QUEEN’S PARK – Leader of the Official Opposition NDP, Marit Stiles, was joined by Critic for Francophone Affairs MPP Guy Bourgouin (Mushkegowuk—James Bay) and surrounding Sudbury area MPPs France Gélinas (Nickel Belt) and Jamie West (Sudbury) to discuss their plans to continue pushing for a francophone university at the University of Sudbury.
“The Ontario NDP team has been advocating for a university by, for, and with Franco-Ontarians with the province’s francophone community for a long time,” said Stiles. “We will continue to push for it now, and we will make it happen when we form government in 2026.”
“The reasons for the funding refusal, which comes after the federal government contributed $2 million to the project, do not fool anyone. The demand for higher education in French has existed in Northern Ontario for over a hundred years,” MPP Bourgouin stated. “We will be listening and organizing in the community this summer and collecting signatures to show Doug Ford and his cabinet what Franco-Ontarians want and need.”
“The Franco-Ontarian population is growing, and it's here to stay,” said Gélinas. “The University of Sudbury put together a business plan that demonstrates not only the viability of the project but also the positive economic impact in Northeastern Ontario and beyond.”
West was equally disappointed. “Late on a Friday afternoon, just before Canada Day celebrations, the Ministry of Colleges and Universities attempted to sweep this under the rug, but my constituents have noticed. This is something that people in Sudbury want, and the Franco community needs; we will not take this lying down.”