A Quebec Superior Court judge extended LaSalle College’s creditor protection until Jan. 29, 2027 while it contests Quebec language fines.
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A Quebec Superior Court judge has extended creditor protection for LaSalle College until Jan. 29, 2027 as the school challenges fines and repayment orders from the provincial government tied to Quebec’s language rules.
The court’s Tuesday decision came as LaSalle College faces $30 million in fines under provincial language legislation, along with an order to reimburse about $18 million in subsidies from last year. Officials said the combined debts are now close to $48 million.
Laurie Saindon, a spokesperson for LaSalle College, said, “The College is contesting (the fines).” The provincial education ministry declined to comment.
Tuesday’s ruling also set the hearing on the fines for Jan. 21 and 22.
The penalties stem from a 2022 language law that imposed limits on the number of students in English-language college programs. In the 2023-24 school year, the first year the limits were applied, LaSalle College exceeded its quota by 716 students and received a fine of $8.8 million. The following year, the college surpassed its quota by 1,066 students and was fined an additional $21 million.
LaSalle College first sought creditor protection in August, receiving a 10-day reprieve on Aug. 24. Saindon said students will continue to attend classes and prepare for the winter semester as the dispute proceeds.
LaSalle College’s director previously argued the fine was unfair and unprecedented. The school also delayed the start of classes by one week because of the fines.
After LaSalle College filed, a judge reinstated government subsidies in a decision on Sept. 3, and the college reopened the next day. The court also extended creditor protection on Sept. 3 and again on Sept. 24, with Tuesday’s decision marking a third extension.
LaSalle College is described as a subsidized private school that offers both English-language and French-language programs, and it is one of the few such institutions in Quebec. Saindon said students will continue classes as the legal process with the government plays out.
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