LaSalle College obtains creditor protection after being fined $30 million

MONTREAL – LaSalle College has obtained creditor protection after the Quebec government fined the institution $30 million for having too many students in its English-language programs.

The Quebec Superior Court granted the Montreal institution a ten-day protection window on Monday during which time it will be able to negotiate with the provincial government.

Students were scheduled to return to class on Thursday, but the college announced classes will be on hold until it receives provincial subsidies, which have been withheld because of the fines. 

“Students are on standby for (Quebec Premier Christine) Fréchette to take that decision, as Premier of Quebec,” Claude Marchand, director of LaSalle College, told The Canadian Press.

“We’re ready to go as soon as we get a positive decision from our Premier, Fréchette.”

The fines stem from a 2022 language law passed by the provincial government, which imposed limits on the number of students in English-language college programs. 

In the 2023-24 school year — the first year the new limits were applied — LaSalle College exceeded its quota by 716 students and received a fine of $8.8 million. The following year, the college surpassed its quota by 1,066 students, and was fined an additional $21 million.

Last year, the college delayed the beginning of classes by one day because of these fines.

LaSalle College is a subsidized private school and one of the few institutions in Quebec offering both English-language and French-language programs. 

On top of these fines, LaSalle College must reimburse $17.9 million in subsidies it received last year, bringing the total debt to close to $48 million. 

Marchand called this fine “unfair and unprecedented.”

“I think no company in Quebec can survive a $30-million fine,” he said.

When the government passed the new language law, the college asked for a two-year transition period before having to meet the new limit, but did not get one, said Marchand.

“If you impose a quota that is lower than the number of students we already have in our classrooms, we are doomed from day one. … It’s like you’re on the highway, you’re going 100 kilometres an hour, suddenly there’s a sign at 60 kilometres an hour, and then you get a fine of $30 million,” he said. 

Marchand said LaSalle College now respects the limits on students in English-language programs.

He called on Fréchette to get involved directly in this case. In a letter sent to the premier on Saturday obtained by The Canadian Press, he asked for authorization to launch a new science program and for a realistic reimbursement timeline, among other negotiation requests. 

On Monday, two unions also called on the provincial government to act and ensure LaSalle College will remain open. The Office and Professional Employees Union and the Quebec Federation of Labour highlighted the impacts a closure would have on both students and employees. 

“Let’s be clear, we are not defending the college administration, it’s not up to us to decide whether these penalties are deserved or not. Our job is to ensure that students can continue their studies and to save jobs,” wrote Pierrick Choinière-Lapointe, executive director of the Quebec Office and Professional Employees Union.

The Higher Education Minister did not respond to The Canadian Press’ request for comment.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 24, 2026.