Toronto college campus known from TV hit Degrassi is shutting down

The iconic East York campus of Toronto’s Centennial College — which is perhaps best known for once starring as the backdrop for the popular Degrassi High TV series — will soon start to wind down operations as it prepares to shut its doors in the coming year.

Debuting in 1994 as the school’s Story Arts Centre, the facility at the corner of Carlaw and Mortimer avenues has welcomed more than 1,000 of Centennial’s full-time communications, media, arts and design students annually, after originally having served as an Ontario Teachers College and then a filming site for many years.

But, as is the case with an array of post-secondary institutions in Ontario lately, Centennial has been facing financial stresses, driven in large part by the sudden erosion of the international student body following amendments to Canada’s student visa and immigration programs. 

So, it is making some additional cutbacks, after already announcing in January that it was discontinuing dozens of programs across disciplines and properties.

A memo sent on Wednesday alerted staff and students of the impending changes, informing them that all programs currently run out of the Story Arts Centre will be moved to Centennial’s Progress Campus. This is expected to happen mid-next year, ahead of the 2026-2027 academic session.

The reason, a spokesperson for the school told blogTO, is “stagnant government funding and a decline in international student enrolments induced by federal policy changes.”

“The decision is part of a comprehensive strategy to secure the long-term sustainability of our academic programs and ensure the vitality of campus life,” they added, also noting that the tough decision was made “with careful evaluation and great care” due to the significance of the campus to the broader community.

Impacted learners who are used to simply walking a few minutes to their classes from nearby Pape Station may find the shift less than desirable, the Progress Campus being far further from the downtown core and less accessible by transit.

But, staff aim to make the transition as easy as possible, and are currently detailing a plan that will take into account the needs of all involved.

“This decision, while deeply upsetting and unsettling, is a critical step if we are to safeguard Centennial’s long-term sustainability. It’s a step that will ensure the impact and spirit of the Story Arts Centre as a creative powerhouse continues at Progress Campus,” the spokesperson said. 

They were unable to comment on the long-term future of the campus after the programs are relocated, though Centennial President and CEO Craig Stephenson said in his Wednesday message to students that “the future of the Story Arts Centre Campus itself remains subject to further discussion.”

Along with Centennial, local institutions like York University, Mohawk College and Sheridan College have culled programming and/or faculty, targeting areas where there has been lower enrollment. Both Seneca College and Algonquin College have closed campuses either temporarily or permanently.

Ontario universities have projected an approximate $1 billion loss attributable to new international student caps, though for what it’s worth, audits have found before these changes that some have “continued to offer many academic programs with low demand and enrolment, despite continued financial deficits.”

Explaining Ottawa’s reasoning for the recent changes to immigration policy, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has noted that Canada’s population “has grown really fast, like baby boom fast” in the last two years, necessitating major reforms, especially in regards to “bad actors that have been exploiting our immigration system for their own interests.”

Some would argue that local schools have been relying too much on this demographic for funding, with revenue splits drastically switching to rely on tuitions in just a matter of years.