Sylvan Learning Centres in Silver Springs and Airdrie cease operations without notice

Parents were surprised when they showed up at the Sylvan Learning Centre location at 8060 Silver Springs Boulevard N.W. only to find the windows taped up and the doors locked. All five other locations in Calgary have no information on what happened.

A group of frustrated parents encountered locked doors and uncertainty over refunds after tutoring service locations in Calgary and Airdrie abruptly shut their doors without explanation.

According to parents, the Sylvan Learning Centre location at 8060 Silver Springs Boulevard N.W., was open for business on Thursday, but the centre's windows were taped over and the doors locked on Friday.

A sign on the door indicated the location is closed indefinitely.

Services at Sylvan Learning Centres require payment in advance and parents fear they will not see a refund.

“It’s a lot of money up front and I want to make sure she does well in her new school,” said Ruth-Anne Williams. “This is infuriating. Taking my money last week and this week be closed.”

Customers of the centres received emails on Thursday evening advising of the closure. The emails state:

The continuous decrease in student enrolment and increasing overhead expenses has resulted in steadily declining revenues to a point the business can no longer sustain.

Annie Sane was particularly floored by the news. “We enrolled for three, four months and it went well. My wife talked to the director yesterday and she did not mention about anything and all those things.”

All five other Sylvan Learning Centres in the city are open and running and officials there have no more information on what transpired with the Silver Springs location.

In a statement released by Sylvan Learning LLC, the owners/operators of the Silver Springs and Airdrie locations, Jason and Debra Neville of Ceyanna, Inc., are responsible for the decision to close their franchises. Sylvan Learning Centres is working to assist the families impacted by the closures

Sylvan is stepping in to provide an alternative educational option for the families served by the closed Centres in North West Calgary and Airdrie.  Families may elect to have their children receive their Sylvan reading and math programs through Sylvan Online, which provides a nearly identical educational experience.

Families who prepaid for services with the North West Calgary and Airdrie Sylvan Learning Centres may have those prepayments honored through Sylvan Online.  If the online option does not meet the needs of a family who has prepaid for lessons at the North West Calgary or Aidrie Sylvan Learning Centres, the family should direct refund requests to the owner of the North West Calgary and Airdrie Centres, Ceyanna, Inc., which remains responsible for refunds.  Ceyanna can be reached at [e-mail].