Conestoga College

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John Tibbets found himself in the news last week.

How it started:
The Conestoga Effect 2023 Economic and Social Impact Report released by Larry Smith February 13, 2024, declared that Conestoga College is: “indispensable to the prosperity of the local community by helping both younger and older workers adapt to the changes and challenges of the economic environment.”

How it went:
Conestoga president defend's school's record, calls Soo College president a 'whore' (Feb 14, 2024, GuelphToday.com)

"Like [Sault College President David] Orazietti, why are his goddamn students in Toronto? Why not up there? Talk about a whore, I mean, he's taking a percentage of the profits of an operation," said Tibbits. "I can't stand the guy by the way."

Conestoga College president John Tibbits defends school's intake of international students (Feb 15, 2024, CBC)

"Tibbits acknowledged he used the term ... , but would not talk about it in detail. He said he regretted using the term, but doesn't regret criticizing Sault College."

President of Sault College responds to 'personal attacks' by Conestoga College president (Feb 16, 2024, CBC)

"My comments were related more to the situation at Conestoga. I think it's a shared belief that any college bringing over 30,000 international students in such a short period of time, it would be unreasonable that there be adequate housing and jobs in the community," Orazietti said.

Orazietti said there should be an independent investigation by the Ontario Auditor General into the operations at Conestoga College, but would not say if he would call for the investigation.

He reiterated that it is unacceptable for a public college president to make personal attacks and that the federal government's cap on the number of international students coming into the country were in part to address "circumstances exactly like what is happening at Conestoga."

"It's well known in the sector that Conestoga College is a bad actor," he said.