Ontario’s Progressive Conservative government cancelled funding on Tuesday for three planned satellite campuses in the GTA, citing budget troubles.

The government blamed the move on a $15-billion deficit that it says it inherited from the Liberal government it defeated in June.

Earlier this year, former premier Kathleen Wynne’s Liberals announced $90 million each for a Ryerson University/Sheridan College campus in Brampton and a Milton site for Wilfrid Laurier University/Conestoga College, on top of $127.3 million for a York University/Seneca College campus in Markham, a project approved in 2015.

“We promised the people of Ontario to restore accountability and trust in Ontario’s finances. Part of that process means making tough decisions about projects across Ontario,” Training, Colleges and Universities Minister Merrilee Fullerton said in a statement.

The cuts were announced less than 24 hours after Patrick Brown, Ford’s predecessor as PC leader, was elected mayor of Brampton, whose new campus was slated to open in 2022. Brown was also briefly Ford’s rival in the leadership race that followed his own resignation.

In an email Tuesday night, Brown said “the previously funded satellite campus was the bare minimum the province could do to provide help and opportunities to young people in Brampton,” and that its cancellation was “very disappointing.”

The new Brampton mayor said he hoped PC MPPs in the affected communities will “stand up for their communities” and speak with Fullerton.

“I believe Brampton deserves a full university, not just a small satellite campus. This is a step backwards towards what the city of Brampton deserves,” he said. Ironically, Brown helped recruit Fullerton, the minister who announced the cuts, to the PC party when he was Tory leader.

Markham Mayor Frank Scarpitti condemned the decision, but said he remained committed to securing a post-secondary institution for Markham.

“On behalf of the City of Markham, I would like to express our deep disappointment upon hearing the Provincial government’s announcement to cancel funding for York University’s Markham Centre Campus,” he said in a statement, adding “York Region remains the only jurisdiction in North America, with more than a million people, that does not have a university.”

However, York and Seneca said the shared-campus project in Markham isn’t dead. Though the funding decision was called “unexpected,” with construction in Markham set to begin later this fall, the institutions said they would do their best to complete the project without the province’s help.

“Given our combined view of the importance of this campus for the economic future of the Region and for the students who are seeking access to new higher education options close to home, we are committed to working with all involved to determine if there is a path forward that will still meet the post-secondary education needs of York Region and its residents,” York president Rhonda Lenton and Seneca president David Agnew said in a joint statement.

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Wilfrid Laurier University, whose main campus is in Waterloo, 40 km west of Milton, said in a statement that it was “deeply disappointed” by the sudden cancellation of support for the project, slated to open in 2021. The university added that it aims keep working “with the Town of Milton and area partners to explore all options for keeping the dream of post-secondary education alive in this vibrant community.”

The province is working with the universities to discuss costs related to ending construction, Fullerton said, adding “Our government would be willing to consider a business case for how these projects may proceed in the absence of provincial capital funding.”

Jack Hauen is a breaking news reporter, working out of the Star’s radio room in Toronto. Follow him on Twitter: @jackhauen

Robert Benzie is the Star’s Queen’s Park bureau chief and a reporter covering Ontario politics. Follow him on Twitter: @robertbenzie

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