University education in French, an electoral and existential issue | Crisis at Laurentian University


In 2020, the young man decided to leave Ottawa, where he was studying engineering, and to return to Sudbury, his hometown, to pursue theater studies at Laurentian University.

To find [son] world. And because the theater is his true vocation.

A year later, his project collapsed. Laurentian University, which had taken shelter from its creditors, cut 70 programs, including its own. Of this number, 29 programs in French—about half of the initial offering—were no longer.

Maxime is part of a generation of young Franco-Ontarians who lost the right to a university education in French overnight, at home in Greater Sudbury.

Francophones here fear the exodus and assimilation that will inevitably follow. The beginning of the decline.

Maxime Cayouette is wearing a gray toque and a black t-shirt

Maxime Cayouette was finishing his first year in theater at Laurentian University when the establishment canceled the program.

Photo: Radio-Canada / Welcome Senga

Three political parties, the NDP, the Liberals, and the Greens propose essentially the same solution, with some variations. The one already put forward by members of the community: the transfer of programs in French from Laurentian University to the University of Sudbury.

Formerly bilingual and federated with Laurentian University, the establishment became entirely French-speaking after the start of the crisis and is now trying to obtain funding from the province.

I hesitate to return to Ottawa because I really hope to continue my studies in French here in Sudbury. »

A quote from Maxime Cayouette, former student of Laurentian University

A social project that seduces

The door opens abruptly, with a dry creak.

Mr. St-Onge? Hello, this is France Gélinas!

Most voters on this quiet street in Chelmsford, a suburb of Sudbury, recognize their incumbent. She’s hard to miss anyway, all dressed in orange.

The story of Maxime, says France Gélinas, I have them all over my riding.

I was at one brunch Mother’s Day yesterday. I saw a young French-speaking student. He spent three years at Laurentian University and has $30,000 in university debt, but he can’t finish his program! He was the first in his family to go to collegeshe laments, exasperated.

All this could have been avoided if the provincial government had put on its pants and had taken a little interest in what is happening in northern Ontario.

With an assured step, Ms. Gélinas turns on her heels and calls out to the music instructor Alain Thérien, who is crossing the street near us. Wait, wait, don’t run away!

She fought for the University of Sudbury, says Mr. Thérien, when asked why Ms. Gélinas may be able to count on her vote. Most voters we talk to agree.

France Gélinas wears a colorful sweater

France Gélinas is the NDP MP for Nickel Belt.

Photo: Radio-Canada

The crusading teacher

A few kilometers further, in Val Caron, Gilles Proulx welcomes us to his campaign office.

The Liberal candidate in Nickel Belt is trying to defeat Ms. Gélinas, who has represented the riding since 2007.

The Liberals have a better chance, he says, of forming the government and settling the crisis.

Gilles Proulx lived it like a nightmare.

Himself a graduate of the establishment and today a teacher, he says he feels a lot of pain, anxiety and even sadness faced with the elimination of programs in French.

His voice tightens.

It would be really sad for the region if we lost our children.

His son, he says, will soon be graduating from high school and would naturally have turned to Laurentian University to do a bachelor’s degree in political science, but the program, too, fell by the wayside.

All the statistics say it: when young people leave the region, they don’t come back. »

A quote from Gilles Proulx, Liberal candidate in Nickel Belt

He will therefore have to choose between college studies – at Collège Boréal in Sudbury – or going into exile to go to the University of Ottawa.

Gilles Proulx and his son Yannick both wear red t-shirts and sunglasses.

Gilles Proulx (right), campaigning with his son, is the Liberal candidate in Nickel Belt.

Photo: Courtesy Gilles Proulx

Many Francophone parents he meets also tell him that they have saved money so that their children can one day attend Laurentian University and are wondering what to do now.

I tell them that as a francophone, this is a great opportunity to be able to develop our own university. […] I believe it is important that we have this university now, for and by [les francophones]that way decisions won’t just be made [en fonction d’un] number, but thinking of our studentssays Mr. Proulx.

What about the Progressive Conservative candidate in Sudbury, Marc Despatie?

We tried to get his point of view, but his team canceled our interview at the last minute.

During our visit to his campaign office, he was not there.

A huge poster of Mr. Despatie hangs in front of his campaign office in Sudbury.

A huge poster of Mr. Despatie hangs in front of his campaign office in Sudbury.

Photo: Radio-Canada / Yvon Theriault

Marc is interested in any opportunity to improve accessibility to French programs at the university level for the Middle North of Ontario. Doug Ford and the Progressive Conservatives have created two independent French-language universitieswrites his spokeswoman, Kim Morris.

The University of Sudbury wants turn the tide

The rector of the University of Sudbury is careful not to take a position in favor of one or the other of the political parties, even if their commitments include different nuances.

The outgoing Progressive Conservative government was often criticized for not immediately providing operating funding to the University of Sudbury.

On the contrary, he has already made a clear commitmentobserves the rector Serge Miville, asking the federal government to fund the next phase of the University of Sudbury.

The $1.9 million envelope recently announced by the federal Minister of Official Languages, Ginette Petitpas-Taylor, will allow the institution to study its ability to meet the training needs of students, the labor market and the Middle North community.

In my opinion, we are in the right direction in both cases. A French-language university in Sudbury, we are going in this direction, it is very clear. »

A quote from Serge Miville, rector of the University of Sudbury
Serge Miville wears glasses and a black jacket

Serge Miville is the rector of the University of Sudbury.

Photo: Radio-Canada

Does the University of Sudbury want to recover the French programs that remain at Laurentian University? Again, Mr. Miville remains cautious.

We really have to focus on building our capacity, […] you have to be able to operate as an autonomous French-language university. Right now, that’s our priorityhe notes.

It is certain that we are in the election campaign, the parties are in the process of positioning themselves on this question. We will follow the rules that we propose, […] and we won’t cut cornersadds the rector of the University of Sudbury.

But until the University of Sudbury is able to teach again and so turn the tideMr. Miville will be concerned about the exodus young people for whom no longer find a viable option for university programs, after the crisis at Laurentian University.

Students leave Sudbury. This greatly weakens the Franco-Ontarian community in the region. […] There are irreparable harms. »

A quote from Serge Miville, rector of the University of Sudbury

It’s a big task, I admit, but we have to re-establish the city of Sudbury as a post-secondary and university destination, particularly in French.

A blue sign with a white building in the background

The University of Sudbury is seeking funding from the provincial government to resume teaching activities.

Photo: Radio-Canada / Yvon Theriault

Blamed by Ontario’s French Language Services Commissioner for violating the French Language Services Act during the cuts, Laurentian University, which declined our interview requests, maintains that the program cuts were a difficult but necessary step in the complete restructuring of Laurentian.

We are confident that our current programming is more in line with student demand and will help ensure financial sustainability for the future.indicates, by e-mail, a spokesperson for the establishment who underlines that Laurentian’s bilingualism mandate is at the heart of its identity.

Laurentian University remains sheltered from its creditors until at least May 31.



Reference-ici.radio-canada.ca

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