A recent delegation at the Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) Conference has opened doors for the future of the Algonquin College Perth campus, following its closure announcement earlier this year.
Lanark County entrepreneur Toby Shannan presented a proposal to the Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skilled Trades Development, advocating the campus be repurposed as a skilled trades training centre. The proposal highlighted the urgent need to maintain local access to trades education.
He previously proposed the idea to Perth council and then Lanark County.
The initiative caught the attention of Minister David Piccini, who connected Shannan with Skilled Trades Ontario to explore next steps. Discussions focused on aligning programs with industry needs and securing local apprenticeship opportunities. A follow-up meeting is being scheduled to consider designating the site as a “Training Delivery Agent.”
Lanark County Warden Toby Randell and other council members supported the delegation, emphasizing the need to sustain rural education infrastructure and address workforce gaps in the community.
