Ontario's Student Choice Initiative -- a preliminary look at how student services are being affected

We're well into the semester for Ontario's post secondary students. Reading week is over and everybody is settling in. One thing that isn't settling in yet, though, is the budgets of students unions, radio stations, student newspapers, food banks and all the other services which are being affected by the Ontario provincial government's Student Choice Initiative. Last spring, the program was announced, which would give students greater choice about what student they want to pay for and not. Most services on campuses like libraries, and athletic fees weren't affected, and critics of the plan say that this was ideologically driven to diminish student voices, opinion and action. The Canadian Federation of Students has launched a lawsuit which has been heard earlier in October, with a decision expected in six to eight weeks. Kayla Weiler is the Ontario representative for the CFS. She talked to Victoria Fenner about the status of the lawsuit, and also about the effects of the Student Choice Initiative on campuses so far. Image: Canadian Federation of Students Ontario. Used with permission.