While measures to deal with the high cost of tuition dominated the conversation, Ontario's premier also faced tough questions on hydro and jobs during a stop in London.
Premier Kathleen Wynne and Deputy Premier Deb Matthews visited Fanshawe College’s Norton Wolf School of Aviation Technology on Tuesday, touring the facility before taking questions from students. The set-up was reminiscent of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's recent town hall-style meeting, but on a much smaller scale. Only about 120 students attended the event.
On several occasions, Wynne urged students in the crowd to Google the Ontario Student Assistance Plan (OSAP) calculator. The online device calculates student eligibility for tuition grants within seconds. The recently announced retooling of OSAP offers free tuition for students from low income families beginning this September.
"We know if you are qualified as a student it shouldn't depend on your income or your family's income whether you have access to an education or not," said Wynne. "We have targeted the support to those young people and older students who may not have the financial resources."
However, Wynne could not seem to escape questions over the soaring cost of hydro. Protesters were waiting for the premier when she arrived at the college. With people in the group shouting at her to do more to cut electricity costs, Wynne briefly stopped to speak to them before entering the facility.
Paul Laranjeiro, one of the students who guided Wynne during part of her tour, asked her what her government will do to help families struggling to pay hydro bills.
"A sale of that valuable resource (Hydro One) for us would mean higher costs," said Laranjeiro. "A lot of families are having a hard time putting food on their table for their families. So what is Ontario going to do about that problem that we are facing right now?"
Wynne was quick to point out the sale of Hydro One is not related to the high price of electricity. She told the crowd the sale provided the government with funds to improve infrastructure.
"Electricity prices are set not by Hydro One, not by a particular distribution company, but by the Ontario Energy Board," said Wynne. "The reason electricity prices have gone up in Ontario is because we have been investing in a new system. We have been building transmission lines around the province, we shut down coal fired plants, we invested in renewable power, and we did that to make the system clean and reliable."
Wynne added the province needs to do more to help reduce hydro prices, but offered no other information.
Speaking after the question and answer session, Laranjeiro said he felt Wynne's response was lacking.
"I feel the question had to be asked because it is a hot topic. I don't know what they are really going to do about it. She says they are going to have some sort of rebate or discount for people who are having a harder time but that remains to be seen. For now it is an issue I feel isn't being resolved," said Laranjeiro.
Other topics that were discussed during the nearly hour-long session included job creation, tuition breaks for international students, and changes to Bill 70 which critics claim jeopardize skilled trade jobs.
Wynne's visit to Fanshawe College was part of her week-long tour of the province's post secondary institutions.
Premier Kathleen Wynne and Deputy Premier Deb Matthews speak to students at Fanshawe College's Norton Wolf School of Aviation Technology, January 24,2017. (Photo by Miranda Chant, Blackburn News.)