Canada Christian College

===Proposal for and rejection of university status===
In 2020, the government of [[Doug Ford]] introduced a bill in the [[Ontario legislature]] which, if passed, would give the institution [[university]] status with the power to confer [[Bachelor of Arts]] and [[Bachelor of Science]] degrees. Former [[Premier of Ontario]] [[Kathleen Wynne]] criticized the proposal, asking, in reference to college president Charles McVety, “Why (would) this government...extend the mandate of the most publicly and vocally homophobic man in Ontario?”.<ref name="benzie">{{cite news |last1=Benzie |first1=Robert |title=Tories under fire for granting university status to evangelical college |url=https://www.thestar.com/politics/provincial/2020/10/22/tories-under-fire-for-granting-university-status-to-evangelical-college.html |access-date=October 23, 2020 |work=Toronto Star |date=October 22, 2020}}</ref> Additionally, the [[Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Associations]] stated in a letter to Premier Ford that they are "alarmed that your government is intending to discreetly pass legislation that would allow the Canada Christian College to call itself a "university" and award degrees," adding that "The Ontario government should not grant accreditation and degree-granting privileges to institutions that do not meet the anti-discriminatory and anti-hate speech principles outlined in the [[Ontario Human Rights Code]],"<ref name="Crawley">{{cite news|last1=Crawley|first1=Mike|date=October 22, 2020|title=Backlash grows over Ford's move to grant Charles McVety's religious college university status|work=CBC News|url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/doug-ford-charles-mcvety-canada-christian-college-university-1.5772778|access-date=October 23, 2020}}</ref>

McVety responded to these objections, saying that “the college, its president, staff, and faculty value all individuals, including the LGBTQ community.”<ref name="benzie" />

Ford was accused of giving McVety a [[quid pro quo]] and granting the Canada Christian College university status as a reward for McVety's past political support of Ford's [[2018 Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario leadership election|leadership campaign]] as well as of his [[Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario|Progressive Conservative]] government. [[Leader of the Official Opposition (Ontario)|Opposition Leader]] [[Andrea Horwath]] alleged "a backroom deal" between Ford and McVety.<ref name="benzie2">{{cite news|last1=Benzie|first1=Robert|date=October 27, 2020|title=Doug Ford accused of 'backroom deal' to reward controversial evangelist Charles McVety|work=Toronto Star|url=https://www.thestar.com/politics/provincial/2020/10/27/doug-ford-accused-of-backroom-deal-to-reward-controversial-evangelist-charles-mcvety.html|access-date=October 27, 2020}}</ref>

Responding to these accusations, McVety stated that “this Ontario legislation is based upon fairness, not favouritism. It is an initiative that does nothing more than correct a systemic problem plaguing some long-standing degree-granting institutions that are called colleges, and not universities."<ref name="benzie" /> He further said that “it is sad that the NDP and MPP Kathleen Wynne would recklessly damage the lives of hundreds of students and thousands of graduates with mindless, hateful name calling, all while reading directly from a disreputable source, [[Wikipedia]].”<ref name="benzie" />

The Ontario government was also criticized for introducing the bill without the [[Postsecondary Education Quality Assessment Board]] (PEQAB) having completed review of the college's request to create new Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science degree programs or its request to change its name to the Canada University and School of Graduate Theological Studies.<ref>{{cite news |title=How Doug Ford's COVID-19 legislation helps advance his party's agenda |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/covid-19-ontario-premier-doug-ford-1.5770744 |access-date=October 23, 2020 |work=CBC News |date=October 22, 2020}}</ref> [[Liberal Party of Ontario|Liberal]] leader [[Steven Del Duca]] said “it certainly looks suspicious, which is troubling” that the government would introduce enabling legislation before the college has even been approved by the PEQAB.<ref name="benzie2" />

Speaking about the proposed name change, McVety stated that “It is unconscionable for students, the majority of whom are visible minorities or new Canadians, to have their hard-earned Bachelor, Master and Doctoral degrees marginalized due to outdated naming practices.”<ref>{{Cite news|title=McVety won't get special treatment in school accreditation process: Ford|url=https://torontosun.com/news/provincial/mcvety-wont-get-special-treatment-in-school-accreditation-process-ford|access-date=2020-10-23|newspaper=Toronto Sun|language=en-CA}}</ref>

Financial information submitted to the PEQAB as part of the college's application for university status revealed that Charles McVety and his son, Ryan, were given six-figure loans from the college's charitable funds - owing $860,000 by the end of 2019 — and that these funds were allegedly used to buy jet skis and vehicles - leading to questions being asked in the Ontario Legislative Assembly as well as a lengthy report in the ''[[Toronto Star]]'' as to how the college's charitable funds were being used.<ref name="status">{{cite news|last1=Rushowy|first1=Kristin|date=May 17, 2021|title=Decision on Charles McVety's university application for Canada Christian College coming soon|work=Toronto Star|url=https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2021/05/17/decision-on-charles-mcvetys-university-application-for-canada-christian-college-coming-soon.html?li_source=LI&li_medium=thestar_canada|access-date=May 18, 2021}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{cite news|last1=Cohn|first1=Martin Regg|date=November 9, 2020|title=Charles McVety borrows heavily from his Christian college charity. He also holds a political IOU from Doug Ford|work=Toronto Star|url=https://www.thestar.com/politics/political-opinion/2020/11/09/charles-mcvety-borrows-heavily-from-his-christian-college-charity-he-also-holds-a-political-iou-from-doug-ford.html|access-date=May 18, 2021}}</ref>

The college, responded to these allegations, stating, "“The college, in its application, gave financial information under the promised terms that it would remain confidential. Any such information was improperly posted...The college will provide answers concerning its financial statements to an appropriate authority when requested.”<ref name=":0" />

On October 27, 2020, the [[Legislative Assembly of Ontario]] passed a motion to "condemn the extreme and hateful invective of Charles McVety and oppose any efforts to make Canada Christian College into an accredited university."<ref>{{cite news |last1=D'Mello |first1=Colin |title=Ontario government to fast-track Charles McVety legislation amid public outcry |url=https://toronto.ctvnews.ca/mobile/ontario-government-to-fast-track-charles-mcvety-legislation-amid-public-outcry-1.5202866 |access-date=November 24, 2020 |work=CTV News |date=November 24, 2020}}</ref>

On December 8, 2020, Bill 213, an [[omnibus bill]]<ref>{{cite news |last1=McLaren |first1=David |title=Christmas comes early for the deep-pocketed friends of Premier Doug Ford |url=https://www.thespec.com/opinion/contributors/2020/12/14/christmas-comes-early-for-the-deep-pocketed-friends-of-premier-doug-ford.html |access-date=May 21, 2021 |work=Hamilton Spectator |date=December 14, 2020}}</ref> which included enabling legislation which would have granted additional degree granting status and use of the term university, was passed by the provincial legislature.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Legislation|url=https://www.ola.org/en/legislative-business/bills/parliament-42/session-1/bill-213/status|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210302133643/https://www.ola.org/en/legislative-business/bills/parliament-42/session-1/bill-213/status |archive-date=March 2, 2021 }}</ref> However, the portion of the bill relating to Canada Christian College was not [[Royal assent|proclaimed]], pending a decision by the PEQAB on the college's application for university status.<ref name="Romano"/>

A spokesperson for Minister of Colleges and Universities [[Ross Romano]] announced on May 21, 2021, that the “PEQAB has recommended that the institution not be granted expanded degree-granting authority or a name change at this time" and that "The minister has reviewed and accepts their recommendation.”<ref name="Romano">{{cite news |last1=Rushowy |first1=Kristin |title=Charles McVety denounces 'vicious attacks' as Canada Christian College is denied university status |url=https://www.thestar.com/politics/provincial/2021/05/19/charles-mcvetys-canada-christian-college-denied-university-status.html |access-date=May 21, 2021 |work=Toronto Star |date=May 21, 2021}}</ref> Accordingly, Romano's spokesperson stated that “the government will not be proclaiming Schedule 2 of Bill 213 at this time.”<ref name="Romano" />

In response to the decision by Romano, McVety stated that it is the students at Canada Christian College who will suffer because of the "political corruptness" of the university proposal process.  He further stated that "PEQAB put forward to the ministry a fraudulent misrepresentation of the college.  The government was informed of the misrepresentations but refused to investigate...Our students and campus community deserved better from their government."  He also intimated that Canada Christian College would be filing a lawsuit against PEQAB.<ref name="Romano" />