‘Local (PC) MPPs like Doug Downey, Jill Dunlop, Graydon Smith and Brian Saunderson have stood by complicitly while their communities are gutted,’ says letter writer

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Georgian College’s decision to close its Orillia and Muskoka campuses, after already shuttering the South Georgian Bay campus in Collingwood, is not an accident. It is the direct result of Doug Ford’s deliberate defunding of Ontario’s post-secondary system.

Local Progressive Conservative ministers and MPPs like Doug Downey, Jill Dunlop, Graydon Smith and Brian Saunderson have stood by complicitly while their communities are gutted.

The numbers speak volumes. Georgian’s Orillia campus contributed $121 million to Simcoe County’s economy in a single year and supported 1,662 jobs. The South Georgian Bay campus in Collingwood added $7.2 million and 95 jobs. The Muskoka campus added $3.6 million and 52 jobs. Altogether, Georgian generates $1.7 billion annually in central Ontario, the equivalent of one in every 15 jobs across Simcoe, Muskoka, Grey, Bruce, and Dufferin.

Now, 229 workers have already lost their jobs, with more likely to follow. Hundreds of students have lost opportunities. Entire programs are suspended indefinitely. This is not just a college problem. It’s an economic crisis, a workforce crisis, and a community crisis.

And here’s why it matters. When colleges and universities cut campuses and programs, the damage ripples far beyond students. Local employers lose trained graduates they rely on.

Families see their kids forced to move away or abandon their studies. Communities lose jobs, cultural life, and future investment. Programs in areas like arts and humanities, social sciences, and that serve marginalized communities are not luxuries — they are essential to building inclusive, resilient communities. A strong public post-secondary system is one of the best tools we have for economic growth, reconciliation, and tackling inequality.

And Georgian is not alone. Across Ontario, colleges are shuttering campuses and universities are suspending programs. Earlier this year, one Ontario university suspended admissions to 18 programs, this following multiple universities facing budget crunches and schools like Laurentian becoming a shell of its former self. These aren’t just numbers on a spreadsheet. They are disciplines that equip students to challenge inequality and build stronger communities. Cutting them signals a future where education is treated as expendable unless it turns a profit.

These decisions aren’t driven by “efficiency.” They are the predictable consequences of a government that has wrung the life out of public post-secondary education. The Ford government has funnelled billions into private training schemes while Ontario remains at the bottom of the ladder when it comes to funding public colleges and universities.

We should also look at the political hypocrisy. Doug Downey, now attorney general, once taught at Laurentian@Georgian. Jill Dunlop cut her teeth teaching and co-ordinating programs at Georgian in Orillia. These institutions shaped their careers, and now they preside over their destruction.

Bill 33 is yet another blow: a direct assault on student unions, designed to stifle the right of students to organize and fight back against these cuts. The message is clear: They want students, staff, and faculty to remain silent while our institutions are stripped down.

What’s left behind? Shuttered campuses. Lost jobs. Betrayed communities. This isn’t “efficiency.” It’s dismantling. It’s abandonment. And it’s a political choice.

That’s why the Ontario Public Service Employees Union’s support staff strike matters. That’s why faculty, staff, and student unions are on the front lines. This fight is about more than one campus or one program. It’s about defending public education — which not only generates $1.30 for every $1 invested, but is also essential to economic recovery and long-term resilience. It’s about defending workers. It’s about defending communities across Ontario.

Simcoe County and Muskoka deserve better than politicians who do nothing while their constituents lose vital services. Ontario deserves better than a government that looks at high-quality public education with disdain.

We deserve a fully funded, public post-secondary system — and we must fight for it now.

Take action and learn more:

From a concerned Georgian alum,

Brandon Rhéal Amyot

Barrie