April 29, 2022, Sudbury, Ontario – Today, the Honourable Ginette Petitpas Taylor, Minister of Official Languages and Minister responsible for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency, announced an investment of nearly $1.9 million to the Université de Sudbury to support its transformation to a French-language university under the “by and for” governance model.

“Today’s announcement is very important for Francophones and Francophiles in Northern Ontario. This two-year investment will allow the university to take a decisive and necessary step. Our government is committed to supporting minority-language post-secondary institutions and providing them with the necessary resources to foster the development of the student population, which will then be equipped to succeed in the labour market,” said the Honourable Ginette Petitpas Taylor, Minister of Official Languages and Minister responsible for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency.

 “If the Franco-Ontarian flag flies higher and prouder on the mast of its founders this morning, it is because the dream of several generations of Francophone builders and visionaries over a century is becoming a reality. For students looking for a university to entrust their dreams and aspirations to, the Université de Sudbury will be an institution that reflects you and lives up to your aspirations,” said Dr. Serge Miville, President and Vice-Chancellor of the Université de Sudbury.

“Today’s announcement confirms to Francophone and Francophile students in the Greater Sudbury region and the North that a university “by and for” the community has taken yet another important step – its roadmap for transformation is becoming more and more concrete,” said Dr. Miville.

At the invitation of the Honourable Jill Dunlop, Minister of Colleges and Universities, the Université de Sudbury is undertaking an organizational assessment process by the Postsecondary Education Quality Assessment Board (PEQAB) with respect to its capacity to deliver, as an autonomous university, degrees that meet applicable standards established under the Ontario Qualifications Framework.

The Université de Sudbury will also evaluate the role it can play within a network of French-language universities across Ontario.

This announcement is a crucial step in the development of a French-language university in Greater Sudbury, a societal project that has been at the heart of the aspirations of the Franco-Ontarian community in Northern Ontario for over a century.

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About Université de Sudbury:

Founded in 1913, the Université de Sudbury was the first institution to provide university-level education in Northern Ontario. In 1975, the very first raising of the Franco-Ontarian flag in the province was held at the Université de Sudbury.

The Université de Sudbury acknowledges that it is on the Robinson-Huron Treaty Territory and the land on which it is established is the traditional territory of the Atikameksheng Anishnawbek and the Wahnapitae First Nation.

For further information, please contact Elise Leblanc: eleblanc@usudbury.ca