Laurentian president breaks silence, speaks about insolvency process
More than seven months after Laurentian University in Sudbury filed for creditor protection, Robert Haché, the school's president is speaking with the media about what happened.
In April, the university cut more than 60 programs and more than 150 jobs. Laurentian became the first publicly funded entity in Canada to seek bankruptcy protection.
Haché said it was either seek creditor protection or close the school's doors.
"It is the result of a long series of events over an extended period of time that literally left us with the difficult -- but necessary -- decision to enter creditor protection," he said.
The school's name has since become synonymous with financial difficulties. The Canadian government even met to ensure other schools aren't forced to pull a "Laurentian."
It's a reality that gives Haché mixed feelings.
"Because I know in the first instance how challenging this whole situation has been for the community -- and we've talked about the anger, the hurt, the angst, all the uncertainty that's caused by the decision to go through this restructuring process -- I fully appreciate that," he said.
"But on the other hand, I also know that if this option had not been available to Laurentian at the end of January this year, the university would have closed."
A lack of transparency has been a big issue for many in the community. Haché said he couldn't comment on what help -- if any was -- offered by the province, or when the public might get those answers.
"I know that people have a lot of questions, and they're questions that are difficult to answer in the context that we're in," he said.
For now, he said they are concentrating on rebuilding bridges and trust in the community. While there are no exact enrollment numbers yet, Haché said only 10 per cent of students were impacted by the deep cuts to programs.
"There is absolutely a lot of work to do, but there is an opportunity for this to be the university that everyone in the community expects it to be," he added.
When asked exactly who's to blame for the fiasco, Haché said he couldn't answer, but did note that a lot of the school's problems were historical.
Since resuming in-person classes, the school says 92 per cent have already confirmed they are fully vaccinated against COVID-19.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Cargo ship had engine maintenance in port before Baltimore bridge collapse, officials say
The cargo ship that lost power and crashed into a bridge in Baltimore underwent 'routine engine maintenance' in port beforehand, the U.S. Coast Guard said Wednesday.
A Nigerian woman reviewed some tomato puree online. Now she faces jail
A Nigerian woman who wrote an online review of a can of tomato puree is facing imprisonment after its manufacturer accused her of making a “malicious allegation” that damaged its business.
Far North police 'dispatch' polar bear stalking schoolyard
Police and local hunters in an Ontario Far North First Nation community have “dispatched” a polar that was showing abnormal behaviour and treating the area as a hunting ground.
Donald Trump assails judge and his daughter after gag order in N.Y. hush-money criminal case
Donald Trump lashed out Wednesday at the New York judge who put him under a gag order that bars him from commenting publicly about witnesses, prosecutors, court staff and jurors in his upcoming hush-money criminal trial.
Families shocked after Niagara Falls hotel cancels bookings made year in advance of solar eclipse
After having the foresight to book their Niagara Falls hotel rooms more than a year in advance, several families planning to take in the solar eclipse next month were shocked to find out their reservations had been cancelled.
B.C. rescuers face 'high likelihood' of failure to reunite orphaned orca with pod
The race to reunite an orphaned orca calf that’s stuck in a shallow lagoon with a neighbouring pod has entered its fifth day, and a marine scientist says the clock is ticking.
Video shows police interrupting auto theft in progress outside Toronto home
New video footage obtained by CP24 shows the attempted theft of a vehicle in a North York driveway earlier this month that was ultimately interrupted by police.
Majority of Canadians believe in life after death: Angus Reid survey
A new survey from the Angus Reid Institute has found that a majority of Canadians believe in some form of life after death, a proportion that has held steady for decades.
MyPillow, owned by U.S. election denier Mike Lindell, formally evicted from Minnesota warehouse
A court ordered the eviction Wednesday of MyPillow from a suburban Minneapolis warehouse that it formerly used.