Thank you very much, Madam Chair.
Good morning, everyone. Aaniin.
Good morning, I'd like to thank the committee for inviting me to participate today. The committee's work in examining critical issues such as women's health, support and care for certain groups of women, women's labour issues and challenges faced by women living in rural communities, for example, is essential.
I am pleased to speak to you today from Laurentian University in Sudbury, in Northeastern Ontario, located on the 1850 Robinson-Huron Treaty territory and on the traditional lands of the Atikameksheng Anishnawbek and Wahnapitae First Nations.
Earlier this year, Laurentian University faced a devastating choice: close the university's doors or declare insolvency and set down the path of the Companies' Creditors Arrangement Act to ensure the university's survival. It was an extremely difficult choice and the consequences were significant. We were at an impasse where decisions had to be made to ensure our long-term future, and one of those decisions was the termination of our midwifery program.
Although midwifery and sage-femme programs have been a point of pride for Laurentian University and indeed an area of need for the province, it has been a very expensive program to deliver relative to other programs. Indeed, it has actually been two programs, one in French and one in English, with a total of 30 students across both programs, and with faculty and support duplicated for each program.
With revenues capped well below the cost of the delivery of the programs, in a situation in which decisions needed to be made to restore the financial viability of the university, it was no longer possible for Laurentian to continue to offer these programs. To accommodate midwifery students, Laurentian has been working with the other programs in the province and is communicating options to help students make informed decisions about their academic future to ensure that they complete their degree. Further, the total number of midwifery training positions in the province will not change, as the Laurentian slots are being redistributed across the other programs in the province.
Laurentian's efforts are firmly trained on the future: on what comes next, on rebuilding and on excelling in our mandate of educating the future leaders of our global communities. We remain deeply committed to our bilingual and tricultural mandate, offering strong programs in French and English and with indigenous content and program options across faculties.
Laurentian University will continue to provide post-secondary pathways for our North's first-generation learners, for francophone and Indigenous students, for those located in remote areas or impacted by societal challenges, to the children and grandchildren of our nearly 70,000 alumni and to all those discerning individuals who choose to pursue higher education.
I would like to thank the committee again for the invitation to appear before you this morning and applaud the important work that you are doing for the people of Canada.
Thank you. Merci. Meegwetch.