Latest news with #ConfederationCollege
CBC
15-04-2025
- Business
- CBC
Facing a $6.5 million-deficit, Confederation College takes heat over suspension of culinary program
Social Sharing Eve Roy says she was drawn to Confederation College in Thunder Bay, Ont., by the smaller class sizes and supportive learning environment. That's why the first-year culinary management student says she was surprised when the school announced the program is one of 11 being suspended in the fall. "The teachers are amazing — they're really cool. They teach a lot. They're really professional and they're down to earth. My classmates are amazing," said Roy, who came to the northwestern Ontario city from Ottawa. Roy was one of about 80 people who packed the college's Dibaajimogamig lecture hall on Monday night. The name translates to "the place where stories are told." The session was scheduled to last an hour, but lasted nearly two hours, with more than a dozen people posing questions to senior college staff. Graduates of the program shared what they went on to do in the industry. Former teachers talked about the impact of giving back. Prominent members of the restaurant and hotel industries expressed concerns about staffing shortages. Meanwhile, a Grade 11 student shared she had been planning to enrol in the program since the seventh grade. A member of one of the college's own advisory committees said they learned about the program suspension through the media, while another person questioned the lack of consultation with Indigenous people over the decision. "On the positive side, it is incredible to see this amount of support come out of the woodwork. For us to come in here and talk on a Monday night about this and really push the boundaries of what we thought we could do is amazing," said Pete Middaugh, executive chef at the city's Valhalla Hotel. WATCH | Thunder Bay's food industry concerned about suspension of culinary management program at Confederation College Thunder Bay's food industry concerned about suspension of culinary management program at Confederation College 7 days ago Duration 5:04 Confederation College recently announced it is suspending 11 of its programs, including culinary management. The decision has left the Thunder Bay, Ont., food industry worried. Bianca Garofalo, restaurant owner and Tanner Harris, food service manager for the Regional Food Distribution Association, joined the CBC's Mary-Jean Cormier in studio to share their concerns. Middaugh is behind an online petition aimed at keeping the culinary management program open. It has more than 2,200 signatures. "The fact that we saw 2,200 [signatures] in a relatively short period of time really speaks to how important this program is to the community at large and to its businesses and its people that live here," he said. While several people pushed back against the reasoning behind the college's decision — a decline in domestic enrolment and international study permits — the school committed to exploring options for keeping culinary education in place, even if that means in alternative formats. The teachers are amazing — they're really cool. They teach a lot. They're really professional and they're down to earth. My classmates are amazing. The college says no staff layoffs have been announced in connection with the program suspensions. However, it has seen a 50 per cent uptake on its voluntary retirement incentive plan. There's also been a hiring pause and vacancies are being held, senior staff shared during a presentation at the town hall. "I'm hoping to engage with an even broader group of people beyond just the program advisory committee," said Richard Gemmill, the dean for the school of business, hospitality and media arts at the college. "Hoping to get more voices to that table to help inform us as to what that community need is and how we can respond to that need in a meaningful way that is financially viable for the institution." Growing deficit, declining enrolment Confederation College is facing a $6.5 million-deficit, said Aaron Skillen, vice president academic. Meanwhile, the culinary management program saw more than $330,000 in losses last year. There were 52 students in the program in 2024. Of those, 28 were international students. WATCH | How the foreign student caps affect universities' finances Colleges and universities ring financial alarm over foreign student caps 5 months ago Duration 2:09 Post-secondary institutions say they are projected to lose hundreds of millions of dollars with new international student caps they warn jobs and student programs could be at risk if governments don't boost funding. Now, with the federal government capping the number of international study permits across the country, Confederation College is expecting 40 per cent fewer international students this fall compared to 2023. Domestic enrolment has declined by 30 per cent over the last decade, according to Skillen. "We're in a set of circumstances where we are greatly impacted by some federal policy, certainly the IRCC (Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada) decisions throughout 2024 have created a new reality in the post-secondary sector across the country, and certainly here in Ontario," said Skillen. The IRCC has also introduced new post-graduate work permit eligibility, which only 27 of the college's programs qualify for; the culinary management program isn't one of them. Alternative options, advocacy Pushed by participants of the town hall, Gemmill committed to look into what a different culinary diploma program might look like in the future, but couldn't make any promises as far as timelines. "I think we're at the point now where we need to look at what type of program is required and how can we build that up, from the ground up, to respond to that need," he said. "I'm optimistic that we can do that with the proper consultation with the proper community members." For Middaugh, the answer lies with the people in the industries most affected. "I would like to see them make an announcement that they're gonna continue the program, but they're gonna take more recommendation[s] from the culinary community at large, and that the program is going to maybe be evolved to make sense for all shareholders," he said. "It's got to make sense to the college. It's got to make sense to the restaurants and everything else that goes into it, it's not just one party." In the meantime, the college is looking into offering more cook apprenticeships, contract and corporate training, and micro-credentials to help support the food industry. As the federal election approaches, Skillen said the college is continuing to advocate to both the provincial and federal governments for more support, especially when it comes to meeting the community's labour needs. Ultimately, he said the town hall's high turnout "signals to me exactly how we feel about the program as being a high-quality one, one that's met a labour market need in the past."
CBC
11-04-2025
- Politics
- CBC
Culinary program suspension foils Indigenous high school students' plans in Thunder Bay
Confederation College to hold town hall meeting Monday to address concerns Obie McKay says he was looking forward to improving his baking skills through Confederation College's culinary management program. But after being accepted into the program for September 2025, the Grade 12 student has learned that it's one of 11 academic programs at the college that have been suspended, which means fall admissions at the Thunder Bay, Ont., school have been cancelled. McKay, who is from Wapekeka First Nation, attends Dennis Franklin Cromarty (DFC), an all-Indigenous high school in Thunder Bay. Students move to the northwestern Ontario city from remote First Nations that don't have their own secondary schools, and stay with host families while completing their high school education. Students can receive a dual high school-college credit through the culinary arts class at DFC, which has historically encouraged pathways into the culinary management program at Confederation College. "It fills up very quickly because there's a limited amount of students we can offer it to," said Tara Beachum, culinary arts teacher at DFC. "Students really enjoy it. It's very hands-on and many of them like to continue on into culinary after they finish high school." Confederation College says the reason behind the program suspensions is declining domestic enrolment and financial constraints that have come from a loss of international students, resulting from federal caps on study permits granted. Community members — many from the city's food industry — have rallied around the culinary management program since the announcement was made in late March. This includes more than 2,100 signatures on an online petition aimed at keeping the program open. With high school graduation just over a month away, McKay says he needs to assess his options now that he won't be going to the college this fall. His home community is just under 600 kilometres north of the city. He said he may look into jumping straight into the workforce and getting a job at a local bakery, or consider another program entirely. "I learn pretty quickly with my hands," McKay said. "But I do wish [the program] would come back." College to host town hall meeting A spokesperson for Confederation College told CBC News in an email on Thursday that the school is "aware of the community's concerns regarding the suspension of the culinary management program." "As part of our commitment to transparency and community engagement, Confederation College will be hosting a community town hall to share more information about the decision and to listen to feedback," said communications consultant Scott Hobbs. The meeting is scheduled for Monday from 5 p.m. until 6 p.m. in the Shuniah building's Dibaajimogamig lecture theatre. WATCH | Confederation College suspends 11 programs: Media Video | Confederation College suspends 11 programs Caption: Confederation College in Thunder Bay, Ont., is suspending 11 academic programs due to declining domestic enrolment and federal caps on international study permits. The school says current students will not be affected, and that no layoffs have been announced at this time. Here's what we know about the changes so far. Open Full Embed in New Tab Loading external pages may require significantly more data usage than loading CBC Lite story pages. Stephen Crowe, a Grade 12 student at DFC who is taking the culinary arts class there, says it would be much easier to go to Confederation College than moving further south for post-secondary. He is from Sandy Lake First Nation, a remote community more than 600 kilometres northwest of Thunder Bay. "It's more accessible instead of going to a different larger city, which would have some implications, especially about rent, food, supports and stuff like that," Crowe said. "It would have been a lot more easier for me to … take the culinary class here in town." DFC students already make a lot of sacrifices to come to Thunder Bay for high school, said Beachum. "They're all students from the north, so no matter what, they're gonna have to go away for post-secondary," she said. "However, having had the experience being here at DFC, Thunder Bay is familiar, so it's a really easy segue for them to continue on into post-secondary to go to the college here in Thunder Bay." Provincial ministry responds to concerns CBC News contacted Ontario's Ministry of Colleges, Universities, Research Excellence and Security for comment on the financial pressures Confederation College is facing. The ministry was also asked how it will help address labour gaps in sectors where college programs are being suspended. "Our government is squarely focused on connecting students to rewarding careers that address the province's current and future labour market needs," said Dayna Smockum, the ministry's director of communications, in an email to CBC News on Thursday. "Our post-secondary sector, including Confederation College, is going through a rebalancing right now due to the federal government's changes to international student permitting and some difficult decisions are being made by our institutions to ensure their long-term success and sustainability." Smockum said the province is spending more than $500 million to support colleges and universities in providing STEM and skilled trades programs to meet labour needs. "While decisions related to program offerings lie solely with the institution, we have been and will continue to work with the sector to ensure they can keep providing Ontario students with the education and skills they need for good-paying, in-demand jobs and careers," said Smockum. Back at DFC, Beachum said she hopes the culinary management program comes back, so her students have more incentive to explore career paths in the industry. "I've spoken to them about other options than just being a chef in a restaurant. There's things like going to mining camps and doing culinary in that way. Some have even considered starting up their own businesses in culinary and bringing that back to the reserves with them," Beachum said. "There's a multitude of options that they can branch out into."
CBC
08-04-2025
- Business
- CBC
Members of Thunder Bay, Ont.'s food scene rally to save college's culinary program from suspension
Social Sharing More than 1,900 people have signed an online petition in hopes of sparing the culinary management program at Confederation College in Thunder Bay, Ont., from being suspended. The college announced the suspension of the program — along with 10 others — in late March. The reason behind the decision is declining domestic enrolment and caps on international study permits, which are negatively impacting the school's bottom line, the college said. "It was disappointing and pretty shocking to know we're going to potentially lose that valuable resource in the community," said Bianca Garofalo, a former instructor of the culinary management program. The two-year hospitality program provides students with theoretical knowledge, hands-on learning at the on-campus dining facility, and a co-op work placement in the community. Graduates receive an Ontario College Diploma. Students already enrolled in the college's suspended programs will be able to complete their studies, but new intakes are not being accepted this fall. Garofalo co-owns three prominent restaurants in town: Bight Restaurant and Bar, El Tres, and Giorg Cucina e Barra. Herself and others in the food industry are concerned about how the program's suspension will impact their staffing. "There won't be as many people looking for employment in that sector specifically, and people who do will need hands-on training to a level that I think is going to be a big strain on the restaurants," she said. Meanwhile, community partners — such as the Regional Food Distribution Association (RFDA) — are left wondering what their relationship with the college will look like going forward. It was disappointing and pretty shocking to know that we're going to potentially lose that valuable resource in the community. "We just formed a good partnership with the college … to promote the production cooking class," said Tanner Harris, the RFDA's food service manager and a graduate of the program. "With the food they were able to prepare coming back to the RFDA, it's going to be a huge gap we need to fill." CBC News has reached out to Confederation College about the petition to save the culinary management program and has not yet received a response. Impact on staffing in multiple sectors The RFDA has been working on getting students in elementary and high school interested in the food industry by helping out with meal preparations, said Harris. The organization has benefited from use of the college's kitchen, since the one at its warehouse is much smaller. "We're trying to help them, college's trying to help us; it's really full circle," said Harris. WATCH | Cooking meets community with new Confederation College, RFDA partnership Cooking meets community with new Confederation College, RFDA partnership 1 year ago Duration 2:30 While the RFDA's upcoming expansion includes a new community teaching kitchen, Harris said it may be harder to draw students in if they lack post-secondary opportunities in the culinary industry. "For some students, they see this as a path forward for them in terms of a post-secondary education, and without this program, whether they can afford to leave Thunder Bay and go to southern Ontario or not, it might change their plans completely," Garofalo added. "A lot of them might not actually pursue this career, and if they do and leave the community, there's always a risk that they don't return." Beyond restaurants, Harris, who also has a background in health care, said he's also concerned about recruiting qualified cooks in health-care settings. "We're dealing with people that are the most vulnerable population in health care, but also with the RFDA, [there is] a lot of food insecurity in our communities in this region," he said. "I think more knowledge about food is better, and we just need to try and get this program continuing, so that we can continue education." A program suspension does not mean it's been axed entirely. In theory, the college could revive the program by opening up intakes again. Garofalo said she's hoping to participate in a roundtable discussion with representatives of the college and other stakeholders to discuss their concerns. "[There are] so many different areas where there is food production as part of that, and I think that those areas are also in jeopardy," she said. "Beyond the food scene, the ecosystem is much larger than that."
CBC
03-04-2025
- Science
- CBC
Northwestern Ontario students aim to impress judges at regional science fair
The 61st annual Northwestern Ontario Regional Science Fair (NWORSF) has kicked off at Confederation College in Thunder Bay. Over one hundred students between grades four to 12 are participating in the fair. The McIntyre Building Tech Hub was packed with people attending the NWORSF open house on Wednesday morning, where the students' experiments and inventions were displayed. Students from across the region participated, including Fort Frances, Rainy River, Kenora, Sioux Lookout, and Sandy Lake, said Rebecca Cross, a NWORSF co-chair. "We like to tell the students that today is the day they get to be the teacher. So they love that whole idea," she said. The top six students from the grade 7 to twelve category win an all-expenses paid trip to compete at the national science fair in Fredericton in June, said Cross. "Our students here are competing for all kinds of projects and recognition, which is really cool, as well as scholarships, so they're pretty pumped," she said. Contestant Julia Salem, 10, said she was inspired to compete after her older sister make it to the national competition. Salem's invention is a motorized snow removal system that would allow people to clear their driveways without shoveling. "It's similar to a treadmill. That's why it's called the snowmill," Salem said. "It doesn't require any physical work, just the pressing of a button." She has created a small display model of her invention with a 12V electric motor that can plug into an outlet. "Snow shoveling can be very dangerous. It can cause heart attacks, muscle strains, strokes, and possibly death," said Salem. Cameron Price, a grade 9 student at Westgate from Rocky Bay, said his experiment tested the effectives of four traditional Indigenous medicines compared to modern medicines. "I hope to accomplish more representation for Indigenous science. I also wish to accomplish more understanding of Indigenous medicine," he said. Price said while he doesn't plan on becoming a professional scientist, he enjoys participating in events like the science fair. "I always get to know more people. I also get know more about myself." Microplastics hot study topic for students St. Ignatius High School students Madelynn Moore and Gabriela Blandón Atia both did experiments about microplastic pollution. Moore said she chose to study the microfibres clothing sheds while it is washed. "A lot of them actually end up going into Lake Superior," she said. "Little organisms in the water actually end up ingesting them and fish will eat them," said Moore. Atia's project set out to determine whether microplastics present in the soil could have any effect on plant growth and development. She said the arugula she grew in the microplastic-contamined soil didn't grow as high as the control group. "Arugula is something we eat, so it was concerning to see that microplastics did have an effect on them," Atia said. Atia said participating in the fair was fun, even if the results of her experiment were concerning. "It was pretty important to me to realize how issues globally affect you personally," she said.
CBC
24-03-2025
- Climate
- CBC
Rural schools closed and some bus routes cancelled in Thunder Bay, Ont., after spring snowstorm
Social Sharing Rural schools are closed Monday in Thunder Bay, Ont., and some school bus routes are cancelled after a dump of snow overnight in the region. Confederation College has also closed its Thunder Bay campus today and classes are cancelled. Environment Canada has issued multiple weather alerts for the region, including snowfall warnings for Thunder Bay and north shore areas. Snowfall is expected to continue through the morning. School closures Lakehead Public Schools is closing rural schools today due to weather conditions. That includes Crestview, Five Mile, Gorham Ware, McKenzie, Nor'wester View, Kakabeka, Valley Central, and Whitefish Valley schools. Public board city schools are open in Thunder Bay. As well, the Thunder Bay Catholic Board, French Catholic, and French public schools are open in Thunder Bay, and city school buses are running. Confederation College's Thunder Bay campus is closed for the day. Classes at all campus buildings are cancelled, and the buildings will remain closed. This includes the SUCCI Wellness Centre, Sodexo and the Children and Family Centre. School bus route cancellations in Thunder Bay Student Transportation Services of Thunder Bay has cancelled all rural school buses for the day. Most student transportation for city schools will run, but delays are possible. All wheelchair accessible vehicles are cancelled for the day for the Thunder Bay Catholic, French Catholic and French public school boards. More information can be found on the Student Transportation Services of Thunder Bay website.
