Drumheller’s private post-secondary college will begin classes this week in its new location at the Elim Pentecostal Building on 3 Street West.
The decision to move Hope College was made during a board meeting last month as a way to help the college, which is struggling financially.
Hope College board chair, Paul Andrew told the Mail that many people he has spoken to in and around Drumheller have been positive about the idea of having a post-secondary opportunity in Drumheller. However, he also said he didn’t feel as though members of council have been supportive of the opportunity.
Drumheller Mayor Terry Yemen said this isn’t true.
“This council and previous council that I have been on, that is one of council’s priorities – secondary education in the Valley. It has been and it will continue to be. What it will look like I don’t know,” he said.
“Was there support? Yeah initially when Hope College said they were going to do rural medicine in the curriculum, everybody supported it, they failed to deliver. They didn’t deliver what they said they were going to do. If they want someone to blame they don’t have to look very far. Look in the mirror,” Yemen explained.
Yemen told the Mail that council hasn’t made a decision yet as far as what support would or wouldn’t look like.
“We have asked on numerous occasions for some sort of business plan, a sustainable business plan, a go-forward business plan and a financial statement so we can see just where they are at. Anything less than that, doing that type of due diligence would be irresponsible of council. You have to have all the facts before you can make a decision, and for whatever reason they have chosen not to provide it with us and just came out saying that we are not supportive and it’s not true,” he said.
“They haven’t provided us the information so we can make an informed decision, that is what the problem is,” Yemen noted.
“We hear there is a significant amount of debt that is involved with Hope College. How much debt? How do they plan on dealing with that debt? We have to know those kinds of things before we can make a decision. And to say that there was no help, that is not true either,” Yemen said explaining that the Town of Drumheller has given the college $10,000.
“Maybe in the big picture that isn’t a lot of money, but to me that is a lot of money,” he said.
