From Brockville Mayor Matt Wren: Update on Meeting About St. Lawrence College Brockville

Brockville – At our Council meeting on Tuesday, I provided an update on the meeting I held on recent announcements from St. Lawrence College.

Here is the text of my update:

I recently had the opportunity to meet with Glen Vollebregt, President & CEO of St. Lawrence College, to discuss the financial challenges the college is currently facing, and recent announcements they have made about program changes and various operational adjustments. I’ve also been in contact with MPP Clark and his staff, with Mayor Bryan Patterson of Kingston and Mayor Justin Towndale of Cornwall and wanted to provide Council, and the community, with an update this evening.

First and foremost, I want to acknowledge all of the affected students, faculty, and staff. Please know that we, as members of Council, share your concerns about these changes and the impacts they are having on your education, employment, and the broader community. Job losses are always difficult to hear about, and I want to reiterate our strong support for St. Lawrence College as one of our city’s most important assets.

It has been made clear that these decisions have been driven by changes to the federal government’s immigration policy. Colleges across Ontario, and likely throughout Canada, were heavily relying on international student enrollment for much-needed revenue to help fund their operations. As many of us know, these policy changes came rapidly, with very little warning provided to the provincial ministries or the colleges themselves. For St. Lawrence College, these shifts have resulted in a $25 million budget deficit, forcing the institution to make some tough decisions.

As I mentioned, I’ve been in ongoing conversations with MPP Clark to voice our concerns about this situation. He pointed out that in 2024, the Government of Ontario announced an additional $1.3 billion in funding for Ontario’s colleges. After speaking with him, I’m confident that he understands these challenges will require continued dialogue between the province and our colleges. However, it’s also clear that the province will expect colleges to align their programs with the needs of local employers, particularly in areas like healthcare and skilled trades.

During my meeting with the College President, I was joined by Commissioner Charlie Mignault from the SLCEDC. It was important to have his perspective, as one of our key goals was to discuss employer needs in our region and how St. Lawrence College can continue to play a crucial role in preparing a workforce that meets these needs.

I left that meeting feeling cautiously optimistic about the future of St. Lawrence College here in Brockville. I am confident that the college will not only weather these challenges but will also rebuild and adapt its programming to serve the needs of our community, providing training for the types of jobs that are in demand. What’s also encouraging is that this is just the beginning of an ongoing conversation. The college is eager to continue working with the City, with the SLCEDC, and with the community as they navigate through this period of change.

I’m also confident that the Government of Ontario will play its part in preserving and enhancing post-secondary educational opportunities and skills training right here in our region.

Alongside Mayor Patterson and Mayor Towndale, we remain committed to maintaining open lines of communication with St. Lawrence College, our MPPs, and provincial ministers, and we will continue to support these efforts in any way we can.