OMIC’s Statement on the Algonquin College Decision

The Ottawa Music Industry Coalition is deeply disappointed by the decision to terminate the Music Industry Arts (MIA) program, along with 29 other programs at Algonquin College, half of which directly support Ottawa’s music, events, tourism, and festival sectors.

For more than 16 years, MIA has demonstrated sustained enrollment, strong graduate outcomes (over 93% employment rate), and deep integration with Ottawa’s live music, festival, and events ecosystem. This is not a program lacking demand or labour market relevance. It is a proven workforce pipeline.

Recent community response underscored just how vital this program is. The #MIAMatters campaign had an online reach of over 200,000 and generated 11,670 emails expressing concern about the program’s impending closure. A student-led petition gathered nearly 2,600 signatures. In the past 30 days alone, the Music Industry Arts social media channels have seen more than 82,000 views, a clear indicator of public engagement and sector-wide attention.

We recognize that Algonquin College is navigating significant fiscal pressures and that difficult decisions must be made within shifting funding frameworks. We understand that the province has identified priority sectors such as healthcare, skilled trades, construction, transportation, mining and energy, technology, advanced manufacturing, STEM and that institutions are expected to align accordingly to remain sustainable.

However, it’s important to note that these decisions do not align with Ottawa’s current municipal economic development priorities or workforce needs.

Ottawa is actively leaning on cultural events to revitalize downtown and the ByWard Market, strengthen its festival strategy, and advance the Nightlife Economy Action Plan. These initiatives depend on a skilled, locally trained workforce, the very pipeline that programs like Music Industry Arts cultivate. The professionals activating public spaces, producing festivals, staffing venues, and animating nightlife are essential to delivering on these plans.

Workforce attraction and retention across all priority sectors also depend on a vibrant cultural and nightlife ecosystem. During the 2023 municipal election cycle, the CEO of the Ottawa General Hospital publicly emphasized the importance of an active nightlife in attracting and retaining healthcare talent. The same principle applies to technology, defence, construction, and other growth industries: talent is drawn to cities that offer cultural vitality and quality of life.

This week, the Ottawa Music Industry Coalition launched a new economic impact survey to assess the current contribution of Ottawa’s music sector. In 2021, music alone contributed $60 million to Ottawa’s GDP. Nationally, the live music sector generates $10.92 billion in GDP and supports more than 101,000 jobs. Ottawa’s participation in that ecosystem depends on sustained local talent development. Eliminating a consistent and respected training pathway will create a measurable gap in the workforce pipeline at a critical moment for growth and downtown revitalization. We’ll see the impacts of this as soon as next year unless we look at a solution in the interim.  

OMIC is actively reviewing what options may be available to safeguard this workforce development in Ottawa. We remain committed to working collaboratively with educational institutions, municipal leaders, industry partners, and the private sector to identify viable paths forward.

We will continue to advocate for solutions that recognize the economic, cultural, and community value of live music and the professionals who power it.

Our sector is not extracurricular, it is infrastructure.

Yours sincerely, 

The Ottawa Music Industry Coalition