At least 100 vehicles decked out in flags took part in a car rally today to show support for Laurentian University.
The Sudbury post-secondary institution is in the midst of a financial crisis and filed for CCAA protection this year as it works to get its house in order.
As that process moves along, a group calling itself Save Our Sudbury (SOS) has been raising awareness about Laurentian’s challenges and about post-secondary funding in Ontario, while lobbying the province to re-examine how the school is funded.
Today, at least 100 vehicles gathered at 555 Barrydowne Road in New Sudbury to participate in the rally of support. Most of the cars sported Laurentian University Faculty Association flags.
Participants remained in their vehicles while a handful of volunteers in face masks distributed flags and organized the group to roll out.
The convoy took a slow ride along The Kingsway to Paris Street, and down Ramsey Lake Road and onto the Laurentian campus. The convoy then headed back along Paris Street to the parking lot on York Street, where information sheets were handed out.
Beyond the ongoing issues with funding, in terms of the current financial crisis, SOS said in a news release that its message is clear: They are calling on Colleges and Universities Minister Ross Romano and Premier Doug Ford to provide funding to protect Laurentian University from cuts that are sure to come through the CCAA process.
“Today, we are driving home the message that the people of Sudbury will not sit quietly while the provincial government ignores the funding crisis at Laurentian University,” said Katlyn Kotila, a political science student at Laurentian University, in a news release. “Laurentian is a unique institution that is vital to Sudbury’s cultural and economic health.”
SOS said Laurentian is the first public university in Ontario to run into financial trouble and not receive financial assistance from the provincial government, adding the province has a responsibility to provide the university with “the operating funding needed to secure the institution’s future.”
The group also argues the province should have known in at least the fall of 2018 that LU was barrelling toward trouble when the Ontario Treasury Board reviewed university reserves.
“We are here to show the provincial government that Laurentian University is important to the people, economy, and cultural community of Sudbury,” said Scott Florence, executive director of the Sudbury Workers Education and Advocacy Centre, in a news release. “If this government allows Laurentian to move forward with cuts, we are going to lose dozens of important university programs and hundreds of jobs. We will hold this government responsible for every job and every program lost.”
To observe safe COVID-19 practices, speeches from supporters of LU were recorded in advance and can be found on the @OurSudbury Twitter account.
In support of Laurentian and its students and faculty, the Nipissing University Faculty Association hosted a “phone zap” that encouraged concerned citizens from across the province to call Romano and Ford to demand long-term funding for Laurentian.
For more information or to get involved, you can visit NorthernSolidarity.ca.
