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
More Canadians only making minimum payment on credit cards: TransUnion
Some Canadians are seeing their credit card balances grow as the cost-of-living crisis and higher interest rates eat into household budgets, a new report shows.
Tornado touches down west of the Island of Montreal
Emergency services in the town of Rigaud, Que. are investigating after a tornado touched down shortly after 5:30 p.m. on Friday.
Teen was doing homework at family's Mississauga, Ont. restaurant when gunman opened fire: testimony
The 13-year-old sister of a young man killed in the attack on her family’s Mississauga restaurant in 2021 took the stand in a Brampton courthouse on Monday to describe the terrifying moments of coming under fire.
Tanks reach Rafah's centre as Israel presses assault despite global scrutiny
Israeli tanks reached the centre of Rafah for the first time on Tuesday, witnesses said, three weeks into a ground operation in the southern Gaza city that has sparked global condemnation.
What a CBSA strike could look like, according to an expert
Slowed or interrupted travel, the passing of goods and significantly restricted borders should be expected if Canadian border workers take upcoming strike action.
Arm of mummy came off after mishandling by museum staff: Mexican government
Mexico's federal archaeology agency on Monday accused the conservative-governed city of Guanajuato of mistreating one of the country’s famous mummified 19th century bodies.
Five of Ontario's top 10 worst roads are located in the Toronto area
A new pothole-riddled street in Hamilton has taken the top spot for the worst road in Ontario, according to a new list released by the Canadian Automotive Association (CAA) on Tuesday.
DEVELOPING In Trump's hush money trial, prosecutors and defence lawyers are poised to make final pitch to jury
Prosecutors and defence lawyers in Donald Trump's hush money trial are set to deliver closing arguments to the jury Tuesday, each side looking to score final points with the panel before it starts deliberating the fate of the first former American president to be charged with felony crimes.
Red Lobster in Ontario court to discuss U.S. bankruptcy case, Canadian assets: docs
A lawyer for Red Lobster Canada, Inc. says he will ask an Ontario court today to recognize and enforce the chain’s U.S. bankruptcy protection proceedings, a process which documents show could include selling Canadian assets.