Lanark County pushes to turn Algonquin College Perth campus into trades training centre

Several months after Lanark County Council identified the reuse of Algonquin College’s Perth campus as a priority issue for provincial engagement, the County shared on Monday, Aug. 25 that progress has been made on plans to repurpose the Perth campus as a skilled trades training centre.

The college’s board of directors voted to close the campus earlier this year.

The update follows a delegation to the Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) conference, held from Aug. 17 to 20, where Lanark County entrepreneur Toby Shannan presented a proposal to the Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skilled Trades Development. In May 2025, Lanark County Council identified the reuse of the Perth campus as a priority issue for provincial engagement and endorsed the delegation.

Shannan’s proposal called for the adaptive reuse of the campus, which is slated to close later this year and has caused ripples of concern and protest throughout the community. Shannan’s proposal highlighted the need to preserve local access to trades education.

The County explains in a media release that Labour Minister David Piccini expressed strong interest in the idea and connected Shannan with a representative from Skilled Trades Ontario to discuss next steps. These discussion reportedly centred around creating programs that meet industry needs and exploring apprenticeship opportunities with local employers.

For Lanark County Warden Toby Randell, this initiative is critical for the prosperity of the community. “The closure of the Perth campus will leave a significant gap in Lanark County’s ability to train and retain skilled workers,” Randell said in a release. “We are committed to working with the province to ensure this facility continues to serve the people of Lanark County in a meaningful way.”

Other local councillors, Town of Perth officials, and county staff also voiced their support during the the delegation to emphasize the importance of sustaining rural education infrastructure.