CALGARY – A northwest Calgary Sylvan Learning Centre will reopen on Monday after parents were abruptly locked out last Thursday night.
Many parents who had prepaid for their children to be tutored were shocked that the centre—along with an Airdrie location—had closed after receiving an email that said it was going out of business with no other details.
On Thursday, parent Jason Georgy got another email saying “an experienced Sylvan franchisee” would be opening the centres “shortly.”
That franchisee is former teacher Jim Argue, who owns nine locations in the Edmonton area and has been involved for the last 28 years.
“I think I’m the oldest surviving franchisee in Canada,” said Argue. “I did not want to see this go down…Knowing full well that there will be issues with parents who will be upset—we understand that. They’re not upset with us.”
Argue said the Silver Springs location will honour the contracts for parents who had pre-paid. A southeast location will also honour prepaid hours on a case-by-case basis, and a northeast location said they’ve accepted one family who had originally bought from the Silver Springs location.
“Everyone’s pitching in because we want to see this work,” said Argue.
“There’s a lot of children in Calgary that need this.”
A statement from Sylvan Learning corporate headquarters said each centre is independently owned and operated.
“The NW Calgary Center will reopen on Monday, so it makes sense for the NW Calgary Center students to pick back up with that familiar location and staff. Mr. Argue has committed to honoring all prepays, and also will accept the Airdrie students and their prepayments at the North West Calgary location until the Airdrie location reopens this fall. Families who prepaid for services with the North West Calgary and Airdrie Sylvan Learning Centres may also have those prepayments honored through Sylvan Online.”
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