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L'Express's report says UOF would join a relocated Collège Boréal and a co-located TFO somewhere in the East Bayfront, creating a French node on the waterfront. A first cohort in 2020 would have a few hundred students supported by a couple dozen profs. Collège Boréal, apparently, must vacate their 1 Yonge Street location in 2020. I wonder which of the several properties it could go to down there will be announced as its first home…

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Unfortunate that it will be in the (relatively) east-end as there are more Franco-Ontarien.nes in the west part of the GTA, and the University is supposed to serve French speaking Ontarian's from as far as Windsor and London. Would have preferred Ontario Place, or even the First Capital (Christie) lands further west.
 
The article also mentions that there will be lower than market rate rental prices for other francophone organizations. Perhaps it's the "Maison de la francophonie".
 
toaster29 said:
Unfortunate that it will be in the (relatively) east-end as there are more Franco-Ontarien.nes in the west part of the GTA, and the University is supposed to serve French speaking Ontarian's from as far as Windsor and London. Would have preferred Ontario Place, or even the First Capital (Christie) lands further west.
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Do you have census data to support the distribution mentioned above? Not sure how much it helps to have the site at Ontario Place, which only advantages those driving from the Gardiner or using the Lakeshore West GO, as opposed to a site convenient to Union Station and near College Boreal's existing premises at 1 Yonge.
 
toaster29 said:
Unfortunate that it will be in the (relatively) east-end as there are more Franco-Ontarien.nes in the west part of the GTA, and the University is supposed to serve French speaking Ontarian's from as far as Windsor and London. Would have preferred Ontario Place, or even the First Capital (Christie) lands further west.
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East Bayfront is way closer to Union Station, and a lot more rapid transit lines, than Ontario Place or points further west, and is thus more convenient for a much wider catchment.

Also, I suspect francophones from in southwestern Ontario will not be commuting daily into Toronto from their home communities. To the extent they are, East Bayfront has better access to VIA, and the new bus station will be much closer to East Bayfront. IIRC, the Kitchener GO line does not even pass by Exhibition station, the only GO station near Ontario Place.
 
I think this will be more succesful than critics might think. French language is on the up in the GTA, especially as higher-income bracket parents increasingly place their kids in French-language schools. Many jobs, especially in the public sector, see French language as a major asset. If this university could provide a reputable education while 'speaking for itself' in graduates' francophone abilities, then that will be worthwhile degree. It will probably be a niche in the Ontario university market, but there is nothing wrong with niches especially in a city that prides itself in diversity like Toronto.

The East Bayfront is a perfectly good location for a campus. A presence of another university campus will also be great for the East Bayfront in terms of building a critical mass of people and uses throughout different hours of the day.
 
Looks like it's one of the things that survived the election so far:

Ontario Government Commits to Implementing French-Language University
July 23, 2018 1:00 P.M.

Ensuring Long-Term Viability of l'Université de l'Ontario français

TORONTO - Ontario is working with the interim Board of Governors to ensure the success of the new French-language university, l'Université de l'Ontario français.

The interim board will develop policies, comparable to those of all other publicly funded universities, to ensure the new university meets the needs of Francophone students and the community, and deliver value for money for Ontarians. The government will continue to support the interim board and the university, aiming to transition to a permanent board in early 2019.

"Our government is fully committed to the success of the Université de l'Ontario français," said Training, Colleges and Universities Minister Merrilee Fullerton. "The university will be a viable and vibrant place of learning for the Francophone community in the future."

"We recognize the importance of this new university for Ontario's Francophone community and we want to give it the attention and support it deserves," said Francophone Affairs Minister Mulroney. "We also want to work with the university to focus on the needs of Francophone students and the community."

Ontario is home to more than 620,000 Francophones — the largest population in Canada outside of Québec — with Central and Southwestern Ontario home to a fast-growing Francophone population. The new university will offer a range of university degrees and education, entirely in French.
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https://news.ontario.ca/maesd/en/20...-implementing-french-language-university.html

That being said, I think another French university in the north-east (Ottawa?) where the Franco-Ontarians are located would not be a bad idea to ward off language attrition- something this university won't do.
 
jje1000 said:
Looks like it's one of the things that survived the election so far:


https://news.ontario.ca/maesd/en/20...-implementing-french-language-university.html

That being said, I think another French university in the north-east (Ottawa?) where the Franco-Ontarians are located would not be a bad idea to ward off language attrition- something this university won't do.
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As noted above in this thread, the University of Ottawa is a bilingual institution with francophone roots, with extensive French-language programs and which is quite successful at maintaining a French-language environment for its francophone students. It's unclear how a duplicative effort would assist the fight against assimilation. As has already been discussed, there are reasons why this university is being established in Toronto, as opposed to Eastern or Northern Ontario.
 
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WislaHD said:
I think this will be more succesful than critics might think. French language is on the up in the GTA, especially as higher-income bracket parents increasingly place their kids in French-language schools. Many jobs, especially in the public sector, see French language as a major asset. If this university could provide a reputable education while 'speaking for itself' in graduates' francophone abilities, then that will be worthwhile degree. It will probably be a niche in the Ontario university market, but there is nothing wrong with niches especially in a city that prides itself in diversity like Toronto.
Click to expand...
Another thing that occurred to me with this thread being bumped is how this university could attract francophone students from France and across the globe.

Toronto is becoming quite the technology and innovation hub (as recent articles attest too) and this could be one more niche way where we can attract the best talent. Potential international francophone students aren't interested in eastern or northern Ontario frankly, they likely would want to come to Toronto for the culture and lifestyle, and the access to industry. Otherwise, they'll choose Montreal instead.

I also found it interesting how a relatively small institution like OCAD gets listed prominently alongside our other Toronto universities when we advertise the city to outside business interests, as was the case with Toronto's Amazon HQ2 bid. As local residents, we know that OCAD is a relatively insignificant institution compared to the larger universities, but I guess from a marketing perspective they push our image beyond their weight. Would this Université de l'Ontario Français do the same?
 
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