Confederation College in Thunder Bay is preparing to lay off at least five per cent more of its faculty, according to the union representing academic staff at the institution.
Rebecca Ward, president of the Ontario Public Service Employees Union local representing the college’s academic faculty, said the college invoked Article 29 of the collective bargaining agreement earlier in 2026. The provision, known as an extended staff reduction, is used when a college intends to lay off more than five per cent of its full-time members.
“Faculty layoffs are imminent,” Ward said in an email.
Alexandra Jones, the college’s director of marketing and communications, said employment matters are part of confidential processes under the collective agreement and that the college would not comment on staffing issues. Jones said the college would continue working with the province to advocate for funding to support long-term sustainability, meet workforce needs and maintain access to education across Northwestern Ontario.
Program Suspensions Behind the Cuts
In June, the college suspended three programs: information communications technology solutions for business, engineering, business and safety management, and digital marketing and marketing analytics. As of late August, about a dozen faculty members were going through a process to determine whether they could be placed elsewhere within the college.
Ward said the latest staffing reductions stem from the broader suspension of more than a dozen programs since early 2025, describing the layoffs as part of a prolonged “cascade” tied to those cuts. She said the union had been seeking disclosure of financial and staffing data to help inform decisions aimed at stabilizing employment, but that process has now concluded.
Ward said the college’s full-time faculty complement currently stands at 143, down roughly 100 from about 40 years ago, even though student numbers are similar to that earlier period. The college has said it is down about 1,000 students overall compared to a few years ago. Administration has said the three recently suspended programs were no longer viable because their enrolment had relied heavily on international students who are no longer coming to study in Canada, even as domestic enrolment is rising.
Questions Over New Provincial Funding
The college, like many others across Ontario and the country, has seen international student numbers drop sharply following changes to federal immigration policy announced in 2024.
The union had sought a pause on the current staff reduction process in light of a provincial funding commitment for 250 new seats at Confederation College in health, trades and STEM programs. College president Michelle Salo was quoted in a government release saying the spots would support programs including aviation, nursing and electrical training.
Jones said the province’s recent announcement does not represent new funding beyond a previously announced priority growth initiative from September, but rather details how those already-approved seats would be allocated. She said the funding supports specific approved enrolment growth and existing capacity in designated programs, but does not address the broader operating, staffing and financial pressures facing the college.
Ward said the union is seeking clarification on why staff in programs that are winding down, such as electrical, cannot be retained when new programming in the same field is being introduced. She questioned why the college would lay off an experienced employee only to potentially hire someone else a year later, suggesting cost could be a factor. Ward said the losses carry broader consequences for the Thunder Bay community, which she said benefits from retaining skilled workers who contribute to the local economy.
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