Outside actors were behind North Bay protest, college president says

While refusing to name names, Canadore College president George Burton doubled down Thursday on his insistence that an international student protest earlier this month was nothing more than a "publicity stunt."

Burton told reporters that the pitched tents were not set up by college students. He said the protest was orchestrated by an outside group.

"We do not need groups from outside of the community intersecting or interceding between us and our students,” he said.

“We deal with them directly."

At the start of the term, a group of homeless international students express concern over lack of housing. Members of the Montreal Youth Students Organization (MYSO) arrived for what it described as "supporting homeless international students" in their fight to find affordable available housing.

Burton said representatives came from Toronto and Montreal after international students turned down accommodations they had been offered.

MYSO did not return messages seeking comment on the allegations. The group doesn’t appear to have a website but has extensive coverage of the North Bay protest and others it has been involved in on its Instagram page.

While refusing to name names, Canadore College president George Burton doubled down Thursday on his insistence that a international student protest earlier this month was nothing more than a publicity stunt. (Photo from video)

The September protests also received extensive coverage in the media in India. 

For his part, Burton said some groups were misleading students about the cost of rent and suggesting those involved had no plans to attend the school.

"Them quoting $250 a month is just disheartening to be frank with you,” Burton said.

“Students are communicated with in January before they arrive."

The college said all of its 4,000 students, 1,600 are from other countries and all are housed except for three families.

Another 17 students are paying to stay in hotels until October when they will move into permanent housing. At no time, Burton said, did anyone have to stay in a tent.

"We did not find any students sleeping in tents,” he said.

“We have not found any students sleeping in cars. If there are, we'd really like to know about it because we do have accommodation for them."

Starting in the winter 2024 semester, students will have to prove they have secured housing in order to register.

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