MPP Arnott updates Legislature on status of new Halton university campus
(Queen’s Park) – Wellington-Halton Hills MPP Ted Arnott rose in the Ontario Legislature on March 20 to update MPPs on the status of the promised new Halton university campus.
“As members will recall, on October 26, the government announced plans to establish a new university campus in Halton region,” Mr. Arnott said. “I’m pleased to inform the House that, according to published reports, it appears that Wilfrid Laurier University, in partnership with Conestoga College, was the only applicant to respond to the government’s recent call for formal expressions of interest to construct a new Halton post-secondary campus.”
According to the Ministry of Advanced Education and Skills Development’s website, the deadline for expressions of interest passed on March 6. The only submission the Ministry received was from Laurier-Conestoga.
The new campus is projected to accommodate 1000 students within 2-5 years of opening.
“As one of the four MPPs who are privileged to represent parts of Halton region, I welcome this news,” Mr. Arnott said. “Working together with Wilfrid Laurier University, our local municipal officials, including Halton regional chair Gary Carr and other partners, we have pushed for a new campus in Halton region for some time. I want to thank them all for their outstanding efforts, which now have us one step closer to achieving our goal.”
While the successful proponent is expected to be “officially” announced in the fall, after his statement, Mr. Arnott is questioning why it needs to take so long.
“Given the fact that the Laurier proposal was the only one they received before the deadline, why does the Government need to wait until the fall to make the formal announcement?” Mr. Arnott asked afterwards.
“I urge the Government to expedite this project, and to publicly announce when the new campus will open its doors to students,” he concluded.
(Attached: Hansard record of Mr. Arnott’s statement in the Ontario Legislature)
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Ted Arnott, MPP
Phone: 416-787-5247
Email: ted.arnott@pc.ola.org