Shortage of student housing in Timmins prompts Northern College to ask for help
As colleges and universities prepare to welcome students in September, the pressure is on when it comes to the housing supply.
In Timmins, Northern College officials are reaching out to the community for help.
Many foreign students at Northern College are from India and living alone in residence is not how they want to live.
“They want community based living. Residence is temporary as they find accommodations that are more communal," said Audrey Penner, president of Northern College.
"There’s a lot of pressure around this issue and it’s very much on the minds of all of us in the college system to assure that students not only come and get an education but really have a high quality experience in doing so."
Penner said the Timmins campus residence at this point is only two-thirds occupied, but foreign students usually see that option as an interim measure.
“They’re going out and trying to find rooms or apartments in the community and sometimes they get too many in these apartments and it’s really against fire regulations so they’re having difficulty finding a place," said John Curley, councillor.
The college hopes to connect with landlords or homeowners who want to provide space or rental units.
"If they want to email housing@northern.on.ca that’s one of the things our staff is looking for, to make contact and say how can work together,” Curley said.
Nipissing University and Canadore College are in a similar situation, except their need for housing is more for domestic students.
“We sent out communications to landlords who are registered with the Near North Landlords Association to remind them of the services that are available," said Casey Phillips, assistant vice-president at Nipissing University.
"We’re also holding educational awareness sessions for individuals who maybe never rented in the past."
Curley added that some housing projects are in the works in Timmins, but said it's too early to reveal any details.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Average hourly wage in Canada now $34.95: StatCan
Average hourly wages among Canadian employees rose to $34.95 on a year-over-year basis in April, a 4.7 per cent increase, according to a Statistics Canada report released Friday morning.
From outer space? Sask. farmers baffled after discovering strange wreckage in field
A family of fifth generation farmers from Ituna, Sask. are trying to find answers after discovering several strange objects lying on their land.
This iconic Canadian song is turning 50
Andy Kim's 'Rock Me Gently' is marking a major milestone, as it celebrates its 50th anniversary.
Oprah Winfrey: I set an unrealistic standard for dieting
Oprah Winfrey said on Thursday evening that she has long played a role in promoting unhealthy and unrealistic diets.
Ontario family receives massive hospital bill as part of LTC law, refuses to pay
A southwestern Ontario woman has received an $8,400 bill from a hospital in Windsor, Ont., after she refused to put her mother in a nursing home she hated -- and she says she has no intention of paying it.
Toronto police called to Drake's Bridle Path mansion for another alleged intruder on Thursday
Toronto police say a man who allegedly attempted to access Drake’s Bridle Path property was taken to hospital on Thursday after an altercation with security guards.
Flat tire on a highway? Here's why you shouldn't try to fix it
If you're cruising down a highway and realize you have a flat tire, you may want to think twice before stopping to fix it on the side of the road.
Storm-battered U.S. South is again under threat. A boy swept into a drain fights for his life
Dangerous storms crashed over parts of the U.S. South on Thursday even as the region cleaned up from earlier severe weather that spawned tornadoes, killed at least three people, and gravely injured a boy who was swept into a storm drain as he played in a flooded street.
Broadcaster and commentator Rex Murphy dead at 77: National Post
The National Post is reporting that Rex Murphy, the pundit and columnist who hosted a national call-in radio show for decades, has died.