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 Hall if they give up their residence rooms to make space for arriving athletes. 

The students have to leave a few days before the 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.

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 out their rooms. Canada Games organizers made arrangements so students could store their belongings.

But not all students thought it was a good deal.