Media
      Fee
     
    
   
   
    
     
      continued
      from
      previous
      page...
     
    
   
   
    
     
      their
      radio
      and
      also
     
     
      for
      the
      paper,
      and
      that
     
     
      is
      the
      way
      their
      radio
     
     
      gets
      all
      their
      money
     
     
      and
      allows
      them
      to
     
     
      stay
      separate
      from
      the
     
     
      Student
      Union,”says
     
     
      Panton,
      obviously
     
     
      annoyed
      at
      the
      situa-
     
     
      tion.
     
    

    
     
      Panton
      is
     
     
      hopeful
      but
      is
      also
     
     
      concious
      that
      stu-
     
     
      dents
      cannot
      be
     
     
      expected
      to
      give
     
     
      money
      without
     
     
      problems.
      A
      few
     
     
      years
      ago
      a
      twenty
     
     
      dollar
      building
      fee
      .
     
     
      was
      added
      to
      student
     
     
      fees
      to
      subsidize
      the
     
     
      construction
      and
     
     
      renovation
      of
      UPEI
     
     
      facilities.
      This
      extra
     
     
      fee
      has
      angered
      UPEI
     
     
      students
      and
      Panton
     
     
      fears
      that
      CIMN’s
     
     
      levy
      will
      do
      the
      same.
     
    

    
     
      “T
      hope
      it
      goes
     
     
      through,
      but
      I
      am
      not
     
     
      holding
      my
      breath.
      If
     
     
      it
      does
      go
      through,
      I
     
     
      see
      great
      things
      in
      the
     
     
      future
      and
      if
      it
     
     
      doesn’t
      go
      through,
     
     
      personally
      I
      feel
      we
      .
     
     
      might
      as
      well
      just
     
     
      pack
      up.”
      says
     
     
      Panton.
      “I
      don’t
     
     
      know
      whether
      the
     
     
      students
      here
      care
      or
     
     
      not.
      I
      think
      the
      aver-
     
     
      age
      student
      will
      think
     
     
      it’s
      quite
      a
      lot.
      There
     
     
      was
      that
      whole
     
     
      problem
      with
      the
     
     
      building
      fee
      several
     
     
      years
      ago.”
     
    

    
     
      Kent
      Bruyneel,
     
     
      Editor-in-Chief
      of
      the
     
     
      Cadre,
      thinks
      that
      the
     
     
      media
      fee
      is
      unlikely
     
     
      to
      be
      accepted
      by
     
     
      UPEI
      students.
     
    

    
     
      “They
      have
      a
     
     
      chance
      on
      a
      vote
      with
     
     
      the
      students
      to
      see
      if
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      they
      are
      going
      to
     
     
      have
      a
      radio
      station
     
     
      or
      not;
      I
      don’t
      think
     
     
      they
      (CIMN)
      have
     
     
      any
      chance
      of
      win-
     
     
      ning.”
     
    

    
     
      In
      the
      event
      the
     
     
      media
      fee
      is
      accepted,
     
     
      the
      proceeds
      will
     
     
      likely
      be
      divided
     
     
      between
      the
      student
     
     
      newspaper
      and
      the
     
     
      radio
      station.
      It
      is
      yet
     
     
      to
      be
      decided
      how
     
     
      much
      money
      will
      be
     
     
      given
      to
      the
      station
     
     
      and
      how
      much
     
     
      money
      will
      be
     
     
      handed
      out
      to
      the
     
     
      paper.
     
    

    
     
      “That
      is
      some-
     
     
      thing
      else
      we
      have
      to
     
     
      look
      at,”
      explains
     
     
      Lewis,
      “Since
      we
      are
     
     
      still
      funding
      the
     
     
      paper,
      we
      [the
      Union]
     
     
      are
      looking
      at
      a
      70/30
     
     
      or
      a
      60/40
      split.”
     
    

    
     
      Few
      options
     
     
      have
      been
      thought
      of,
     
     
      in
      the
      event
      students
     
    
   
   
    
     
      reject
      the
      proposal.
     
     
      “We
      haven’t
     
    
   
   
    
     
      really
      come
      to
      that.
     
     
      The
      other
      option
      may
     
     
      be
      for
      the
      radio
     
     
      station
      to
      collect
      a
     
     
      membership
      fee.
      We
     
     
      really
      haven’t
      dis-
     
     
      cussed
      any
      of
      that,”
     
     
      says
      Lewis.
     
    

    
     
      Much
      is
      left
      up
     
     
      in
      the
      air
      as
      to
      the
     
     
      future
      of
      the
      UPEI
     
     
      radio
      station.
      CIMN
     
     
      management
      tries
      to
     
     
      stay
      hopeful
      but
      are
     
     
      left
      feeling
      powerless
     
     
      in
      this
      situation.
      All
     
     
      is
      left
      in
      the
      hands
      of
     
     
      the
      students.
      Nothing
     
     
      can
      be
      done
      until
      the
     
     
      spring
      2000
      election,
     
     
      except
      to
      educate
      the
     
     
      campus
      on
      the
      need
     
     
      of
      a
      radio
      station
      to
     
     
      voice
      their
      opinions
     
     
      and
      to
      share
      with
      the
     
     
      community.
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Onl
     
    
   
   
    
     
      by
      Jesse
      Clarke
     
     
      Controversial
     
    
   
   
    
     
      right
      of
      landing
      fees
     
     
      cause
      uproar
      at
     
     
      World
      University
      of
     
     
      Service
      Canada
     
    
   
   
    
     
      TORONTO
     
     
      (CUP)
      -
      Canadians
     
     
      are
      warm
      and
      wel-
     
     
      coming
      to
      refugees.
     
     
      Many
      of
      us
      would
     
     
      agree
      with
      this
      state-
     
     
      ment,
      even
      in
      light
      of
     
     
      the
      negative
      public
     
     
      response
      to
      the
      recent
     
     
      influx
      of
      Chinese
     
     
      migrants
      on
      the
      West
     
     
      Coast.
      It
      is
      a
      state-
     
     
      ment
      our
      government
     
     
      would
      also
      like
     
     
      Canadians
      to
      believe.
     
    

    
     
      In
      some
      ways
     
     
      this
      statement
      is
     
    
   
   
    
     
      accurate.
      Relative
      to
     
     
      many
      countries,
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Canada
      has
      an
      open
     
     
      and
      progressive
     
     
      refugee
      policy.
     
    

    
     
      However,
      many
     
     
      advocates
      for
      refu-
     
     
      gees
      and
      immigrants
     
     
      believe
      our
      policy
     
     
      falls
      short
      in
      certain
     
     
      key
      areas.
      Some
     
     
      critics
      argue
      that
     
     
      Canada’s
      refugee
     
     
      policy
      may
      even
     
     
      violate
      the
      United
     
     
      Nations’
      Universal
     
     
      Declaration
      of
      Hu-
     
     
      man
      Rights
      and
     
     
      Convention
      on
      Refu-
     
     
      gees.
     
    

    
     
      The
      source
      of
     
     
      this
      harsh
      criticism
      is
     
     
      a
      little-known
      fee
     
     
      charged
      to
      all
      refu-
     
     
      gees
      and
      immigrants
     
    
   
   
    
     
      cy!
     
    
   
   
    
     
      seeking
      landed
      immi-
     
     
      grant
      status
      in
     
     
      Canada.
      The
      Right
      of
     
     
      Landing
      Fee
      is
      $975,
     
     
      and
      it
      must
      be
      paid
     
     
      by
      every
      person
      over
     
     
      19
      seeking
      landed
     
     
      immigrant
      status.
     
     
      Canada
      is
      the
     
     
      only
      country
      in
      the
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      world
      which
      charges
     
     
      this
      fee
      to
      refugees
      as
     
     
      well
      as
      immigrants.
     
     
      Since
      this
      fee
     
     
      was
      first
      charged
      in
     
     
      1995,
      revenues
      from
     
     
      newly
      arriving
      Cana-
     
     
      dians,
      both
      immi-
     
     
      grants
      and
      refugees,
     
     
      have
      increased
      from
     
     
      $134.4
      million
      to
     
     
      $363.2
      million.
     
     
      Newcomers
     
     
      arriving
      in
      Canada
      in
     
     
      1993
      paid
      $460
      on
     
     
      average,
      only
      one
     
     
      third
      of
      the
      $1526
      fee
     
    
   
   
    
     
      faced
      by
      today’s
      new
     
    
   
   
    
     
      arrivals.
     
     
      The
      shameful
     
     
      secret
      behind
      the
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      immigration
      system’s
     
     
      rising
      revenues
      is
     
     
      inspiring
      political
     
     
      action
      from
      a
      wide
     
     
      range
      of
      individual
     
     
      Canadians.
     
    

    
     
      Stephanie
     
     
      Connolly,
      president
     
     
      of
      the
      Victoria
      Uni-
     
     
      versity
      Student’s
     
    
   
   
    
     
      ‘T
      thought
      they
      would
     
     
      postpone
      repayment
      until
     
     
      we're
      done
      university,
      but
     
    

    
     
      he
      told
      me
      that
      we
      are
      sup-
     
    
   
   
    
     
      posed
      to
      begin
      repaying
     
     
      right
      away.”
     
    
   
   
    
     
      -Charles
      Conteh
     
    
   
   
    
     
      World
      University
      Service
      Canada
     
     
      sponsored
      refugee
      student
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Administrative
     
     
      Council,
      and
      Rebecca
     
     
      Dolgoy,
      a
      student
     
     
      commissioner
      at
      the
     
     
      University
      of
      To-
     
     
      ronto,
      are
      two
      such
     
     
      individuals
      who
      are
     
     
      taking
      an
      interest
      in
     
     
      the
      rights
      of
      immi-
     
     
      grants
      and
      refugees.
     
     
      The
      two
      stu-
     
     
      dent
      leaders
      have
     
     
      been
      inspired
      by
      the
     
     
      plight
      of
      their
      friend
     
     
      Charles
      Conteh,
      a
     
     
      World
      University
     
     
      Service
      Canada
     
     
      (WUSC)
      sponsored
     
     
      refugee
      student
      at
     
     
      Victoria
      College.
     
     
      Conteh,
      like
      all
     
    
   
   
    
     
      $975
      to
      become
      a
      Canadian?
     
    
   
   
    
     
      WUSC
      refugee
     
    

    
     
      students,
      automati-
     
    

    
     
      cally
      received
      a
     
    

    
     
      Canadian
      government
     
    

    
     
      loan
      of
      over
      $2000
      to
     
    

    
     
      cover
      his
      landing
      fee
     
    

    
     
      and
      transportation
     
    

    
     
      costs.
     
     
      Conteh
      de-
     
    

    
     
      scribes
      how
      he
      be-
     
    

    
     
      lieved
      he
      would
      be
     
    

    
     
      given
      extra
      time
      to
     
    

    
     
      repay
      the
      loan,
      since
     
    

    
     
      he
      was
      a
      student.
     
    

    
     
      “T
      was
      shocked
     
     
      when
      I
      had
      a
      conver-
     
     
      sation
      with
      one
      of
      the
     
     
      immigration
      offic-
     
     
      ers,”
      explains
     
     
      Conteh.
      “I
      thought
     
     
      they
      would
      postpone
     
     
      repayment
      until
      we’re
     
     
      done
      university,
      but
     
     
      he
      told
      me
      that
      we
     
     
      are
      supposed
      to
      begin
     
     
      repaying
      right
      away.”
     
    

    
     
      Soon
      after
     
     
      settling
      in
      Canada,
     
     
      finding
      a
      place
      to
     
     
      live,
      and
      registering
     
     
      for
      classes,
      Conteh
     
     
      began
      to
      receive
     
     
      notices
      of
      repayment.
     
    

    
     
      “They
      sent
      me
     
     
      some
      forms
      and
     
     
      indicated
      that
      I
      was
      i
     
     
      supposed
      to
      retun
       &
     
     
      them
      with
      a
      cheque,”
      <
     
     
      Conteh
      says.
      “I
      don’t
      A
     
     
      know
      the
      conse-
      y
     
     
      quences
      of
      not
      pay-
     
     
      ing,
      but
      it’s
      illegal,
      \
     
     
      the
      message
      is
      clear.”
     
    

    
     
      The
      message
     
     
      was
      also
      very
      clear
     
     
      for
      Connolly
      and
      the
     
     
      rest
      of
      the
      WUSC
     
     
      Committee
      who
      were
     
    
   
   
    
     
      continued
      on
      next
      page