MP Heather McPherson Statement on Campus Saint-Jean

Jason Kenney’s assault on post-secondary education in Alberta is wreaking havoc on the University of Alberta. The federal government must respond immediately with support to save Campus Saint-Jean.

I am a proud University of Alberta graduate but the University I know, the University that was a Top 100 University in the world just a few years ago, is disappearing. Even more alarming is the impact that these cuts are having on Campus Saint-Jean. Its very existence is under threat.

In just a couple of weeks, students will be returning to this campus. They will find their campus changed. Some course offerings are now gone and courses that students were able to complete in French, will now only be able available in English via the main campus. In short, the United Conservative government’s cuts are destroying the very reason students come to Campus Saint-Jean – to study in French.

Campus Saint-Jean is not just any post-secondary institution. Campus Saint-Jean serves a unique role in Edmonton, in Alberta, and in Western Canada.

It is the hub of the francophone community in Edmonton Strathcona and the francophone community and businesses here rely on the campus. It brings vibrancy and economic sustainability.

Campus Saint-Jean is the only French language university in Alberta and provides a home for Franco Albertans and French-speaking Canadians. In fact, it is the only French Language university west of Winnipeg and it is critical to the vitality of the French language in Alberta and the west. Its education program trains future teachers for Alberta’s and other provinces’ primary and secondary French and French immersion classrooms. Without Campus Saint-Jean, Alberta will not have the qualified teachers it needs to serve its francophone students or those who are enrolled in bilingual programs.

While this is a crisis created by Jason Kenney, this is not just a provincial problem. The federal government has an obligation to protect the French language in Alberta and thus, it has an obligation to protect Campus Saint-Jean.

Article 23 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms guarantees that Alberta’s francophone parents have the right to have their children receive primary and secondary school instruction in French. A year ago, the Supreme Court affirmed this right and more. It found that minority language communities must receive equivalent support to the majority language, not proportional support.

The implications for Alberta and Campus Saint-Jean are very clear. Unless Campus Saint-Jean receives federal support, Alberta school boards will not be able to meet the equivalency standard.

The Prime Minister and Minister Joly are aware of this obligation. I have been raising this issue in the House of Commons for over a year. I have met with the Minister and her staff again and again. Everybody knows that Campus Saint-Jean is on the brink of crisis. It’s time to do something about it.

The federal government has put $3.7 million on the table and Jason Kenney is playing games by not taking that money. But $3.7 million is not enough.

I am calling today for the federal government to immediately provide $15 million in emergency support to Campus Saint-Jean and commit to long-term, ongoing financial support to ensure that Campus Saint-Jean can continue to fulfill its vital role for Alberta and the west.

The federal government needs to provide these funds directly to the University, bypassing Jason Kenney entirely. It’s abundantly clear that the future of Campus Saint-Jean cannot be left in Jason Kenney’s hands. The federal government has the power to do this, and it has the money in the budget that we approved just two months ago.

This is an emergency. It requires an urgent response. We can’t wait until after a federal election. We can’t wait for Jason Kenney to come to the table. We can’t wait any longer.

The Trudeau government needs to do this right now. The future of Campus Saint-Jean is at stake.

Heather McPherson
Member of Parliament for Edmonton Strathcona
10045 81 Ave
Edmonton T6E 1W7