Official Languages committee  I can speak about this from a practical standpoint. I'm the executive director of a health centre that works closely with researchers at Laurentian University in areas like immigration, poverty and homelessness. We would lose access to these researchers, their knowledge and their direct contribution to our community.

Official Languages committee  Mr. Riopel alluded to this. There was a letter signed by 350 university professors. I have a list of about 40 organizations that sent letters of support and adopted resolutions at their respective boards of directors. Some associations represent 50 to 100 organizations province-wide.

Official Languages committee  I'll have a go. The day after the programs were cut, my son sent me a message saying that he could no longer study at Laurentian University because he had a BA in history and an intermediate senior teaching certificate, both programs that were cut. First of all, you can't attract young people to the university if it doesn't offer the programs they want.

Official Languages committee  I alluded earlier to the implementation board, one of whose roles would be to determine which programs are really viable with appropriate investment and which new programs would be required for the development of the community and for the future of the university

Official Languages committee  Not knowing where the money is going certainly complicates the whole issue. Mr. Haché was talking earlier about programs that had been cancelled because there weren't enough students. What people fail to say is that for a long time, there was no investment in these programs, professors weren't replaced when they left, and the programs weren't promoted.

Official Languages committee  As Mr. Riopel Just pointed out, an application was sent to the provincial government and the reaction will depend on the government's response to this application.

Official Languages committee  Thank you. I believe that takes us back to the starting point. In 2021, the era of bilingual institutions came to an end because they were no longer meeting needs. We found that was the case at the school and college levels. Now, we see that it's time to deal with the educational gaps at the university level, because there is nothing at the moment in the Mid-North.

Official Languages committee  It's pretty clear that this plan has community support throughout the province. No one will say that it's not a good idea and that they don't want a French-language university for Ontario's Mid-North. So the support is there, and that's important. I'd like to return to what Mr.

Official Languages committee  Some of these points are important. You spoke briefly about the dream of Laurentian, which is still speaking on behalf of the community. Let's be clear. Laurentian University no longer looks like us and no longer brings us together. The community has lost confidence in this bilingual institution, which can no longer speak on behalf of the francophone community in Sudbury and the Mid-North.

Official Languages committee  We at the Coalition have had numerous discussions with Mr. Lefebvre and Mr. Serré about this. Communication is very good and the support is there. We are of course making a distinction between federal and provincial areas of jurisdiction, but they have answered the call and are supporting us in this.

Official Languages committee  Thank you, Mr. Chair. On behalf of the Northern Ontario Coalition for a French-language University, I'd like to thank you for giving me this opportunity to speak to you about the disastrous situation in which university education in French in Sudbury finds itself at the moment, further to unilateral decisions made by the supposedly bilingual Laurentian University, about the repercussions of its decisions, and the solution looming on the horizon.