Quebec university students and their Ontario counterparts launched a “Student Solidarity Tour” across Ontario July 12, as organizers of the longest student strike in Canadian history attempted to spread their message.
Student representatives from Quebec spoke to their Ontario counterparts in Ottawa, Kingston, Hamilton, Niagara, Windsor, London, Guelph, Toronto and Peterborough during their nine-day tour.
“Students in Ontario already pay the highest fees in the country and are facing another five per cent tuition fee hike in the fall,” said Sarah Jayne King, chairperson of the Canadian Federation of Students-Ontario.
Quebec students have now been on strike for approximately 150 days as they continue to oppose tuition fee hikes proposed by the Charest government.
“Students in Ontario, like our peers in Québec, are united in our fight to drop fees for all students and defend public post-secondary education,” King said.
“By sharing our successes and challenges, we are building a stronger movement for affordable public education in Ontario and Québec.”
Jérémie Bédard-Wien, one of the tour’s speakers and a Financial Secretary of the Coalition large de l’Association pour une solidarité syndicale étudiante (CLASSE), agreed.
“Many grassroots organizations are sprouting up in Ontario to learn from our organization tactics,” he told the Canadian Press. “It’s clear Ontario students are interested in learning how we mobilize and how to prepare for a general strike.”
