The Martlet

May 21, 1998 — Langford RCMP officers arrested five female protesters who chained themselves to logging equipment on Costco’s construction site. The 10-acre plot contained eight acres of Garry Oak trees. Firefighters had to cut the women’s chains. The protesters blocked traffic on Millstream Road.

May 26, 1994 — The federal government announced plans to increase the student loan limit by 57 per cent. The increase gave full-time students a maximum limit of $5,610 per academic term, up from $3,596 in the 1993-94 school year. The loan limit for part-time students increased from $2,500 to $4,000. The same day the increases were announced, the Student Financial Assistance Bill was introduced in Parliament. Proposals in the legislation included loan repayment reduction through deferred grants and interest relief, income contingent loan repayment plans, and creating Special Opportunity Grants for students with disabilities, part-time students and women in doctoral studies.

May 17, 1984 — The summer unemployment rate hit 45 per cent in Victoria, meaning fewer jobs than ever before for students. The federally-sponsored Career Oriented Student Employment Program at UVic teamed up with various faculties to create 125 new jobs for students. The Douglas Street employment office “[spread] the money out as thin as possible,” which meant lower pay for students but more jobs. Under these career-related work programs, project leaders earned $214 per week and assistants made $147, largely in private sectors and the tourism industry. Over 250 students were filing into the Douglas Street office per day.