AMS gives eviction notices to 75 clubs at UBC

VANCOUVER — The AMS gave 75 clubs eviction notices on Wednesday.

Thirty-one of these clubs are being evicted from their offices, with the remainder losing their locker space in the SUB. The list of clubs evicted from offices included prominent clubs like the Ski and Board Club, the Sailing Club and the Surf Club.

Student Administrative Commission vice-chair Nina Scott said these clubs received notice because they failed to turn in their tenancy agreements for 2013-2014. “We had a deadline and it passed,” Scott said.

The locker tenancy agreements and office tenancy agreements are two-page agreements that grant clubs space, with the commitment that the club will maintain the safety and cleanliness of their space.

“We have over 380 [clubs], so it’s a small fraction,” Scott said. She said a “good chunk” of the clubs who received the notice were clubs that either have been inactive or already dissolved.

Peter Wojnar, president of the Ski and Board Club, said he turned in his tenancy agreement one day after the Sept. 30 deadline. “We were assured at the time that it would probably be fine [so it] kind of came as a surprise,” he said.

Wojnar said that he received an email reminder of the deadline in the monthly AMS clubs newsletter in September, but then not again until one hour before the deadline.

Clubs can appeal the notice by emailing the Student Administrative Commission, according to Scott. “They give a good reason why they didn’t [send the form in], and just explain to us why they need the space.”

There is a large waiting list of clubs who want the space.

Although the original email made no mention of appeals, Scott said that an email was sent out on the following Thursday to all clubs who got the eviction notice, telling them that they had 10 days to appeal. She said there is a large waiting list of clubs who want the space if any of the clubs who received the notice fail to appeal before the deadline.

Wojnar sent in the Ski and Board Club’s appeal on Friday, and said they have no plans to move out. “[I think] what’s happening is that this year the AMS is really tired with the fact that nobody is taking them seriously and is just trying to get us to take them seriously,” said Wojnar.

“I wasn’t too surprised to see it coming to us . . . but I was surprised to see things like UBC Cancer Society [get the notice], and sorts of clubs that are actually providing really important services to students.”

Scott said that in the meantime, clubs who are appealing can stay where they are. “For now, they can stay. We’re not going to come with pitchforks and torches and say, ‘Pack up now.’ That would be ridiculous.”