent at reasonable prices.
• Housing near the University of Manitoba, in Transcona neighbourhood, or along North Main or Main St. may be less expensive but can cost you a lot of time commuting to CMU (one to two hours of commuting one way with multiple bus connections).