The doors of LaSalle College are staying open for now.
The Montreal institution at risk of closing will have its subsidies restored until the end of the 2026-27 school year, a Quebec Superior Court judge has ruled.
Classes are set to resume Friday.
LaSalle College was granted creditor protection by the Quebec Superior Court as it tries to reach an agreement over the $47 million the institution owes the government.
The amount includes nearly $30 million in fines for exceeding English-language enrollment caps, as well as another $17 million in government subsidies that Quebec is seeking to have repaid.
The Quebec Superior Court hearing marked the end of the suspension period granted on Aug. 24.
About 3,000 LaSalle College students and 421 faculty members had been in limbo since classes were suspended on Aug. 27. Students, teaching staff and union representatives repeatedly called on the Quebec government to intervene.
Some students were outside the Montreal courthouse Thursday while the hearing was underway. They were sewing a large sign that reads: “No school, no future. Keep the doors open.”
Second-year fashion design student Haleigh Roff told CityNews the uncertainty has been “really stressful.”
“Not knowing what’s happening, not having solid information to go by has been really tough,” Roff said. “I’m a student from out of province; I came from Newfoundland to study here. If the school were to shut down, I don’t know what that means for me. I don’t know here I can go to do an equivalent program.”
Roff says even her student loans are in jeopardy. “It feels like we have very little stability at the moment.”
Classes at LaSalle College were originally scheduled to start last Thursday. Cy Elford, also a second-year fashion design student, says being out of school makes him feel directionless.
“I’ve always got to be working on something, and school gives me that,” Elford said. “When I don’t have projects to work on at school, I don’t have stuff to do, I suppose… I feel like something’s missing, definitely.”
Third-year student Sydney Barsky-Russo says “years of working towards something” are at risk. She says she feels hopeful the parties will be able to reach an agreement.
“Because that’s the outcome we want, to be able to continue our education and continue being a student at this school, at LaSalle. So that’s why I’m hopeful; I feel like there’s no other option.”
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