Brampton council pushes for new university

The Greater Toronto Area could soon have a new university.

Brampton city council is breathing new life into a plan to have a university in its core after long-held plans for a $300 million Ryerson University satellite campus were cancelled by the Progressive Conservatives in 2018.

“We think the time has really come to have our own university and we’re making that case,” Brampton Mayor Patrick Brown said. “The province pulled back support for new education spending by cancelling the (planned) campuses in Milton, the francophone university, Markham and the Brampton-Ryerson satellite campus. But we found there’s been a different tone with the government recently.”

The project, tentatively called BramptonU, would be a stand-alone university within the city.

“The province had asked for new proposals that were based on specific criteria. Outcome-based education, so students that will get jobs after their degree, as well as affordability, and more accountability to the province itself,” explains Brampton and Peel Regional councillor Rowena Santos. “The proposal we are bringing forward meet all those criteria.”

Ministry of Colleges and Universities spokesperson Ciara Byrne said Wednesday “the Ministry of Colleges and Universities has not received a proposal from the City Of Brampton at this time regarding the establishment of a University in Brampton and has no role in this project.”

Brampton, with a population of about 650,000, is the only large city in Canada without a university.

Santos, the lead on the project said a university would help to stem a ‘brain drain’ experienced by the city when students head to Toronto, or outside of the GTA to pursue a degree.

“Once those students leave, for example to California, we may never see them again and that has a huge impact on business and local economic growth,” she said.

Santos said they are making their business case to the province in early 2020, but says feedback from the Ministry of Colleges and Universities has been positive so far.

“When we presented it to the province, they certainly showed a lot of interest,” she said.

Santos said they aren’t necessarily looking to build an entire campus– at least not at first.

“The traditional model of a huge stand-alone campus isn’t necessarily what we are looking for. We are looking for innovative ways to teach, whether its online or in person, 24 hours, seven days a week,” she said. “There’s a lot of room downtown, which is near transit and on the innovation corridor, to house students and teach.”

She added the city could easily absorb 30,000 students.

Brampton officials are seeking feedback from the community and will be hosting a “tele-town hall” on Dec. 13.

One-hundred thousand residents will be called for a chance to take part in a conversation about the initiative with the mayor and city councillors.

Residents can register to take part by visiting www.bramptonu.ca