The University of Sudbury board of regents have created an ad hoc committee to work toward the creation of a French-language university.
“The University of Sudbury wishes to express its gratitude to the members of the community, the Franco-Ontarian agencies, the students, the professors and the elected officials who have come forward to support the creation of the French-language university, especially the Coalition nord-ontarienne pour une université francophone, the Association canadienne-française de l’Ontario (ACFO) du grand Sudbury and the Assemblée de la francophonie de l’Ontario (AFO),” said Pierre Riopel, Chair of the Board of Regents of the University of Sudbury, in the release.
“The collective effort demonstrated during this time of transition is for the creation of a French-language university so that Franco-Ontarians may have access to a complete French-language education system from pre-school to university.”
The release announces the creation of an ad hoc committee, and a working group.
“This ad hoc committee has since retained the services of PGF Consultants, a firm specializing in education and post-secondary governance, to develop and formalize a business plan,” reads the release. “This plan will be an essential element of the proposal that the University of Sudbury will create and submit to the Ministry of Colleges and Universities of Ontario in order to transform itself into a university governed by, for and with Franco-Ontarians.”
In the words of Carol Jolin, President of AFO, says the after the Université de l'Ontario français and the Université de Hearst, “the transformation of the University of Sudbury in (sic) an institution governed by, for and with Francophones is the next essential step to ensure French-language post-secondary training in Ontario”.
Denis Constantineau, spokesperson of the Coalition nord-ontarienne pour une université francophone adds, “It is our view that Queen’s Park should set up an implementation commission to examine the structure of French-language university education in the North and make recommendations in line with programming for the French-language university of the Near-North.”
Members of the Working Committee for University of Sudbury are:
- Gisèle Chrétien, President of Collège Boréal from 1999 to 2006
- Donald Dennie, Professor Emeritus of Sociology, Laurentian University
- Denis Constantineau, Executive Director of Centre de santé communautaire du Grand Sudbury
- and spokesperson of the Coalition nord-ontarienne pour une université francophone (Coalition)
- Edmond Paquette, Lawyer, and Vice-Chair of the Board of Regents of University of Sudbury
- Joanne Gervais, Executive Director of ACFO du grand Sudbury and member of the Coalition
- Kornel Zathureczky, Professor and Board member of U. of Sudbury
- Mohammed El-Mendri, Student and Board member of U. of Sudbury
- Pierre Riopel, Chair of Board of Regents of U. of Sudbury
- Ronald Caza, Legal Counsel, Partner at Caza Saikaley
- Resource persons:
- André Claude, Legal Advisor, U. of Sudbury
- Bryan Michaud, Political Analyst, AFO
- Peter Hominuk, Executive Director, AFO
- Charlotte Servant L’Heureux, Lawyer at Juristes Power
Jenny Lamothe is a Local Journalism Initiative reporter at Sudbury.com. She covers the Black, Indigenous, immigrant and Francophone communities.
