'Asking to be treated equitably': faced with shelved expansion, Dawson demands meeting with Quebec premier

Dawson College says the Quebec government’s shelving of its $100-million expansion project will have a negative impact on student lives, and is asking to meet with Premier François Legault. 

The project, which is seven years in the making, would create a new health-care pavilion.

In January, Quebec announced it would potentially cancel the project in favour of funding francophone CEGEPs.

"If we have to choose priority, it is better to add to French colleges than added capacity to Dawson," Legault said at the time.

Dawson, an English-language CEGEP, says this argument is reasoning is unfair to students who are already receiving a less-than-perfect experience due to a lack of resources. 

“The facts show that we have a need […] and in the last few weeks, the situation has completely changed while the environment and the facts have not. Clearly, it appears to be a political decision," said general director Diane Gauvin. 

"We're asking to be treated equitably." 

Chair of the board Michael Goldwax said the expansion is not meant to create room for more students, but to offer space to the already-existing student population. 

Dawson’s board of directors met Wednesday evening to discuss the issue, as well as the “chronic and longstanding space deficit” for students, according to a press release.

During the press conference, Gauvin said the space issue has been persistent for the past 25 years, citing the fact that nursing simulations take place in a closet as an example. 

The expansion would have added the equivalent of 10 floors from an average office tower. The need for more space was recognized by the Education Ministry a decade ago, noted a release from the board.

With files from CTV's Selena Ross.