THUNDER BAY – For the first time since 2019, the start of classes at Thunder Bay’s post-secondary institutions has brought a stream of students and a buzz of activity.
Orientation events at Lakehead University and Confederation College saw what students and staff alike described as a relative return to normal on Tuesday, with most classes set to resume in person.
The Lakehead University Student Union (LUSU) welcomed throngs of students with a “Fantasy Fun Fair” on Tuesday, with games and activities including inflatables from Funtastic Castles, food vendors, and information booths on campus services.
The student union also reopened The Outpost, its campus pub, for the first time in two years on Tuesday. The venue will also host a concert headlined by Canadian songstress Fefe Dobson on Friday.
It was just one of the signs Tuesday that campus leaders are hoping for a school year with far fewer COVID-related restrictions and disruptions than the previous two.
That was also clear in the sheer number of students walking through Lakehead on Tuesday – the busiest it’s been since the pandemic hit, estimated LUSU’s vice-president of advocacy, Julianna Cronk.
“People are very excited,” she said. “It feels incredible. I’ve been on campus for the last year-and-a-half without seeing very many people. Even at 7:30 this morning, I saw students starting to come in, and it just lifts my spirits.”
Javan, an international student from India who began her Masters of Education at Lakehead last year, said online learning had been challenging, and eagerly welcomed the return to in-person classes.
“It was so quiet [on campus], but today it’s super good,” she said. “I feel excited about attending classes. I feel motivated.”
As well as helping students get the lay of the land and connect with peers, orientation is a chance for LUSU to educate students on their rights and how to access support on issues from academics to landlord-tenant disputes and sexual wellness, said Cronk.
Over 1,400 first year students were registered for orientation activities at Confederation College.
A total of 3,100 new and returning students were registered for the school year, compared to a recent average of around 4,800, the college stated.
VP Academic Richard Gemmill said those numbers are trending back up, and international enrolment had topped expectations. He cited low unemployment levels as one factor accounting for continued challenges in luring back domestic students.
“I’m thinking [it will take] at least a year” to return to pre-COVID enrolment levels, he said. “When you look around Northwestern Ontario, the unemployment rate is so low right now. If you’ve got jobs out there, people are going to take those jobs, so I can’t blame them. But we’re going to be ready for when those folks want to come back and get retrained or get an education.”
After two years of mostly online learning, Gemill called Tuesday’s return to class a relief.
“We’re back to normal – whatever normal can be as we emerge from a pandemic. We certainly have some programs being delivered in a hybrid fashion, and that’s really to be sensitive and accommodating to some of our international students who are still waiting for their visas to be processed. But we’re back on campus 100 per cent for almost every program.”
Outside, college students enjoyed activities organized by the Student Union of Confederation College, Inc. (SUCCI), met with program coordinators, and got to know fellow students.
Danielle Waboose, a first-year student in Onajigawin Indigenous Services – formerly the Native Child and Family Services program – hailing from Fort Hope, said the event had left her excited for the year ahead.
Her classes, which begin Wednesday, are all in person.
“This year, you get to meet people face to face and do things one-on-one,” she said.
