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The idea of "income-contingent" loans is that annual payments, and perhaps total repayment too, would depend on the income a young person makes after graduating. Someone who gets a high-income job thanks to a university education would make higher payments on his or her student loan than someone who remains unemployed or earns a low income as an artist or minister.
The Globe calls the idea of ICR loans "controversial", although they have been enthusiastically supported by university leaders across Canada and were a pet project of Lloyd Axworthy, former human resources minister in Ottawa. Student leaders have been cautiously interested, worrying that ICR loans would be an excuse for jacking up tuition fees even higher. They've also warned that how such a program affects students' lives will depend on the formula used to calculate repayments, and how long the debt load continues. Some government officials apparently agree; Lewington quotes Bill Smith, who manages provincial student aid in New Brunswick: "We aren't doing them any favours if they run into debt they can't handle or have so much they are inactive as young consumers."
Essential services available over the weekend:
"This is the twelfth annual celebration of Canada Day that the University of Waterloo and the Federation of Students have hosted," says Ben Robins, event manager, "and we are pleased that this event has been so well received and supported. Canada Day offers something for everyone. We have activities to interest children, teens, and adults. For example, this year we have replaced the parade with the new Teddy Bear Picnic. In addition, there are Museum tours, the Craft Show and Sale, Mini-Olympics and activities for kids, plus great live entertainment on stage all afternoon and evening. To top it all off, the spectacular candlelight closing ceremonies and fireworks end the day with a bang! It is an exciting day of free fun for everyone!"
Kids can come to the Columbia Icefield at 2:30 p.m. to register their bears for the Teddy Bear Picnic. Prize categories include "best biggest bear," "best smallest bear," "best Canada Day bear," "most colorful bear," "best loved bear," "most unusual bear," "best bear family," "best sports bear," "best bear bigger than the owner," and "best bear dressed like the owner."
Opening Ceremonies will officially start the day with singing and cake at 4:00.
Activity World, sponsored by Westmount Place, will offer things for children to do, and the UW Engineering Society Mini-Olympics and Mathematics Society Fun Fest will keep kids and adults entertained from 4:00 to 8:00.
UW's museums will all be open on Monday. Visitors can take a trip back in time to 1850's Waterloo County at the Brubacher House -- a Pennsylvania German Mennonite homestead built by John Brubacher, which is regularly open as a museum operated by Conrad Grebel College. South of Columbia Street in Matthews Hall, at the Museum and Archive of Games, a display identifies the similarities between modern war gaming activities and traditional oppositional games. The exhibit room features displays on historic war games, cooperative games and commercial war games. Visitors can test their skills on games displayed at the "hands-on" tables.
And the Earth Sciences Museum is featuring a Geological Garden that contains the largest piece of coal in southern Ontario. An 800 pound piece of Newfoundland Labradorite, a mineral with secret beauties, is on display. For dinosaur lovers, T. Rex, Albertosaurus and the Raptor are all on hand.
Local performers will entertain at Columbia Field all afternoon and evening, including the Beirdo Brothers at 4:30, Jazarus at 6:30, the Traces Steel Drum Band at 7:30 and JackSoul at 8:30.
At 10:00., the traditional candle-light closing ceremonies and fireworks over Columbia Lake will bring an end to the day. Visitors can along a radio and tune into 96.7 CHYM FM for a simulcast of music that organizers promise "will dazzle you".
Scouts Canada of Waterloo Region will be collecting for the Waterloo Region Food Bank, and attendees are requested to bring along a non-perishable food item.
Free parking will be available in most UW parking lots on Monday. Columbia Street will be closed, from Phillip to Westmount, starting at 3:00. And I see that an impressive row of portable toilets is already in place on Columbia Field.
An administrative note: Are there some Bulletin readers for whom the bottom of the Web page has suddenly gone blank, with the name and address of its editor and the links to "About the Bulletin" and "Yesterday's Bulletin" invisible? Please drop me a note; I may unwittingly have done something that some browsers don't like, and I need to know who's affected.
And for those who remain: see you again after the long weekend!
CAR
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