AMS President Blake Frederick and UBC President Stephen Toope met on Friday and made steps toward reconciling their issues regarding the underground bus loop project.
Two weeks ago, the AMS pre-emptively released a press release that told students that the underground bus loop project was cancelled due to TransLink not being able to finance their side of the partnership. The AMS also demanded that the university come forward with the amount of money spent on the project.

Toope’s response to the press release was unusually strong and condemning.

At AMS Council last Wednesday, Council voted against censuring Frederick for sending out the press release and acting unprofessionally on behalf of the student body. The motion failed, with 17 for and 21 against.

Frederick told The Ubyssey that the 45-minute conversation with the university president went well.
“It was positive,” Frederick said. “The conversation was as I expected, that both myself and the president were both willing to move past the issue of the underground bus loop, so we both made a commitment to do that.
“Obviously we have had differing opinions…but in the end the underground bus loop will be canceled and we need to work together.”

The presidents talked about a number of issues, including the Olympics and the SUB Renew project.

“I did express to President Toope that I was equally disappointed that the SUB negotiations were taking as long as they have,” said Frederick, adding that they mutually set a timeline in order to get negotiations moving forward.

President Toope declined comment, but his Executive Assistant Gerald Calderon spoke for the president, saying that the letter Toope issued to the AMS spoke for itself and that he is looking forward to working with the AMS on the SUB Renew project.