CFN – MPP Steve Clark attended the media event at the Kemptville Agricultural College where it was announced that $2M was found so that students could attend in the Fall and not have to be “farmed out” to distant parts of the province.
With buzz that a Spring election is about to be called in Ontario it’s good news for students and the Ag Industry in Eastern Ontario.
An essential first step, but there is much more work to do.
Leeds-Grenville MPP Steve Clark used those words in responding to today’s announcement that the provincial government is providing $2 million to ensure an intake of students at Kemptville College this fall for the 2014-15 academic year.
“Since the closure was announced on March 12, my message to the Premier and the Minister of Training, Colleges and Universities was that we needed that new group of students coming in this September – we couldn’t allow the lights to go out,” said Clark, who thanked Minister Duguid for working with him and the community to make that happen.
“Today’s announcement doesn’t provide everything we asked for, but it’s an essential first step. It gives our community and the Kemptville College Renewal Task Force more time to bring those partners to the table who can develop a full range of programs to meet the needs of Eastern Ontario’s agri-food sector and farm families.”
Clark’s primary disappointment is there won’t be an intake of new students in any of the agricultural degree or diploma programs.
“There is a 97-year tradition of excellence in agricultural education at Kemptville College. My focus remains on ensuring those degree and diploma programs continue to be the cornerstone of the course offerings provided here in the future,” said Clark.
“We’ve heard loud and clear from the agri-food industry about how critical those programs are to helping our region compete in a sector that’s worth more than $1.5 billion to the economy in Eastern Ontario alone. To me, this is about access to education. In a province as large and diverse as Ontario, we need to provide those educational opportunities in agriculture closer to where people live.”
The other critical item missing from today’s announcement, noted Clark, was the appointment of a provincial facilitator to work with the Task Force in developing the long-term plan for the college.
“We need that person appointed immediately because there’s a lot of work that needs to get done in a very short period of time,” said Clark.
I hope that Kemptville College can stay on even beyond one year. It is a good college and I hope that they stay.
I think it will stay. The announcement today amounts to bridge financing. When the initial announcement to close Alfred and Kemptville was made there was not enough time to bring new potential organizations to run Kemptville or Alfred. With financing for the upcoming school year St. Lawrence College and Algonquin College can be pursued as potential new owners.
I’m sure after the next election funding will be found for Kemptville. It reeks of partisan politic games…
What about the Alfred campus?
Hugger Alfred has already realigned with another school. This whole weirdness reeks of partisan politics as its the same pocket that pays for the school, ours.
Thanks for the info Jaime. People are complaining that the money went to the University of Guelph, not the Kemptville campus. Well, the University of Guelph is the one paying the bills for the Kemptville campus. The money should go to the organization paying the bills. Hopefully St. Lawrence College or Algonquin College will pick Kempville up and it can be done in time for the 2015-16 school year.
Hugger Guelph is the preeminent Vet school in Ontario. I have no idea why Kemptville or Alfred would not have stayed affiliated with them, especially if at the end of the day we pay the bill? Very very odd….
U of G probably not making enough profit off the programs being offered at Kemptville and Alfred.
The rumor that I heard is that Guelf built some new barns to expand their herd but can’t get quota for milk. By closing Kempville they can transfer their milk quote. It may just be an Easter Ontario paranoid rural rumor but you know what they say, just because you’re paranoid doesn’t mean that someone isn’t out to get you.
Hugger schools are not here to make profit.
Maybe not, but they are to give students an education.
And that sir should be the only criteria…
I agree.
The only thing that was saved at Kempville is the technical school. The dairy herd, and agriculture program at Kempville and Alfred are gone…moved to a brand new $25M, state of the art, robotic milking barn built with tax dollars at the Univ. of Guelph. No more agriculture students will be accepted next spring.
Kempville actually produced a Positive income for the Univ.of Guelph. This is strictly a partisan political game…taking from a Conservative riding, to give to a Liberal riding.
Quota cannot be moved… Period. The only person allowed to overrule this regulation is….The Minister of Agriculture….Which is…..Kathleen Winn. Yes it stinks.