“Now the classes are empty,” London MPPs raise alarm over Fanshawe campus closure

LONDON – Ontario NDP MPPs Teresa Armstrong (London—Fanshawe), Peggy Sattler (London West), and Terence Kernaghan (London North Centre), say the relocation of all programs from Fanshawe College’s South London campus is another terrible sign of instability in Ontario’s post-secondary education system.

“When a student says, ‘now the classes are empty,’ that should be a serious wake-up call”, said Armstrong. “This isn’t just about one building closing. It’s about a college struggling after years of funding uncertainty and sudden changes that have left campuses scrambling."

“Thousands of students choose London to build a future here,” said Sattler. “Instead, they’re dealing with program relocations, financial instability, and one disruption after another. Post-secondary education should open doors, not create more stress and uncertainty.”

“Colleges have been forced to rely heavily on jacked up international tuition because provincial funding has simply not kept pace,” said Kernaghan. “When that enrolment dropped overnight, campuses have been left facing deficits and closures, leading to instability that directly hurts students, staff, and our local economy.”

The relocation of programs from the South London campus takes effect September 1. The London MPPs say communities across Ontario are seeing similar pressures and warn that without sufficient, stable, and predictable public funding, more campuses and programs will certainly face cuts.