Collège des Grands-Lacs

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Collège des Grands-Lacs (Template:Literal translation "Great Lakes College") was a francophone College of Applied Arts and Technology in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.<ref>"A tower of learning for francophones". The Globe and Mail, October 16, 1995.</ref> It was established in 1995 as Ontario's third college specifically serving the Franco-Ontarian population, after La Cité collégiale in Ottawa and Collège Boréal in Sudbury.<ref name=hitech>"New college goes hi-tech". Windsor Star, August 28, 1995.</ref>

Launch and operations

It began as a "virtual college" which had no central campus, and instead offered instruction through student access centres in Toronto, Hamilton, Penetanguishene, Welland and Windsor.<ref name=hitech/> Instructors located in any of the access centres delivered course lectures to all five locations simultaneously through videoconferencing technology, and students outside of those areas could also access the college's courses through partnerships with other educational institutions or through distance education.<ref>"Francophone college students in cyberspace". Windsor Star, May 13, 1996.</ref>

In 1999, a permanent campus was opened in Toronto, in the Stewart Building at 149 College Street which had recently been vacated by the Ontario College of Art and Design. By this time the access centres in Welland and Windsor were considered full satellite campuses, although the ones in Hamilton and Penetanguishene were still classified as access centres.<ref>"Local campus of College des Grands Lacs gets $14M grant". Welland Tribune, April 19, 2000.</ref>

In 2000, the college was reported by the media as the subject of a Royal Canadian Mounted Police investigation into a fraud allegation around misuse of government funds,<ref>"Police probe French college". Windsor Star, March 31, 2000.</ref> which briefly caused the delay of a federal government announcement of new funding to all three of Ontario's francophone colleges.<ref>"RCMP report stalls heritage funding". Calgary Herald, March 30, 2000.</ref> Within days, however, the RCMP confirmed that the college was not under investigation.<ref>"Delayed funds coming `soon,' Boreal told". Sudbury Star, March 31, 2000.</ref>

Soon thereafter, the college began exploring a proposal to move its Welland campus to the then-proposed new Welland Civic Centre.<ref>"French college showing some interest in civic centre location". Welland Tribune, July 12, 2000.</ref>

Shutdown

In 2001, the college's board of governors decided to close the college, due to declining enrolment.<ref>"The College des Grands Lacs recommends that the Ontario government wind down the College". Canada NewsWire, October 5, 2001.</ref> Some supporters of the college tried to obtain a court injunction against the shutdown, but were not successful.<ref>"French-language college closing". Sudbury Star, December 6, 2001.</ref> Second-year students were allowed to complete their programs with Collège des Grands-Lacs as it wound down, while first-year students were offered transfers to the equivalent programs at Collège Boréal.<ref>"Boreal to take Toronto students". Sudbury Star, October 12, 2001.</ref> The Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities begin negotiations with College Boréal to offer programs in Central and Southwestern Ontario.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

The college ceased operations in 2002. Its programs and services were taken over by Collège Boréal,<ref>"Sudbury's College Boreal turns 20". Sudbury Star, November 28, 2015.</ref> although that college did not take over the Grands-Lacs campus on College Street: initially offering its classes at the Carlaw Avenue campus of Centennial College in Toronto,<ref>"College Boreal finds Toronto location". Sudbury Star, May 29, 2002.</ref> Boréal moved to its own new campus at One Yonge Street in 2012.<ref name=newcampus>"College Boreal to spend $3.8 million on new Toronto campus". Sudbury Star, January 25, 2012.</ref>

Some community members and the Ontario Public Service Employees Union continued to fight for the college to be reopened under the constitutional principle of respect for and protection of minority rights;<ref>"OPSEU continues court fight for Francophone College". Canada NewsWire, August 28, 2003.</ref> the case, Gigliotti v Conseil d'administration du Collège des Grands Lacs, was heard by the Ontario Superior Court of Justice in 2005.<ref>"Community college". Mississauga News, June 19, 2005.</ref> The court dismissed the case, ruling that minority language rights had not been violated since Collège Boréal had stepped in to continue offering French-language college education programs in the regions formerly served by Grands-Lacs.<ref>"Gigliotti v Conseil d’administration du Collège des Grands Lacs". Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages, 2005.</ref>

A 2012 report by the provincial Commissioner of French Language Services into French language education in Southwestern Ontario identified both the school's original "virtual college" model, which left it unable to truly build a profile as a French-language cultural institution or community hub in the cities it served, and the financial challenges resulting from its subsequent conversion to a more conventional campus-based model, as factors in the school's eventual failure.<ref name=investigation>"Investigation Report – The State of French-Language Postsecondary Education in Central-Southwestern Ontario: No access, no future". Office of the French Language Services Commissioner, June 27, 2012.</ref> It also found that despite the technological innovation represented by the "virtual college" model, students still valued aspects of the educational experience that can only be provided by a physical campus, such as centralized student services and the ability to collaborate, interact and socialize with other fellow students.<ref name=investigation/>