Northern Ontario School of Medicine says it is committed to the north, and plans to strengthen ties to Thunder Bay and Sudbury.
The school’s President Sarita Verma pointed out on social media Thunder Bay city council has been “led by fear mongering” in the belief the school could be shutting down the local campus.
She also stated in a news release there is a health crisis in the north, which NOSM plans to fix, and inaccuracies about its next steps should be weighed carefully.
As for the provincial government, it says the school is ready to become a degree-granting post-secondary institution.
Colleges and Universities Minister Ross Romano says proposed legislation would make it an independent university, adding his ministry already provides direct funding to NOSM and it operates independently.
There had been speculation that the financial troubles at Laurentian University in Sudbury might impact the future of the medical school since both institutions have it on their campus.