Francophone community 'blindsided' Ontario won't fund University of Sudbury

Supporters of the University of Sudbury say they are shocked the province has decided not to support plans to make it a standalone francophone university in Sudbury, Ont.

Northern Ontario university started bid to become standalone institution after Laurentian's insolvency

Casey Stranges · CBC News · Posted: Jul 04, 2023 2:13 PM EDT | Last Updated: July 4, 2023

Some students walk on the grass in front of a grey institutional building with a sign reading 'University of Sudbury' — After being defederated from Laurentian, the University of Sudbury announced its plans to become a standalone francophone school, a bid that the Ontario government denied over the weekend. (uofsudbury.ca)

The announcement came late on a Friday, just before the long Canada Day weekend.

Ontario's Ministry of Colleges and Universities sent a news release, quietly announcing the University of Sudbury would receive no funding from the province.

The decision effectively put a stop to the French community's push for a standalone school in northern Ontario. The need arose when Laurentian University, mired in insolvency proceedings, slashed 58 programs, dismissed a hundred professors and terminated its agreement with affiliated universities: the University of Sudbury, Thornloe and Huntington in 2021.

The University of Sudbury, which offered French-language courses and several courses in Indigenous studies, was no more.

A smiling man in a blue suit stands against a stone wall — Serge Miville, president of the University of Sudbury, says he feels 'blindsided' by the province's decision not to fund a French-language university in northern Ontario. (Erik White/CBC )

Serge Miville, president of the University of Sudbury, said his group was entirely "confused" by the announcement.

"What's really unusual is when we were speaking with ministry officials over the past six months, everything was fine, everything was great," Miville said.

"They commented favourably on the quality of the business plan, which really does indicate there is a need for a French-language university in the region."

At the request of the ministry, the group also produced data based on population numbers and trends in students' interests, all received optimistically from the government, Miville said.

"When the decision came, considering that we had no negative feedback, it was unusual.

"Right now we feel like we got blindsided last Friday," Miville said. "Right now we have more questions than we have answers."

A man in horn-rimmed glasses stares into the camera. — Denis Constantineau, spokesperson for the advocacy group Northern Ontario Coalition for a French-Language University, says he was in 'disbelief' when he heard about the province's decision. (Yvon Theriault/Radio-Canada)

Denis Constantineau is a spokesperson for the advocacy group Northern Ontario Coalition for a French-Language University and one of the key voices in Sudbury's large French-speaking community.

Constantineau said the ministry's decision, not to mention its timing, was suspicious.

"Shock and disbelief," he said about how he felt when he heard the news.

"Up until recently, talks with the province about the school were "positive," Constantineau said.

"Something changed over the course of the last two weeks. All of a sudden there's market research that shows that [a university] is not a viable option. All of a sudden there are fewer students on the market.

"So what changed? Who intervened?"

We're actually pushing people away from our community- Denis Constantineau

In its statement, the province said it made its decision based on market trends. Students are preferring more classes based on STEM (science, technology, engineering and math), and Sudbury already offers degrees in two other institutions — College Boréal and Laurentian — giving French speakers several options and more choices.

But Constantineau said a university's role isn't to respond to market trends alone.

"You're never going to get a degree in philosophy from a college, you're never going to get a degree in history from a college," he said. "They have their role to play, there's a place for them, but that's not a full-fledged university.

"Their role is to create thinkers, it's to develop critical thinking skills. It's to contribute to society," he said.

A young woman in glasses stands in a study area at Laurentian University. — Marie-Pierre Heroux, former president of the Regroupement Etudiant Franco-Ontarien, says 'there are students that do want to continue their studies in French, but they can't because there's no programs and the programs that we had were cut.' (Radio-Canada )

Marie-Pierre Heroux, former president of Regroupement étudiant franco-ontarien (RÉFO), an adovcacy group representing francophone students, said she, too, was "shocked" at the ministry's call.

"I don't understand where it's coming from," Heroux said. "There are numbers. There are students.

"If you look at the French university in Toronto, they have students. So there are students that do want to continue their studies in French, but they can't because there's no programs and the programs that we had were cut."

Heroux was a victim of some of those cuts at Laurentian, transferring to the University of Ottawa to complete her degree. She is now working on her master's.

It's another example of a type of brain drain, Constantineau said, calling it an "exodus from the north," where skills and talent leave northern Ontario for more educational opportunities in Ottawa or Toronto.

"We're actually pushing people away from our community," he said.

Miville said the group will continue to have dialogue with the ministry in the weeks and months ahead.

"Right now, we're going to be assessing the state of this situation and will be able to make decisions based on what the board believes is the best path forward."