Centre Victoria pour femmes (CVF) has affirmed its support for an autonomous French-language university, as well as for the Coalition nord-ontarienne pour une université francophone (Northern-Ontario Coalition for a Francophone University).
This as the University of Sudbury — one of the federated universities located on the Laurentian University campus — has declared its intention to transform itself into a Francophone university.
Laurentian University has terminated the federation agreement with the University of Sudbury as well as Thorneloe University and Huntington University as part of its restructuring measures related to its insolvency.
Classes at all three federated universities have been cancelled for the spring term.
A release from CVF, a non-profit organisation that is “dedicated to supporting francophone women in the districts of Sudbury and Algoma who fight against all forms of gender-based violence,” said its board of directors adopted a proposal on the topic at an April 28 meeting.
It reads: Whereas CVF is an organization entirely managed by, for and with Francophone women; Whereas the survival of our organization and that of our Francophone communities depends on a fully flourishing and solid community;
Whereas we believe it is necessary to be able to educate our communities, where they live and are engaged;
And whereas that we know that the only real and lasting way to guarantee our rights to empower ourselves fully has been demonstrated by the multiple autonomously managed organizations;
The adopted proposal specifically reads:
It is understood that CVF wishes to signal its commitment and collective support for all the community efforts put forward in Sudbury, for the creation of a university by, for and with the Francophones of Northern Ontario, and;
It is understood that the Centre Victoria pour femmes (CVF) is dedicated to supporting Francophone women in the districts of Sudbury and Algoma who fight against all forms of gender-based violence.
“CVF is dedicated to supporting Francophone women in the districts of Sudbury and Algoma who fight against all forms of gender-based violence,” reads the release. “Our centre has been in existence for over 25 years and is part of a network of similar organizations that emerged in the 1990s across Ontario, thanks to a collective movement of demands for independent French-language services.”
