Campus nightclub set to open this fall in North Bay

Nightclub to open at Nipissing University The grand opening of the On The Rocks nightclub at Nipissing University will take place Sept. 15, officials announced Wednesday.

The grand opening of the On The Rocks nightclub at Nipissing University will take place Sept. 15, officials announced Wednesday.

In a news release, the Nipissing University Student Union (NUSU), Nipissing University and Sodexo said the club is located within the NUSU Student Centre at 221 College Drive.

“The opening of On The Rocks nightclub is welcome news to Nipissing students and alumni who have been eager to enjoy the space at its full potential,” Nicolas Gignac, On The Rocks manager, is quoted as saying in the release.

The nightclub will be open on Fridays to Nipissing University students only at a cost of $5 per person, the release said.

Saturdays it will be open to the public at a cost of $10 per person. It will also be open to all on homecoming weekend, Sept. 22-24, 2023 for $10 per person.

“We are excited to have a space on campus where students can enjoy a fun night out with friends and create positive memories during their time at Nipissing,” Riley McEntee, NUSU president, said in the release.

Bus transportation will be provided to patrons on both nights and will have pickup and drop-off sites at Nipissing and Canadore residences, as well as stops along McKeown Avenue and Gormanville Road.

Campus security will be working with GardaWorld to ensure a secure and enjoyable environment.

“On The Rocks Nightclub will offer students a safe and convenient place to gather and socialize and will contribute to a vibrant campus life at Nipissing,” Nipissing vice-president Renée Hacquard said in the release.

“We look forward to celebrating its opening alongside NUSU and inviting alumni back to campus to enjoy the space during homecoming weekend.”

In April 2016, the Wall Bar & Grillhouse, a main campus bar and grill located at Nipissing University and Canadore College, closed its doors. McEntee said the opening of the new nightclub fills a hole in the community that students have been craving for.

“As I speak with more alumni, they bring it up all the time ‘The Wall’ closed, what's next? We have this space and the alumni lounge, they had the hunger,” he said.

“But not just them, the students, as well. They knew what they were missing."

The idea has been in the works for at least two years, NUSU said, but there were “a couple of hurdles to get though” to get to this point.

The nightclub will be able to hold approximately 500 people at a time. A calendar of bar nights and events will be released prior to September on social media.

Employment opportunities and other information can be viewed here. For information on booking the space for events, click here.