Students in British Columbia strongly denounce the recent decision by the University of Ottawa to interfere in the affairs of the undergraduate students’ union. The decision to cease collecting and remitting membership dues to the undergraduate students’ union is an obvious and aggressive attempt to undermine the autonomy and effectiveness of the union.

Students across the province are returning to college and university campuses today and experiencing what many might not expect: sticker shock from the cost of their textbooks. With textbook prices commonly in the range of $200 per book, students are beginning to fight back.

It’s that time of year again – when students are moving back to the community where they go to school and are trying to secure a place to live. In BC we commonly think of the big cities as the only areas where it can be tough to find places to rent (let alone affordable places to rent), but reality is much different. In almost every city and town in BC, students can find it very challenging to find places to live.

Students in British Columbia have launched a province-wide campaign, titled Fairness for International Students, to mobilize post-secondary students to fight for fairness, consistency, and predictability for international students in BC. British Columbia is highly reliant on the income from international students and charges the second highest tuition fees for international students in Canada.

The British Columbia Federation of Students (BCFS) has released a research document outlining many of the issues facing international students in British Columbia. The document focuses on BC’s economic dependence on international students, the instability of unregulated tuition fees, and the lack of support services for international students in BC.

To members in BC— It is my responsibility as your provincial Chairperson to inform you of a vote that happened at the national general meeting of the Canadian Federation of Students (CFS) today, Saturday, June 9. At the meeting, student representatives from across Canada voted to sever their formal relationship with students’ unions in BC through the CFS – they voted to expel us.

Premier John Horgan’s announcement of an infusion of funding into graduate scholarships, research projects, and co-op opportunities in the tech and development sector is welcome news to current and aspiring students in BC.

The numbers are out, and they paint a picture that is not at all surprising: young people voted in the provincial election. According to Elections BC’s recently-released report, 56.2% of voters aged 18 to 24 voted in the May 2017 BC election.

Dear Camosun Students— You are being misled. It is a shame that the Canadian Federation of Students (CFS) and its elected officials continue to lie to members, misrepresent facts, and block us all from our democratic rights, all the while refusing to address the real and valid concerns of students for nearly four years.