An estimated 375 interested agri-food industry, students and staff, community members and government representatives showed up to the Kemptville College Town Hall meeting Wednesday night. Provincially appointed facilitator Lyle Vanclief addressed the crowd, saying any solution has to be a sustainable business model. The Kemptville College Renewal Task Force wouldn’t reveal the names of interested service providers as talks are still underway but they did say there is one international party and several private organizations. They also stated the plan going forward is a completely new one with new programs, service providers and business model. The Task Force put forth a resolution with three parts for the Hon. Lyle Vanclief to bring back to provincial government: that a stakeholder panel be established to work with the facilitator on a sustainable solution; that strategic partnerships be formed with potential service providers; and that the provincial government support the Municipality of North Grenville in operating Kemptville College during the interim transition between U of Guelph and the new service provider(s). North Grenville CAO Brian Carre has given up his post as chair of the Task Force so that the Municipality can pursue the option of running the College in the interim, much like they did in the past with The Ferguson Forest Centre when it was in transition. Carre emphasized that no taxpayer dollars would be used to run the college in this endeavour. Pictured: the Hon. Lyle Vanclief.
Audio clips:
1. Jim McDonnell, MPP Stormont, Dundas, South Glengarry:
2. Liam Maguire, Municipal Candidate Osgoode Ward, City of Ottawa:
3. Steve Clark, MPP Leeds Grenville: