General
1) The legal drinking age in Quebec is 18. While minors are allowed at certain events (Weddings, etc.) only those of legal drinking age will be served alcohol. Proper identification must be provided upon request;
2) Any form of drinking games is strictly prohibited;
3) Gambling in any form (e.g. poker) is prohibited on PGSS property. A charity event in which fake money is used is allowed;
4) Alcohol consumption is to remain in the House; no alcohol is permitted to leave the premises under any circumstances;
5) Only alcohol purchased from the bar may be consumed on the premises. Under no circumstances will individuals or groups be permitted to bring in their own alcohol onto the premises. Any alcohol found being brought in by an individual or group will be confiscated and the person or group may be asked to leave the premises;
6) No group is permitted to bring beverages of any sort to an event booked at Thomson House. Groups or individuals found to be bringing in drinks to an event, alcoholic or not, may have their event shut down.
7) Illegal drugs are prohibited by federal and provincial laws. Zero tolerance will be exercised if drugs are found on the premises. People in possession of illegal substances will be asked to leave the premises;
8) As of May 31, 2006, smoking is no longer permitted in public places. Smoking on the premises is strictly prohibited and anyone violating the law will be asked to leave the premises. Those smoking outdoors are required by law to maintain a distance of at least 30 fees (9 meters) from any University entrance;
9) The PGSS and Thomson House are subject to the regulations found in the McGill Student Rights and Responsibilities” Handbook (found
here);
Booking Your Event
1) Booking requests may be made online (http://www.thomsonhouse.ca/contact/), by phone at 514.398.3756 and speaking with the House Manager, in person at 3650 McTavish, or by e-mail at hm.pgss@mail.mcgill.ca. Once a booking has been approved, a contract between the event organizers and a Thomson House representative may be required, at the discretion of the TH rep;
2) Internal groups (PGSS members, recognized PGSS clubs and GSAs) will be given booking priority, followed by McGill faculty/department groups, and then groups/individuals external to the PGSS and McGill will be considered;
3) Thomson House will retain all food and beverage sales;
4) External caterers are permitted for events, but they (or the organizing group) must provide everything related to the food service including, but not limited to: linens for tables, cutlery, dishes, napkins, serving utensils, staff to set up, maintain and clean up any food stations/areas. There is also no access to an oven/stove, though a convection microwave is available. We can set up prep-tables in our storage room for food assembly, or for a small fee you can rent the prep room on the 3rd floor (if it is available) though this does not include use of knives, trays, or other dishes/utensils in the room, and all cutting boards/counters used must be cleaned and left as they were found. It is possible to rent some items from us, such as linens, dishes, cutlery and serving staff.
5) All advertising and event promotion is the responsibility of the event organizer(s). All promotional material (posters, flyers, on-line ads, etc.) must be approved by the House Manager prior to distribution. Failure to obtain approval may result in the cancellation of the event. It is the responsibility of the event organizers to respect the regulations governing the distribution of advertising material on the McGill University Campus, as well as any applicable laws of the City of Montreal.
6) Groups must inform the House Manager of any sponsorship for an event by an external company or organization. Failure to do so may result in the cancellation of the event;
7) Any group charging admission to an event will retain 100% of gate sales if the group provides volunteers to collect money at the door. If Thomson House is required to staff the door, the group will retain 50% of gate sales. Groups must specify if there will be an admission fee for the event when completing the booking request;
8) Groups may request that coat check be used for an event at the time of booking, however the coat check option is only available for weekend (Saturday or Sunday) bookings. There is a $50 fee for setting up a coat check. The group must provide their own coat check tickets, and staff it with volunteers. If Thomson House staff is needed to run the coat check, the $50 set up fee will be waived, and 100% of coat check revenues will be retained by Thomson House; if we do set up a coat check and it is to be staffed by the House and the set-up fee is waived, the coat check will be mandatory, in order to ensure the labour costs are covered.
9) Thomson House Hours are as follows for Mid-August to Mid-May:
Monday-Wednesday 11h30 to 23h00
Thursday-Friday 11h30 to 02h00 (up to 03h00)
Saturday-Sunday upon reservation only
Summer hours are as follows for Mid-May to Mid-August:
Monday-Thursday 11h30 to 22h00
Friday 11h30 to 23h00 (up to 03h00)
Saturday-Sunday upon reservation only
10) For ballroom or weekend bookings we can stay open until 3am, but this must be arranged when the booking is made, and additional fees may apply;
11) Last call is 30 minutes before the bar closes;
12) The music must be turned down 15 minutes before the bar closes;
13) Audio/visual equipment (data projectors, overhead projectors, etc.) and limited sound equipment is available for use by groups booking the basement or ballroom, and must be reserved prior to the event. It is the responsibility of the group to ensure that any additional equipment needed be arranged and obtained prior to the event. Any group using the Thomson House sound or a/v equipment is responsible for any damages caused to it, and must ensure that any equipment used or moved during the course of the event be returned to it’s original location and correctly plugged back in. Failure to do so may result in additional fees being billed to the group;
14) It is the responsibility of the group booking Thomson House space to set up and operate any audio visual material (data projector, overhead, etc.) used during the course of their event;
15) Thomson House staff will take care of the set up and take down of tables and chairs before events start and at the end. If a changeover is needed during an event TH staff may take care of this, depending on what is needed and the type of event.
16) The use of smoke machines, paint, permanent markers, powders, liquids, candles, glitter, etc. is strictly forbidden unless otherwise authorized by a Thomson House Manager. Organizers will be charged for any damages related to the use of such products.
17) Scotch tape is never to be used to affix posters or anything else to walls, tables, doors, or any equipment or fixture in the House under any circumstances. Organizers will be charged for damages related to the use of scotch tape.
18) PGSS is not responsible for any lost or stolen goods or damages.
19) Cancellation Policy
For Boardroom/Main Floor Lounge Reservations during regular business hours
No penalty will be incurred provided written notice of cancellation is received a minimum of 3 business days prior to the event.
Cancellations received with less than 3 business days’ notice, or 'no-shows', will be subject to the full charge of the event.
If no rental fee or other charge would normally be incurred, a 'no-show' is still subject to a $50 cancellation/administration fee.
For Basement Lounge/Ballroom/Weekend Bookings
No penalty will be incurred provided written notice of cancellation is received a minimum of 1 months prior to the event.
Cancellations received within 2 weeks of the scheduled event will be subject to the full charge of the event. If no rental fee or other charge would normally be incurred, a 'no-show' will still be subject to a $100 cancellation/administration fee.
*Wedding bookings are subject to separate cancellation regulations.
For Evening and Weekend Bookings, Closing hours are as follows:
Monday – Wednesday 12:00 am
Thursday-Saturday 2:00 am
Sunday 12:00 am
Option to stay open past regular closing time, no later than 3:00 am, is possible, but must be decided no later than one week before the event. Additional charges may apply.
**All prices are subject to applicable taxes**
**All prices are subject to change without notice**
20) The above policies and regulations are subject to change without notice.
