Students searching for answers after massage college closes

Looking for answers after massage college closes From CTV Kitchener’s Krista Sharpe: Students are still looking for answers after a massage college in Cambridge closed its doors last week.

KITCHENER — Students are still looking for answers after the Canadian College of Massage and Hydrotherapy closed last week.

“We were, I think, about two weeks in when we got the news,” says former student Brooklynn Hines.

The sudden closure of the Ontario campuses of the Canadian College of Massage and Hydrotherapy was made public after staff and students received an e-mailed from school president Brian Goldstein.

“The result of the COVID-19 pandemic has made it untenable for our operations to continue. For this we are truly sorry,” the email said in part.

Crystal Wheaton, a mother of three, was planning to study through the summer to start her career sooner.

“I was supposed to graduate by next April because I took a condensed course. Now I am not going to by that point. It's going to take longer - that's just a fact," she says

In a statement to CTV News, The Ministry of Colleges and Universities said, "in most cases, credits earned at private career colleges can only be transferred to another private career college," adding that enrolled students need to apply to the training completion assurance fund.

"The superintendent is working quickly to identify the best training completion options for students and will provide each eligible student who applies for training completion assurance fund support with their training completion and refund options," the statement said in part.

It is unclear yet which schools may accept students.

Students like Katelynn Fripps are now left gathering transcripts and other documents.

“Basically reassured us that we will have options. We won't just be thrown aside completely. But for now it's more a waiting game," she says.

Meanwhile, students who moved near the school to study are trying to make other arrangements.

“I am just confused at least in terms of people like me who don’t have transportation, I recently moved just to be closer to my school and now I don’t know where I am going to be going to school,” says Hines.

Students say teachers have been giving out their personal information and are doing everything they can to help.

“The support we had at this school was phenomenal and that’s the part I am going to miss the most, I think,” says Crystal Wheaton, former CCMH student:

The Cambridge campus remains closed, but it will reopen on Thursday afternoon for students to collect their belongings.

Students say they will be holding a peaceful protest at the same time.