Laurentian student urging others to file complaints with Ontario Ombudsman over French language cuts

Laurentian University student Charlie Dedo is urging fellow students to file complaints with the province's French Languages Unit in the Ontario's Ombudsman's office.

The Ombudsman announced earlier this week it was open to receiving complaints about changes to French language programming at Laurentian, in the wake of the university announcing it was cutting 24 of the programs taught in French.

The Sudbury, Ont. school became insolvent on Feb. 1, and since then, has been undergoing restructuring under the Companies' Creditors Arrangement Act. Under the process, organizations are allowed to operate while straightening out their finances.

Dedo says both her major in mathematics, and her minor, had been taught in French. She has submitted her complaint to the Ombudsman and hopes others follow her lead.

"French education is really hard to come by, we're really limited in our options," she said.

"So I'm hoping that something can be done for us because a lot of us are going to have to either switch to an English program and finish our education in English, or move out of the province."

The Ombudsman's office says it has received more than 30 complaints about Laurentian, not limited to the language issue.

President Robert Haché notes in his most recent letter on Laurentian's website that 2,000 undergraduate students are currently enrolled in French-language programs, and the number has increased over the years. He says Laurentian is proud to be the first bilingual university in Ontario.

Because Dedo is bilingual, she could finish her degree in English. But she isn't sure if she'll stay at Laurentian.

"I'm also really happy and proud of my French heritage and I want to be a teacher in a French school once I graduate and will be fully capable if I continue my education in French," she said.

"I'm going to have to make some compromises and changes to my post-secondary route and plan. But I haven't made a complete decision yet just because it's a lot [at this time]."

Dedo, who hails from Cobden (northwest of Ottawa), decided to pursue her post-secondary studies at Laurentian because she would have been able to take a Bachelor of Arts program with a major in mathematics.

"That's very rare program. So to find it in French, it's nearly impossible at this point."

Continuing with her French studies is only natural for her, she says.

"I did my elementary and high school in French. My mom's family is bilingual, and it was really important for them to put us into French school as kids. I decided to continue my education in French because I knew it would open opportunities."

The president of the Assemblée de la francophonie de l'Ontario, (AFO), a political advocacy group for Ontario francophones, says he's glad to see complaints being made to the Ombudsman.

Carol Jolin says the group has also filed a complaint.

"I don't know exactly where Madame (Kelly) Burke will go with the complaint, but I know she follows the file very closely and she was expecting complaints," Jolin said.

"The findings that she will come up with will help us at the political level, that's for sure. We'd like the French Services Act to have more teeth, to be able to bite harder. But that's something that we're working right now with the government of Ontario."

Dedo says she's launched her complaint through an online form.

"It took under 10 minutes. It was really quick and easy," she said. "I sent the link to a few of my other colleagues who are in the French program whose programs have been cut. So hopefully other students can take the time to do it as well."