Polytechnic students protest P.A. gym closure
The outcry is growing louder over Saskatchewan Polytechnic’s decision to axe sports programming and close its gyms. Scores of students in Prince Albert are rallying against the sudden move, which the college said was in favour of a more holistic ‘wellness strategy.’
Third-year construction electrician student Jeff Takagi launched a petition on the P.A. campus this week calling for the gyms to reopen and for compensation to students for the loss of use of the recreation facilities, among other things. He said 57 students from various trades classes signed the document in just one day of petitioning, and many more students are unhappy.
“For some of the students here, we rely more heavily on the recreation services that are provided because we’re only here for two months of our program,” Takagi told paNOW. “For example, in my class only one of the 12 people are from P.A.”
Takagi said he rents a room in the city from Monday to Friday, then heads back to Saskatoon for weekends. While he’s in P.A., Takagi said the recreation facilities are important to him.