‘Vibes have changed’ at Perth campus as programs prepare move to Ottawa
What happens to a campus when it’s sold, but classes are still in session? That’s the question hanging over Algonquin College’s Perth students this fall as the satellite campus is officially up for sale.
The 12.34-acre property on Craig Street was put on the market earlier this month with the price tag being negotiable. The college says operations will continue until August 2026, but what comes after that is still a mystery.
Inside classrooms, students are keeping their heads down, trying to focus on their projects instead of the news. For many, the sale feels like the beginning of the end for a campus that’s been part of Perth for more than 50 years.
Nick Malcom is a student at the Perth campus studying heritage carpentry and he believes there’s no place like Perth for this type of program.
“It’s disappointing not being able to do carpentry in the town of Perth,” said Malcom. “It’s so well-suited to the type of work we’re learning, and there are so many opportunities locally.”
His classmate Gus Dupuis agrees, saying that it’s tough to see a program with such a strong reputation lose its home.
“It sucks because it’s a really good trade school. The best carpenters and masons come from here, and I don’t think the same kind of thing will be carried out in Ottawa,” said Dupuis.
The Perth campus opened in 1970 and was built for around 350 students, but enrollment has since dropped to just over 130 students full-time. This, paired with a college-wide budget deficit, led Algonquin’s board of governors to vote in February for the site’s closure.
The college plans to relocate three of Perth’s programs — practical nursing, heritage carpentry and joinery and business-agriculture — to the Woodroffe campus in Ottawa.
While the property is for sale, some people in town are trying to find a way to keep it as a place for learning. A community group called Save Perth College has been exploring options to preserve the space. One potential path has come from former Shopify executive Toby Shannan, who has proposed turning the campus into a not-for-profit training centre that would keep the trades programs alive.
Francis Arndt, another heritage carpentry student, said people are trying to stay positive even as uncertainty hangs over the program.
“The vibes have changed around here, but overall, it’s not so bad,” said Arndt.
The heritage carpentry and joinery program has been a key part of the Perth campus, known for training students in traditional building skills.
With the sale of the campus, the program’s future is unclear.
This uncertainty isn’t just limited to one department. Practical nursing student Akemi Mar Salas Vargas said she’ll miss the close-knit, personal environment the most.
“Here, they really know our names and what we need,” said Vargas. “It’s a small campus, but that’s what makes it special.”
Vargas has been studying in Perth for several months but will have to return to the Woodroffe campus to finish her program.
Perth Mayor Judy Brown said in an email that council plans to discuss the property’s future at its Oct. 21 meeting. Brown added that the town is dismayed by Algonquin’s decision to close the campus.
Algonquin College did not respond to a request for comment before publication.
For now, students and staff can only wait to see what happens next, and make the most of the time they have left on the campus they’ve come to call home.
