New Democrats pledge to give Brampton its university campus back

Standing among the ashes of Brampton’s would-be university campus, Brampton East candidate Saranjit Singh said a New Democrat government would invest in the city’s youth by reviving the project.

Crammed onto a sidewalk by the downtown GO Station, at the spot where the campus was meant to stand, the city’s five federal NDP candidates shared what they are calling “A New Deal for Brampton.” The deal includes a series of national promises that resonate in the city, such as anti-gang funding and universal pharmcare, as well as two projects specifically for Brampton: a hospital and a university. 

“We hear it every day at the doors, that Bramptonians feel they’re being left behind,” Singh told assembled media. “One of the first things that [the] Conservative government, the Doug Ford government, did when they came into office was cancel our university — to reject our opportunities for the future. We need higher education to support innovation, [to support] more research [and] to give our children ... a future.”

Brampton East candidate Saranjit Singh speaks alongside party leader Jagmeet Singh at a previous announcement.

The creation of a university campus in Brampton has been at the heart of planning and political discourse for more than a year. Brampton is the largest city in Canada without a university, bested by significantly smaller locations such as Kingston, Waterloo, Kamloops and Guelph. 

Plans for a Ryerson University satellite campus next to Brampton GO were thrown into disarray last October when the Progressive Conservatives cancelled $90 million in funding for the project. The cut, which came alongside similar decisions in Markham and Milton, left planning in limbo for Brampton council, which had already pledged $150 million to the project.

In January, The Pointer reported Ryerson University was pulling out of the campus plan after the loss of funding. Despite ending plans for a fully fledged campus, Ryerson has committed to delivering some programs in Brampton. The university is working to offer a few courses through its Cybersecure Catalyst, which operates from city hall in Brampton, as well as through the Chang School. Plans are also in motion to create a Centre for Innovation in conjunction with the city. In April, Algoma University also proceeded with its plans to deliver more courses in the Flower City.

Singh said the NDP would also freeze federal interest on student debt. 

“We need to support talented, enthusiastic young people,” he said. “They want to build a good, affordable life right here in Brampton, but they need leadership. They need leaders like Jagmeet Singh who will stand up and say that education is important. While Justin Trudeau makes money from the interest on student debt, we’re committed to getting rid of interest on the federal portion of student debt, so that students can focus on their future.” 

Details, however, were scarce.

Singh didn’t say which university will inhabit the federally funded campus, telling reporters the school “will be a matter to discuss with the province and to work together to find out.” As for the campus’ funding model, the candidate simply pointed to the national platform and its revenue sources.

“It’s a matter of making different choices,” he added. “When it comes to needing $4.5 billion for a pipeline, no one asks where the money is going to come from. When it comes to billions of dollars in corporate handouts, no one asks where it’s going to come from. We’re focused on services; we hear every day from folks that the main priority for them is the everyday services that they need. Under Liberal and Conservative governments we’ve seen our debt balloon, but we haven’t seen services come to Canadians.”

Plans for a Ryerson satellite campus were sunk last October when Doug Ford's Progressive Conservatives cancelled funding for the project.

The provincial wing of the NDP tabled a defeated bill aiming to restore the $90 million Ford's Progressive Conservatives took away. Singh declined to say whether the federal party is resurrecting that provincial plan or has a new funding scheme altogether.

“In terms of the plan, we are focused on getting the funding there first. We want to make sure the federal government shows leadership on this issue,” he said. “Once we get into that leadership position, we can focus on what’s best for Brampton. There will be discussion with a lot of different folks. We are really hopeful and we know that an NDP government will get this done.” 

With Wednesday’s announcement, the New Democrats have promised to fund two infrastructure projects topping Brampton’s priority list: a university campus and a second hospital.

Brampton Civic, the city’s only full-service hospital, is one of the most severe examples of Canada’s hallway health-care crisis, while Peel Memorial, the urgent care centre, continues to wait for the second phase of its construction. Brampton Civic was built to deal with 90,000 visits per year but is receiving 130,000; Peel Memorial was built for 10,000 but is handling 75,000.

NDP candidate for Brampton Centre Jordan Boswell 

Criticizing Brampton’s Liberal incumbents, NDP candidate for Brampton Centre Jordan Boswell said his party will offer the Flower City federal funding for several projects.

“We’re going to replace the empty talk with real action for Brampton,” he said. “We’ll put money on the table to show that we’re serious about making life better for people here in Brampton. We’re going to do what it takes to get the job done by working with the city and the province to build a second dedicated hospital in Brampton and to upgrade Peel Memorial.”

Between universal pharmacare and big projects like the hospital and campus, Jagmeet Singh and his party have been accused of promising more in this campaign than they can afford. The dearth of details on the campus gives Brampton residents another reason to remain skeptical. However, these announcements will also be welcomed by locals who have felt precious little federal support for four years. With much of the election campaign focusing on national issues of taxes and tax credits, specific local promises could go a long way. 

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Twitter: @isaaccallan