Concerned residents, alumni, students, and community leaders have launched a grassroots campaign to save Algonquin College’s Perth Campus from being sold for private development.
Algonquin College is set to leave the Perth site by summer 2026, ending decades of skilled trades and post-secondary education in Lanark County.
Former dean Chris Hahn says the proposed “Perth College” would preserve the purpose-built facility for heritage craft training in masonry and carpentry, keeping opportunities for youth while boosting the local economy.
As recently as 2009, nearly $10 million in federal and provincial funding supported campus expansion to strengthen heritage trades education.
Advocates argue that such public investment should remain in the community.
Former Shopify COO Toby Shannan has proposed transforming the campus into a non-profit centre for skilled trades, and residents are urging the province to back the plan.
Supporters can visit saveperthcollege.ca to learn more.