Canadore College president retiring in January

After more than a decade in office, Canadore College president George Burton said he is stepping down in January.

Canadore College President George Burton announced Wednesday morning on social media that he’s retiring.

Burton said on X that after deep reflection, he decided “not to seek a renewal of my contract.”

His time as college president will end on Jan. 26, 2026.

“Serving this incredible community has been a profound honour,” Burton wrote.

“Together, we’ve built a student-first culture, transformed our campuses, created new opportunities through innovation and partnerships, and strengthened our connection to the communities we serve.”

Himself a graduate of Canadore, Burton was appointed president and CEO in the summer of 2010.

Currently serving his third term, he has seen his fair share of controversies during his time leading the college.

Controversies over the years

In 2019, in a letter addressed to Canadore board chairman Bob Nicholls and copied to Burton, lawyer Gillian Hnatiw wrote that an investigation uncovered “over a dozen individuals who claim to have experienced similar types of career-limiting or ending discrimination or abuse while employed by Canadore” and were provided named of more than “two dozen” other individuals who endured similar experiences.

At the time, Burton said the investigator’s report into the allegations of sexual misconduct and bullying at the college wouldn’t be made public.

A year later, OPSEU, the union that represents the college’s professors and support workers, demanded that the Ministry of Colleges and Universities and the Ministry of Labour intervene at the school “in the wake of an attempted cover-up of the independent investigation report concerning long-standing allegations of harassment and discrimination by senior managers at Canadore.”

Late last year, Burton filed a code of conduct complaint against North Bay city councillor Sara Inch to be investigated by the Integrity Commissioner’s office. According to a staff report, it cost the City of North Bay almost $4,000.

Then in November of last year, Ontario Health announced it “lost confidence” in Canadore College and pulled the plug on a 53-bed addiction treatment centre on North Bay’s Lakeshore Drive.

The building remains empty. Burton later expressed disappointment with the ministry’s decision, adding it had “their own reasons for terminating.”

Students in tents

At the beginning of the 2023-2024 school year, international students who had no place to stay put up tents for shelter in front of the school’s Commerce Court campus. This, despite promises from the school that accommodations would be found.

The students were stopped from pitching their tents on college property. At the time, Burton labelled the demonstration as a “publicity stunt” organized by an outside group.

But on Wednesday, a statement from the college highlighted his leadership in “significant advancements across the institution, including the expansion and modernization of simulation labs, classroom facilities, and laboratory spaces.”

“Under his leadership, the college has seen the growth of the Innovation Centre for Advanced Manufacturing and Prototyping (ICAMP) and the development of The Village—Canada’s first intergenerational facility designed to educate students in health, human care, and social services within a collaborative, real-world environment,” the statement reads.

In his note to Canadore employees, Burton reflected, “We have been bold, sometimes unconventional, and that willingness to challenge the status quo has been a powerful contributor to our success.”

“Together we have built a student-first culture, transformed our campuses, created new opportunities through innovation and partnerships, and strengthened our connection to the communities we serve.”

“I’m incredibly proud of what we’ve accomplished and confident that Canadore’s future is bright,” he added in his post.

Canadore will begin the process of choosing a new president and CEO in the fall.