MONTREAL — McGill University is being forced to do more with less.
Its budget is being cut by $10 million this fiscal year. More than $50 million has been cut from the university’s budget since 2012.
“It’s hard. It’s quite hard I must say,” Suzanne Fortier told Global News.
The McGill University principal said the cuts are making it more and more difficult to compete with other universities throughout North America.
“We have the great privilege of being among the top universities in the world and it’s a hard place to stay with the kind of budgets we have.”
Fortier was sitting at the table of honour to listen to Quebec’s finance minister, Carlos Leitao, speak before the Montreal Metropolitan Board of Trade.
Leitao is trying to defend his budget, which promises to balance the books in the coming fiscal year.
And the minister makes no apologies for cutting McGill’s budget, arguing other post secondary institutions are facing similar cuts.
“I also have great confidence in their (McGill’s) ability to manage such a good school.
“And I’m sure they’ll find ways to maintain their top ranking,” Leitao said after his speech.
Dozens of protesters stood outside the Hilton Bonaventure Hotel where Leitao was speaking. Some even made it inside the room and disrupted the finance minister’s opening comments with chants of “Stop Couillard.”
They were immediately escorted outside by Montreal police officers and hotel security.
“They (the Liberal government) have to start listening to the population instead of going in front of the Chamber of Commerce,” one protester said.
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