Federal NDP leader Jagmeet Singh is asking the Trudeau government to step in and save Brampton’s Ryerson University Campus nixed by the Ford government.

Last month, just one day after the municipal election, Ford announced the funding for Brampton’s future campus, as well as campuses in Markham and Milton, would be cut.

Back in 2017, the Wynne government announced $180 million in funding for campuses in Brampton and Milton, $90 million was expected to go to a Ryerson University campus to be built in downtown Brampton.

Now Jagmeet Singh, a former Brampton MPP, is asking the federal government to step in and provide the funds to see the campus through.

Singh was at the proposed site of the campus, along with future post-secondary students, Wednesday to ask Trudeau to intervene. “I’m critical of the Ford government’s decision but I’m calling on the federal government to step in,” he said.

Back in 2017, the Ministry of Education opened up the request for proposal process and Ryerson University, in partnership with Sheridan College, came to the table with a proposal to build a campus focused on cybersecurity in Brampton.

But with no funds to build the initial building or a provincial commitment to fund the necessary per-student requirement, the campus is on hold indefinitely.

Ryerson University is still at the table with Brampton and plans to start offering some courses in January through the Chang School of Business, but without a funding commitment, the campus as planned previously is on hold.

Brampton City Councillors Paul Vicente and Rowena Santos, who represent the area where the university will be located, suggest the city consider using the $150 million earmarked for the innovation centre to get the campus off the ground.

The project’s uncertainty has had ripple effects. The previously proposed downtown revitalization project that would have fixed ageing water main infrastructure and re-deigned streets in downtown Brampton has also been put on hold indefinitely.

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