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Ag Community Rallies to Save Kemptville College

By Amanda Brodhagen, Farms.com

There was strong support on the weekend to save Kemptville College from closing in 2015.

On March 12th the University of Guelph declared publically that it would be closing two of its satellite campuses – Kemptville and Alfred, citing financial woes.

Both campuses are part of the Ontario Agricultural College, located in Eastern Ontario.

In 1997, the University of Guelph assumed responsibility for Kemptville, Alfred and Ridgetown colleges. However, Ridgetown was spared from the closures.

With less than two days’ notice, the Ontario Federation of Agriculture (OFA) and area community members organized a public meeting to discuss ways to keep the college open.

The meeting was held on Saturday at the W.B. George Centre on the campus of Kemptville College. And the response was overwhelming, more than 400 people attended, including farmers, teachers, students and local politicians.

“A lot of people attended,” said Marty Derks, farmer and meeting organizer. “The meeting was very positive,” he said.

One politician’s idea for the province to put a two year moratorium on the closure was popular among those who attended, says Derks. That politician was PC MPP Steve Clark. Kemptville College is in Clark’s riding of Leeds-Greenville.

Clark rose in the Ontario Legislature today to ask for a moratorium to be put in place to allow community stakeholders time to propose a solution of its own. The request was denied.

See video below for Clark’s question to the Premier:

Some other ideas that came out of the meeting included partnering up with neighbouring colleges or universities and forming an independent college.

“All possibilities are on the table,” explained Derks.

One other much talked about proposal was to create a college which would allow for international students to learn about agriculture. That idea was suggested by Denise St. Pierre.

Before the meeting was over, a committee was created to work towards coming up with a solution to save the college. Derks is one of seven committee members.

Derks says he left the meeting feeling “very confident” that a solution can be reached.  “This region has a lot of passion and we love farming,” he said.

Kemptville Alumni Delivers Passionate Speech

Derks graduated from Kemptville College in 2008 and now farms with his family near Chesterville, Ont. He shared his speech that he gave on Saturday with Farms.com:

“I realize that this meeting today is necessary, and we have the right to be angry.  Shrill words will get you anywhere, and as a community we need to come together, and I don’t just mean farmers and alumni - we need to include community members of the Municipality of North Grenville.  

It goes beyond the fact that Kemptville College (KCAT) has been operational for 97 years, and that generations of great farmers have poured out of halls of this once great institution. It is the very fabric that binds us to it. Kemptville College is the original social network for agriculture. The contacts that are made here stick with you for life. The graduates of this institution have so much more in common than education it creates a network that rivals no other.

If future farmers have to leave this area that network will never be the same. It won't be as strong or intertwined, like it currently is.  Agricultural education must not leave Eastern Ontario. I ask that the Premier Wynne revaluate the decision and open up conversation about how to make this institution as great and successful as it should be.  We need to move forward and create a comprehensive plan to preserve agricultural education to continue the growth and knowledge transfer to the next generation.  It has been the heart of Eastern Ontario and who gave them the right to cut the heart out!"


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