A pupil group says the North Bay housing protest was not a propaganda act

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A pupil protest over the shortage of accessible housing has taken a brand new flip, with a consultant from a pupil group rejecting claims that the protest was nothing greater than a “publicity stunt”.

The protests in early September made the information after it was discovered {that a} group of about 25 worldwide college students at Canadore School have been residing in tents as a result of they may not afford the excessive tuition charges (about $14,000) in addition to housing prices of between $700 and $1,600 per 30 days. .

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The faculty mentioned it should present momentary emergency lodging whereas it really works on a long-term plan.

However final week, Canadore School president George Burton spoke to the media and mentioned the protest was only a stunt.

“The tent was arrange on campus by a gaggle that determined to make an announcement,” Burton mentioned. “Our college students weren’t driving it and so they arrange their tent, and so they requested the volunteers to remain in that tent all evening. Should you look inside there was no lodging. The subsequent day they left.”

in An open letter to the communityHe added: “Canador had entry to lodging for all college students who wished lodging – no pupil was required to sleep in a automobile, tent, bus shelter, bus depot or air terminal until they selected to take action. To counsel something totally different is reprehensible.” deceptive.

However over the weekend, a consultant from the Montreal Youth College students Group (MYSO) responded to the allegations.

“I simply wish to say ‘get up’ to Mr. Burton after a couple of weeks of protest. He could not make time to hearken to college students’ issues and deal with attainable options,” Khushpal Grewal mentioned in an interview. Message to CTV News on saturday. “He was solely involved about his college repute and that’s the reason he wrote to the folks of North Bay that the scholars made a public stunt (sic) to destroy his college picture.”

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However Burton mentioned final week that lots of the college students collaborating within the protest by no means deliberate to go to highschool within the metropolis and that a few of them rejected the lodging proposed by the faculty.

“The school members of their school… have promised all the scholars to resolve their issues,” he mentioned, including that every one the native college students who participated within the protest are at present within the hostel. “Canador continues to work with all college students to search out applicable housing.”

MYSO members emphasised that they want to cut back pupil housing prices. “As the pinnacle of an academic establishment, he (Burton) ought to cut back the college lodging charges, which they at present cost roughly $650 to $750 per 30 days,” Grewal mentioned.

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