Commitment for autonomous Sir Wilfred Grenfell College was political opportunism

Government’s announcement yesterday that they would not be moving forward with legislation allowing for an autonomous Sir Wilfred Grenfell College (SWGC) shows this was a political commitment lacking the necessary will to make it a reality, says Opposition Education Critic Marshall Dean.

“Government made this commitment before the 2007 election and it certainly raises the question as to whether they were ever serious about fulfilling this promise,” said Mr. Dean. “This is certainly a complex issue and if government hadn’t completed their due diligence before raising expectations, the commitment should never have been made. This will certainly impact students, faculty and the entire region who were expecting government to make SWGC its own university.”

Dean also raised concerns about the decision to remove Sir Wilfred Grenfell’s name from the institution. The facility was named in 1979 to honour the tremendous work and commitment that Grenfell demonstrated while serving the people of western and northern Newfoundland.

“I think it is shameful that government is even considering removing the legacy of Sir Wilfred Grenfell’s name from this institution. It is disrespectful and certainly doesn’t honour the original motives for naming this facility, and it again shows that there is a lack of understanding by this government to the important historic roles people like Grenfell have played in the growth and provision of service in rural areas of our province. If it wasn’t for his commitment to developing educational, social and medical opportunities in our region, we certainly would not be the province we are today. I would encourage government to maintain the memory of his name, even if they call it Memorial University-Sir Wilfred Grenfell Campus.

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