The report of provincial facilitator the Hon. Lyle Vanclief to Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs Jeff Leal on the future of Kemptville College was released yesterday. In it, Vanclief recommends transfer of the campus management to the Municipality of North Grenville. The recommendation statement is as follows:
“If there is no longer support for ARIO (Agriculture Research Institute of Ontario) to continue as the landlord of the Kemptville College Campus, and since no provider of academic agricultural programs has been identified and agricultural research will likely not continue on the Campus, I recommend
that:
The Government of Ontario enter into negotiations with the Municipality of North
Grenville to transfer the ongoing management and operation of the Kemptville
College Campus to the Municipality with the eventual divestiture of the lands and
buildings known as the Kemptville Campus from the Government of Ontario to the
Municipality of North Grenville in order to renew and redevelop the Campus into
an educational and multi-purpose community hub that meets the needs of eastern
Ontario; and that financial support be provided by the Government of Ontario to assist
with the management and transfer.”
In a press release today, North Grenville Mayor David Gordon said “On behalf of North Grenville Council, I express our sincerest gratitude for the contributions of Mr. Vanclief and the many regional stakeholders who participated in this process. We are pleased to see the trust that is extended to the Municipality to resurrect this longstanding academic institution in our community.”
Minister Leal says he, along with Reza Moridi, Minister of Training, Colleges and Universities, and Madeleine Meilleur, Minister Responsible for Francophone Affairs, will review both reports on Kemptville and Alfred Colleges, consider the recommendations and report on next steps for each institution by the end of January 2015.
Follow this link to the full report: http://www.omafra.gov.on.ca/english/infores/releases/2014/18dec2014.htm
Pictured: Doug Moses, assistant to the Hon. Lyle Vanclief (right)