chelsea residence
All the information about the Student Residence.
current residents
Meal Plans, Common Spaces, Maintenance and more.
faqs
Review our Frequently Asked Questions for more information.
Meet the Residence Life Team
Residence staff provide students with a safe, diverse, vibrant, and cooperative community that is conducive to academic success and personal development. These staff members help to build a sense of community between students, host social events and plan outings. The residence dons are supervised by a Residence Life Coordinator and an Assistant Dean, Residence Life who will all be living onsite.
Aloka Mahadurage
Residence Life Coordinator
Jessi Sidhu
Assistant Dean Residence Life
Manda Craig
Admissions and Programming Coordinator
Toni Javier
Residence Services & Communications Assistant
Frequently Asked Questions
The University has reserved space for students starting Sunday, September 4th. If you require accommodation earlier, you will need to make separate arrangements with the Chelsea Hotel and cover the costs yourself. If no spaces are available when you require it, you can consult Housing Services’ Temporary Accommodation list for other options.
The Chelsea has indicated that their rooms are booked for this period. For any family and friends seeking accommodations, we recommend booking with another hotel nearby using online booking tools. Additional resources can also be found at Off Campus Housing
Yes, students staying at the Chelsea will be able to stay over the winter break period (December 21 – January 1). In order to do so, students will be required to apply to the Residence Life Office by December 1. More information will be sent to residents this fall and please refer to the Occupancy Agreement for more details.
Yes, there will be a team of residence life staff who will live on site to provide support and programming for students.
Residence staff provide residents with a safe, diverse, vibrant, and cooperative community that is conducive to academic success and personal development. These staff members help to build a sense of community between students, host social events and plan outings. The residence dons are supervised by a Residence Life Coordinator and an Assistant Dean, Residence Life who will all be living on site.
Yes, the Chelsea Hotel has WIFI access and you will be able to connect to this when you move in.
Connect to the Wi-Fi. Wi-Fi access is direct connection to “Chelsea_Guest” (residents) or “Chelsea_Public” (visitors)
Students will be placed in a single or double occupancy rooms at the hotel. Students will have a chance to indicate their preference on the application, but room type cannot be guaranteed. If you have accessibility-related needs, please contact Accessibility Services.
If your roommate has allowed us to share their information with you, we will send along their contact information to you as soon as possible.
Students in single and double occupancy rooms will each have a double-sized bed. All bed linens will be provided by the hotel.
Microwaves are prohibited in the hotel rooms. However, each room will have one mini fridge provided.
Each room at the hotel will have a desk. There will also be a common room on the second floor (Stevenson Room) available for students’ exclusive use for study and other activities. The Chelsea Hotel also has a large outdoor patio connected to the Market Garden that is available to all hotel guests.
These spaces will not be accessible to students; however, you will have access to pools and fitness rooms and activities on-campus at Hart House and the Athletic Centre.
Students are provided with weekly cleaning along with new linens.
The hotel has bike racks on site with space for about 20-25 bikes. Keep in mind that these racks are also available to other hotel guests. Additionally, there are other outdoor bike racks located around the hotel property. We also recommend that students consider a service such as Bike Share Toronto.
The Chelsea Hotel is located on Gerrard Street West close to the intersection of Bay and Gerrard Streets. The University is reserving students-only full floors. Its Front Desk is open and staffed 24 hours and there is an on-site security team 24 hours a day. The Residence Life Team at the hotel are also available to assist with any noise disturbances, student concerns, and any emergency situations that may arise. U of T Campus Safety will also attend if necessary. Students in the hotel can also utilize Campus Safety Services, who work in partnership with the University and community.
Additionally, the University of Toronto TravelSafer program provides safe escorts to and from any building on the St. George Campus, including the Chelsea Hotel. TravelSafer is available 7 days a week, 365 days a year from dusk till dawn. Call 416-978-SAFE (7233) any time to arrange for patrollers to come to your location during service hours. It is also possible to arrange for regular walks with the same pick-up location and time each week.
Students will be required to wear University designated lanyards at all times when on student-only floors to help security staff identify them.
Campus Safety will be patrolling student floors 24/7.
If you are experiencing difficulties in your roommate relationship, you should approach your Don as soon as possible. They can assist you in identifying communication strategies or, if necessary, they may intervene if you and your roommate are unable to resolve the situation on your own. The Residence Dons are extensively trained to help residents manage roommate conflicts.
Proof of residence letters can only be provided after a student has checked in to their residence and received their room number as this forms part of your address. After move-in, proof of residence letters can be printed from your StarRez account under the “Manage My Housing.” Please check back after you have arrived and checked in to your room.
Regarding COVID-19
VACCINATION
INTERNATIONAL TRAVELERS
SELF-ISOLATION
PRE-ARRIVAL
Requirement for Vaccination
All students moving into residence will be required to have their third dose of a vaccine prior to their move-in date. We recommend that students obtain their third dose at least 14 days prior to moving into residence.
Any students in residence who cannot be vaccinated on medical or other grounds recognized by the Ontario Human Rights Code may request an accommodation.
Students in residence who cannot get vaccinated before moving in will have two weeks following their move-in date to get vaccinated. Students who are not fully vaccinated may be subject to additional public health restrictions.
The University will support students and will facilitate vaccines for students who require the third booster.
Students arriving from outside Canada may also be required to meet government quarantine requirements before moving into residence. Please refer to the U of T Quarantine Guide for Students.
More information about the vaccine requirement is available in the Frequently Asked Questions section on the Office of the Vice Provost, Students website.
A reminder that your vaccination documentation should be uploaded to the system as soon as possible. The documentation needs to include your name, date of birth, vaccine type (please refer to list below), and dates administered.
If you have not received your third dose, please upload your documents as soon as they are available. Having this information early will allow us to determine the public health measures required for your situation. If possible, we strongly encourage you to be fully vaccinated prior to your move-in date.
Students in residence who are not fully vaccinated prior to move-in day will be required to follow appropriate public health measures including COVID rapid screening tests and daily self-assessments. Information regarding the rapid screening program will be available closer to your move-in date.
As a reminder, if you are unable to obtain your third dose prior to move-in, you will have 14 days from your move-in date to receive the third booster of your vaccination.
Information on how to book a vaccine in Ontario is available here.
Health Canada Approved Vaccines:
- Pfizer-BioNTech (Comirnaty, tozinameran, BNT162b2)
- Moderna (mRNA-1273)
- AstraZeneca/COVISHIELD (ChAdOx1-S, Vaxzevria, AZD1222)
- Janssen/Johnson & Johnson (Ad26.COV2.S)
WHO Approved Vaccines:
- Sinopharm (BIBP)
- Sinovac (CoronaVac)
INTERNATIONAL TRAVELLERS
Quarantine Requirements
Depending on your country of origin and whether or not you are fully vaccinated, you may be required to quarantine upon arrival. The Government of Canada has outlined the requirements for Quarantine for Travellers to Canada – please be sure to review these requirements as they continue to change and develop over the summer and fall months.
The University’s Quarantine Accommodation program is available to support students’ arrival to Canada.
Students who are required to quarantine can register for one of two programs offered: either the Full program or the At Home program. Please refer to the Quarantine Guide for detailed information about both programs and for a step-by-step breakdown of the quarantine process.
IMPORTANT: Students cannot quarantine in residence – The Quarantine Act does not permit quarantines to take place in group living environments.
For more information, please refer to the Frequently Asked Questions section on the Office of the Vice-Provost, Students website.
SELF-ISOLATION
Are you feeling sick? Have you been in close contact with someone who has COVID-19 or has symptoms of COVID-19?
The University of Toronto, in partnership with Thrive Health, has launched the UCheck self-assessment web portal to support the health & safety of the entire U of T community. Students living in residence are asked to generate a COVID-19 risk status daily by completing a quick and thorough self-assessment. UCheck allows students to complete a symptom check survey and generates a “green status” if you are safe to attend campus or a “red status” if you may not be safe to attend campus.
IMPORTANT: If you receive a red status result from the assessment, we recommend that you follow the instructions given in the assessment tool and also contact us at info.chelsea@utoronto.ca to let us know.
ALL students who are feeling sick or have been in close contact with someone who has COVID-19 are asked to self-report and self-isolate!
- Please fill out the ‘Students Reporting Illness’ form to report your illness to the Residence Life Office. Please do not attend the front desk in person if you feel ill. A member of the Residence Office will follow-up with you. You should also call Telehealth Ontario: Toll-free 1-866-797-0000 (TTY: 1-866-797-0007) and utilize this Ontario Ministry of Health self-assessment tool.
- If you are advised by a public health authority that you have tested positive for COVID-19, please contact ehs.occhealth@utoronto.ca immediately and update the Residence Life Office.
- You should also record your absence through ACORN. Please remember that no student is required to have a doctor’s note or medical certificate for cold or flu-related absences or for self-isolation. To receive academic consideration, students need to record all cold or flu-related absences or absences for self-isolation through ACORN. Some Faculties have alternate or supplementary requirements when reporting absences, so please contact your Registrar’s Office if you have questions. Student absences for other illnesses or reasons should continue to be documented through the Verification of Illness (VOI) form and normal Faculty processes.
PRE-ARRIVAL
Instructions
For those who are not required to quarantine or have already completed their quarantine:
- The University of Toronto, in partnership with Thrive Health, has launched the UCheck self-assessment web portal to support the health & safety of the entire U of T community.
- Prior to moving into residence, and daily following move in, we ask that you generate a COVID-19 risk status by completing a quick and thorough self-assessment. UCheck allows students to complete a symptom check survey and generates a “green status” if you are safe to attend campus or a “red status” if you may not be safe to attend campus.
- We ask that you only come to residence if you receive a green status. If you receive a red status result from the assessment, we recommend that you not come to residence, follow the instructions given in the assessment tool and contact us at info.chelsea@utoronto.ca to let us know.
- Additionally, please be reminded that one of the best ways to stop the spread of COVID-19 and to protect yourself and the community, is through proper and regular hand-washing.
When you login to StarRez, you will see a new tab entitled “Vaccinations.”
In this section, you will be asked a series of questions and will be directed to a protected website to upload your supporting documentation.
If your vaccination documentation is in another language, please provide an English translation and upload both the original and translated documents.
If your 3rd vaccination receipt shows all three vaccines (type of vaccine and dates administered), you will only need to upload one receipt.
If your vaccination receipt does not have the full information regarding all three vaccines, upload both receipts. Students from Ontario only need to upload their third vaccine receipt indicating that they have received 3 valid doses.
If you received a Janssen/Johnson & Johnson vaccine, two receipts is required.
Once you have uploaded your documents, you will receive a confirmation of upload.
We will review the documentation and confirm in StarRez when your vaccination information has been verified.
For all vaccine and other health related questions, please reach out to ovps@utoronto.ca for more information.
Students who cannot be vaccinated on medical or other grounds recognized by the Ontario Human Rights Code may request an exemption. If you are seeking an exemption, you must complete the questions in StarRez under the Vaccinations tab. At that point, you will be able to download the appropriate exemption form from the system. Complete this form with the required information and signatures and upload the documentation to the secure portal.
For more information on vaccinations in Canada, you may refer to the videos on COVID-19 vaccines and This Is Our Shot.
Location
Directions and Commuting to Campus
Chelsea Residence is located at 33 Gerrard St. W, Toronto.
If travelling to Chelsea Residence via train or GO bus, your final destination will be Union Station. Transportation options from Union Station include TTC, taxis, or Uber.
If travelling by air, transportation from Pearson International Airport also includes the Union-Pearson (UP) Express.
Chelsea Residence is a 15-20 minute walk from campus, however, commute times will vary depending on weather and where a student’s classes are located. You can walk, bike, or take public transit when travelling to and from campus, or around the city of Toronto.
Many students utilize a bicycle for faster travel. There are dedicated bike lanes running along the routes to Campus. You may want to consider a public bike share program, such as Bike Share Toronto.
Contact us
We appreciate your patience as we get to your inquiries.
We ask that parents and students refrain from visiting the hotel until move-in day, as we are not offering tours.
If you have any questions, please review the website then contact us.
Give us a call at (416) 595-1975 ext. 2715
The Residence Life Office is open from 9:00am – 5:00pm every weekday (excluding holidays and University closures)
