University of winnipeg’s campUs and commUnity weekly ISSUE 2008/09/25 VOLUME05 63 the Cheap vice tour of Winnipeg money arts & culture page 12 Crunching your credit rating – how important issUe are those numbers? news page 4 we’ve got your Musicians reveal finances figured their starving artist success secrets arts & culture page 17 Week two of The Uniter’s election special news page 6 september 25, 2008 the Uniter contact: [email protected] 02 NNEEwsws the MONEY ISSUe “it’s best to buy a house take a stroll with patton, a canadian gal’s U of W senior admin in your early 20s, that our resident piggy bank, confession: runs for federal way the market doesn’t as he shows you how to “i still want a BaRock office while still on leave you behind” have fun on the cheap Star t-shirt” university payroll news page 5 arts & culture page 12 comments page 8 election page 6 news UNITER STAFF managing editor Stacy Cardigan Smith » [email protected] BUsiness manager James D. Patterson » [email protected] Rapid Transit: better late than never PRODUCTION MANAGER Melody Morrissette » [email protected] City and province team up to give winnipeg bus rapid transit copy and style editor Ashley Holmes » [email protected] M a photo editor R Andrew McMonAgle k The Money Side: How Winnipeg Transit’s current rates measure up to other Canadian cities with rapid transit: R Mark Reimer [email protected] ei » BeAt reporter M e R news assignment editor Toban Dyck » [email protected] Vancouver (max fare) bus rapid transit (BRT) system news prodUction editor with a dedicated bicycle path is Ksenia Prints » [email protected] one step closer after Winnipeg Vancouver (min fare) arts and cUltUre editor TransitA signed a $138 million funding agree- Aaron Epp » [email protected] ment with the municipal and provincial Toronto comments editor governments. Devin Morrow » [email protected] But the shovels are not in the ground sports editor yet; a Winnipeg Transit press release stated Montreal Joshua Boulding » [email protected] Winnipeg will contribute $30.75 million and listings coordinator the federal government will be asked for an- Calgary Curran Faris » [email protected] other third of the funding. Beat reporter Dan Huyghebaert [email protected] It did not mention where the remaining Winnipeg » approximately $60 million will come from. Beat reporter “Transit is currently finalizing the finan- Joe Kornelson » [email protected] cial details,” said Ken Allen from the City Beat reporter of Winnipeg’s corporate communications. Sandy Klowak » [email protected] “That work is ongoing, information will be Beat reporter provided in the coming weeks.” Once the long-awaited bus rapid transit system is completed, buses will run through a priority bus corridor Andrew McMonagle » [email protected] The concept of a rapid transit system has from downtown to the University of Manitoba. been bounced around Winnipeg for years, CONTRIBUTORS with a Rapid Transit Task Force assembling ing that it will only service one part of the said. “We can do a lot by modifying parking Brooke dmytriw, renee lilley, wesley flett Johnston, in 2004. city and costs needless millions. plans. If the hours where parking is banned andrew tod, maria laureano, matt preprost, rob Bus rapid transit involves the traveling of Craig called it a “Hail Mary” proposal, on Pembina Highway were extended, that mcgregor, Brittany thiessen, sydney letmekan, Jennifer hanson, chris friesen, melly ozubko, kiley buses at high speeds on dedicated roadways, implying it was a last resort to gain votes be- would clear up a lot of traffic.” dyck, Bronwyn evelyn, meghan miller, holly rose, cindy states Winnipegrapidtransit.ca. fore Katz’s term end. One detail missing from Transit’s press re- titus, tom asselin, marko Bilandzjia, kevin chaves, The proposed BRT system will include a The CTF proposed City Council stick to lease is whether fares will be affected. scott christiansen, mike collins, adam peleshaty, Brad rapid bus corridor from the University of pennington, Jo villaverde, adam Johnston, cory falvo, a plan which includes transit signal priority “I do think fares will rise. BRT will cost robert huynh, J. williamez, ethan cabel, noni Brynjolson Manitoba to the downtown. A bicycle path at stoplights, like at the intersection of River a lot of money and I can’t see it coming in the Uniter is the official student newspaper of the University of will run parallel to the corridor. Avenue and Osborne Street. under budget with the taxpayers not being winnipeg and is published by mouseland press inc. mouseland “I think it’s funny how Katz is imple- “If it is a transit priority light, you’ll just affected,” the Transit driver said. press inc. is a membership based organization in which students menting this at the end of his term when give buses a small head start, but the bike There are many proposed rapid transit al- and community members are invited to participate. for more information on how to become a member go to www.uniter.ca, or at the beginning he scrapped it,” said Sean issue will be ignored,” McGillivray said. ternatives, but the city has dedicated itself to call the office at 786-9790. the Uniter is a member of the canadian McGillivray, a University of Manitoba his- “There should be a north run as well as an BRT. University press and campus plus media services. sUBMISSION OF ARTICLES, LETTERS, GRAPHICS AND PHOTOS ARE tory student and bus rider. “I’d definitely east-west run, to not give access to just U of “(BRT) is an attractive ride for drivers,” WELCOME. articles must be submitted in text (.rtf) or microsoft word use it, but the ticket would have to be trans- M students.” said the Transit driver. “It’ll have much less (.doc) format to [email protected], or the relevant section editor. deadline for submissions is 6:00 p.m. ferable to the regular bus, like they have in “The whole thing seems sketchy and shady stops. But I think we should skip BRT alto- thursday, one week before publication. deadline for advertisements Toronto.” to begin with,” said a Winnipeg Transit bus gether and go right to light rail.” is noon friday, six days prior to publication. the Uniter reserves the The Canadian Taxpayers Federation (CTF) driver, who will remain anonymous due to right to refuse to print submitted material. the Uniter will not print For more information on rapid transit, submissions that are homophobic, misogynistic, racist, or libellous. responded to the announcement with their union regulations. “They’re not releasing de- we also reserve the right to edit for length and/or style. check out Winnipegrapidtransit.ca and own press release. CTF Manitoba director tails, just large numbers.” Winnipegrapidtransitcoalition.ca. CONTACT US » Colin Craig criticized Transit’s proposal, say- “We really don’t need rapid transit,” he General Inquiries: 204.786.9790 Advertising: 204.786.9790 Editors: 204.786.9497 Fax: 204.783.7080 BY ANDREW MCMONAGLE E-mail: [email protected] Do you think it’s possible to live DEBT-FREE IN OUR SOCIETY? Web: www.uniter.ca LOCATION » Room ORM14 University of Winnipeg 515 Portage Avenue Jackie Szalai Joel Simkin Amanda Sinclair First year, after-degree English as a Second Language bartender, The Zoo nightclub Winnipeg, Manitoba R3B 2E9 education program professor, University of “No. I don’t have credit cards moUseland press Board of directors: “No, because you can always Manitoba because they have a lot of interest. rack up more charges, whether “Yes, I do. I don’t buy a lot. I have three jobs and high rent, but david eisBrenner (chair), mary agnes welch, credit card or mortgage. I think Don’t buy what you can’t afford! I look at my mom who has a lot of rob nay, nick tanchuk, Brian gagnon, devin king, it’s possible that I can get out In fact, don’t buy at all, the credit cards… creditors call often meg mcgimpsey, Ben Zorn, kelly ross (UWSA), of debt… as soon as I finish world will be better off.” and don’t stop.” school and work for about two scott nosaty years.” for inquiries email: [email protected] Rannon Wilson Simon Ovid Kathleen Young second year, arts second year, kinesiology cashier, Burger King COVER IMAGE “I think it’s possible… I don’t “Not at the rate things are “No, it’s just inevitable. People have a credit card. I have a going. Most people have always want more than they school board sponsorship. I two jobs, loans, mortgages, can handle. I just turned 18 and “home in time” think my friends will get out student loans. We don’t know applied for a credit card this by hugh g. rice of debt when they get out of how to budget well. As long as weekend. It’ll be soon that I’m 36” x 36,” mixed media on canvas school.” people have control over their in debt.” credit cards… sometimes part of prairie in-sight – new paintings by they’re given out like candy hugh g. rice, showing at the woodlands and people forget they have to be paid back.” gallery from sept. 25 to oct. 11, 2008. Ne w s As s i g N m e N t ed i t o r : to b an dy c k contact: [email protected] the Uniter september 25, 2008 e-m A i l : Ne w s @u N i t e r .c A Ph o N e : 786-9497 NEws 03 FA x : 783-7080 Full house housing co-ops offer sense of community Joe Kornelsen “Typically co-ops are formed where there is a need.