The Student Federation of the University of Ottawa was a not-for-profit organization, incorporated under the Corporations' Act of Ontario. It was the official students' union of the university from 1969 to 2018. On September 25, 2018, the university provided the Federation with a 90-day notice of termination of their contract, citing allegations of workplace misconduct, internal conflict, and improper governance. A referendum was held in February 2019 to determine whether the SFUO would be reinstated as the official undergraduate student union, or whether a new organization would take its place. On February 11, 2019, the University of Ottawa Students' Union won the referendum to become the official student union.