Editor's note: Ms.Sharpe writes an open letter to Canadore Housing Support.
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I work for Sireg Management Inc, a residential leasing company, The complex where I work is Birchwood Village.
It has come to our attention as well as other residential leasing companies that Canadore College has been accepting applications and tuition payments from International Students when the school is fully aware that there is not enough housing available in North Bay.
I looked up information on the Canadore website under housing and there is a very short statement that reads "Students are to ensure that housing is secured prior to arrival" but then the site goes on to tell potential students that if they are "unable to find accommodations Canadore College can provide guidance." The guidance provided is a Kijiji link.
These students are new to the country, they don't know how to look up housing on Kijiji, and they are ripe for being taken advantage of. Then the website goes on to say that Canadore College "recommend that students studying in North Bay live in residence."
It should be noted that you don't have to have housing set up to get a student visa. It is also important to realize that in 2020 there were 63,510 student visas issued, yet this year 2023. there were 149,675 visas issued.
With International students, English is not their first language, so students don't understand the process. Extra time should be spent with these students so they fully understand what the process is. Canadore should be responsible for providing such services for all students, there needs to be an obligation to these students.
We have had international students calling our office desperate for a place to live.
Right this very moment there is a student from Africa sitting in our office that arrived in North Bay yesterday and after learning that there was no room for him at the college residence spent last night in the bus terminal. He somehow found his way to our office.
Yesterday there was a young girl from India who was walking down Canadore Drive with her two large suitcases crying because she thought she had accommodations on residence only to find out there was no place for her. This poor girl was discarded, she was left to figure it out on her own. She doesn't speak English very well, she is entirely alone, she is in a foreign land, and the school lets her leave with a shrug of their shoulders.
This office has been trying desperately to find housing for these students. This is what staff at Canadore should be doing, that's what they get paid to do, not this office. No one in the school's office should be going home while your students are homeless.
You should be ashamed of yourself/selves.
Laurie Sharpe
Residential Leasing Administrator
Sireg Management Inc.
