Province rejects University of Sudbury’s bid to become standalone French university
There isn’t enough demand to justify turning the University of Sudbury (U of S) into a standalone French-language university, the province announced Friday afternoon.
In a news release, the Ministry of Colleges and Universities said a number of factors played a role in their decision to turn down the funding request.
The request “does not reflect the current demand and enrolment trends, especially given the already existing capacity of postsecondary institutions to offer French-language programs in the Greater Sudbury area and across Ontario,” the ministry said.
“The ministry considered a number of factors to reach this decision and it is one that we have not made lightly.”
The U of S applied to become a standalone institution in March 2021, not long after Laurentian University (LU) filed for insolvency protection.
As part of that process, Laurentian cut ties with its federated universities – U of S, Thorneloe and Huntington.
While that saved LU about $7 million a year, the federated universities were no longer viable. The anger was obvious in a court hearing aimed at stopping the plan held in April 2021.
U of S lawyer Ronald Caza said the sole purpose of cancelling the agreement was to "choke them out," and eliminate a competitor for students.
"We are better off having Laurentian go bankrupt if the only thing preventing them from going bankrupt" is cancelling the agreement with the federated universities, Caza said.
The court ultimately rejected the appeal. U of S’s hopes then relied on its application to become a standalone institution, with separate financing.
- Download the CTV News app now and get local alerts on your device
- Get local breaking news and updates sent to your email inbox
The province said factors behind the decision to reject that application include the results of an organization review of the University of Sudbury, a review of local labour market data and strong demand for science, technology and trades programs.
“The ministry is committed to putting students first," the province said.
“We will continue to work with all of our Francophone education institutes to help deliver high-quality postsecondary education for northern and francophone communities.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Lawsuit against Meta asks if Facebook users have right to control their feeds using external tools
Do social media users have the right to control what they see — or don't see — on their feeds?
BREAKING 15-year-old boy stabbed in Ottawa on Thursday dies
A 15-year old boy who was critically injured after a stabbing in Nepean on Thursday has died of his injuries, Ottawa's English public school board said Sunday.
Dash cam catches moment suspected drunk driver hits parked car, sends it careening into North Shore flower shop
Police say it’s fortunate no one was injured or killed in a collision at North Vancouver’s Park and Tilford shopping centre Saturday evening that sent one vehicle careening into a flower shop and another into a set of concrete barriers outside a Winners store.
Princess Anne lays wreath at Battle of Atlantic ceremony; honours late Queen
Princess Anne saluted Canadian veterans and current forces members today during a ceremony at British Columbia's legislature cenotaph commemorating the Second World War's Battle of the Atlantic.
El Nino weakening doesn't mean cooler temperatures this summer, forecasters say
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.
Nylander defends Leafs' core after playoff exit, Toronto again picks up the pieces
The Maple Leafs battled back from a 3-1 series deficit against the Boston Bruins with consecutive 2-1 victories - including one that required extra time - in their first-round playoff series to push the club's Original Six rival to the limit before suffering a devastating Game 7 overtime loss.
Amid climate change warnings, Canadians lukewarm on electric vehicles
Amid scientists' warnings that nations need to transition away from fossil fuels to limit climate change, Canadians are still lukewarm on electric vehicles, according to a study conducted by Nanos Research for CTV News.
Three dead, two hospitalized, following collision in Fredericton: police
Three people have died and two have been hospitalized after a speeding car struck a tree and landed on another vehicle in Fredericton Sunday morning.
Montreal man on the hook for thousands of dollars after a feature on his Tesla caused an accident
A Montreal man is warning Tesla drivers about using the Smart Summon feature after his vehicle hit another in a parking lot.