UPEI students offered $1,500 to leave residence during Canada Games

Some UPEI students are earning extra money during the mid-semester break this year, simply by packing up and leaving campus.

The 2023 Canada Winter Games Host Society offered $1,500 each to students living in Andrew Hallif they give up their residence rooms to make space for arriving athletes.

The students have to leave a few days beforethe break starts, on Feb. 17, and can return March 7.They also had to give up their meal plan for the duration.

Many athletes are staying at UPEI's new 260-bed residence, built to meet accommodation requirements for the Games' temporary athlete village.

But Wayne Carew, chair of the Games, said there are 120 more athletes coming than originally planned.

"We ended up getting 44 rooms [in Andrew Hall] and that's great," said Carew.

He said the athletes staying at UPEI"are going to have a wild experience on the campus of the beautiful University of Prince Edward Island."

Carew said the costs of doing this are a "lot cheaper" than arranging accommodations elsewhere. But he said the main reason is to provide all athletes the same, "once-in-a-lifetime" experience.

"Where they live, the food and the camaraderie and the experience of a lifetime: that's what they'll remember in 20 years'time about P.E.I.," he said.

'Pretty good deal'

Some students were eager to take the organizers up on their offer.

"I'm going away to Florida during the two-week break anyways. So I was like, 'May as well let them use my room then,'" said Hannah Somers.

"It's $1,500. Pretty nice," said Benji Dueck, who agreed to vacate the room with his roommate. "We're moving out, living with a friend in the city. So, sounds like a pretty good deal to me."

As part of the agreement, the students had to clear outtheir rooms. Canada Games organizers made arrangements so students could store their belongings.

But not all students thought it was a good deal.

"I'm not giving up my spot in Andrew Hall for $1,500," said Maria de Torres. "It's just too hard to pack up. It's just too hectic. And since I'm an international student, I got a lot [of things] right now."

Shelby Dyment is also staying in Andrew Hall. Dyment said she and her roommate are working as residence life assistants during the mid-semester breakand she's also doing directed study, so she has to stay on campus.

"There's a lot of people doing it. It's just for our situation it just wasn't working for what we were doing," she said.

In a statement, UPEI said that enough students had accepted the offer to host all the athletes.

It said the host society made all the arrangements with the students, including paying for their incentives and arranging for storage.

Organizers expect about 3,600 athletes, coaches and officials to participate in the Games. The eventwill run from Feb. 18 to March 5.