When first-year hairstyling student Julie Jenkins returned to class at Saskatchewan Polytechnic after being home sick for a week, she thought she was just behind on her lessons.
What she didn’t know was that the bookstore on the Prince Albert campus was abruptly and quietly shutting its doors. Like some other students, Jenkins hadn’t yet bought all her books for the year due to insufficient funds.
Now, she’s relying on online orders that could take weeks to arrive, not to mention the added uncertainties from the ongoing postal strike.
“Because of the wait for your books, you’re going to have to wait and your classes are going to just keep moving forward, so you’re going to fall behind,” she said.
Both the Prince Albert and Moose Jaw campus bookstores at Saskatchewan Polytechnic closed Oct. 10.
In a written statement, Sask Polytech said it “continues to work to address a significant decline in revenue in its 2025-26 budget, created by a sharp decline in international student enrolment.” The school declined to comment any further.
Students at Sask Polytech in Prince Albert say there were no official warnings ahead of the bookstore closure. This poster was only put up once the shop had shut down. (Aishah Ashraf/CBC)
The Saskatchewan Government and General Employees’ Union, which represents the affected workers, said 10 employees will lose their jobs. Union president Tracey Sauer said in a news release “there is no justification” for the move, and that students and staff are being punished for management’s failure to plan ahead.
The closures are part of broader cost-cutting measures across the institution. Sask Polytech has laid off 41 employees since April and merged or dissolved several departments in an effort to save money.
Students say the news came with little warning — and even less guidance on what to do next.
Some students discovered the bookstore was shutting down when it had its final sale. (Aishah Ashraf/CBC)
First-year business student Elvis Sanderson said instructors only mentioned the closure about a week in advance.
“Maybe they could have told us in person a month before closing,” he said.
He said he worries most about his classmates from northern Saskatchewan.
“They don’t have permanent addresses,” he said. “They come from little towns [and] reservations.… They have box numbers. If they were to get them delivered there, it wouldn’t be very convenient for them.”
For second-year hairstyling student Kayden Machula, the closure felt like the rug was being pulled from under students. He found out only on the day the store shut its doors.
“It feels like they’re taking something that is a big support to students,” he said. “It was a place where you could ask questions and find everything you would need, whereas now you’re kind of reliant on yourself.”
The campus bookstore carried everything from textbooks and school supplies to school merchandise and gifts. (Aishah Ashraf/CBC)
Machula said any shift to digital learning makes it harder for him to stay focused.
“I love handheld copies,” he said. “It’s easier for me to pay attention as I have ADHD. I can actually highlight and take notes.… It feels like everything getting moved online is going to make things a lot more tricky.”
Staff on location this week were seen packing up the remaining supplies, but it’s unclear what the school plans to do with the leftover stock.
Greg Elliott, director of library services at the Prince Albert Public Library, said the public library doesn’t generally carry textbooks that students would need. He said he would be concerned if students were expected to rely on digital materials, as print materials play a key role in comprehension.
“People tend to learn better through reading things and physical materials,” he said. “If you’re just reading it off screen, it tends to lapse. It tends to just be in short-term memory.”
Sask Polytech said it plans to provide an update on the situation later this month.