What is Ontario’s Bill 33? Here is why thousands of students in Waterloo are protesting against it
At the University of Waterloo, students are sounding the alarm over Bill 33, warning that it could change life on campus in ways that hit close to home. From mental health services to emergency food programs and independent student newspapers, the services many rely on could be at risk. The provincial government says the bill, officially called The Supporting Children and Students Act, is designed to improve oversight and prevent financial mismanagement in schools. But for students, it feels like a loss of control over the programs and resources they helped create—and depend on every day.CityNews, a local news service in Canada, highlights the growing opposition led by the Waterloo Undergraduate Student Association (WUSA), which represents more than 30,000 students in the region.
What is Bill 33?
Bill 33, officially titled The Supporting Children and Students Act, introduces reforms to the Child, Youth, and Family Services Act. According to the Ontario government, the bill aims to:
- Strengthen oversight and accountability in schools and post-secondary institutions.
- Address issues of financial mismanagement by school boards.
- Provide the provincial government with broader powers to influence policies related to student funding and services.
Critics, including WUSA, argue that these powers could reduce student input on important decisions, including optional fees that fund mental health programs, emergency food support, equity initiatives, and student-run media.
Why students are concerned
WUSA emphasises that student fees are not arbitrary. They reflect what students collectively value and need. “We vote for these fee structures because they reflect what we collectively value: emergency food support, mental health programming, and equity-based resources,” Remington Zhi, Vice President of WUSA, told CityNews. “Bill 33 risks pulling the rug out from under those services and from students, without consulting us at all.”Alicia Wang, senior editor of the University of Waterloo’s independent newspaper Imprint, also told CityNews, “Student media is essential. It provides students with a voice to hold universities and student associations accountable. Bill 33 rides roughshod over decisions students have already made on what they value and need on campus.”
Student response and mobilisation
To push back, WUSA has submitted formal feedback to the Ministry of Colleges, Universities, Research Excellence and Security and to local MPPs. They have hosted roundtables with political leaders, including Marit Stiles, Catherine Fife, and Peggy Sattler, alongside representatives from local universities, colleges, and student associations. WUSA is also supporting a petition from MPP Catherine Fife and coordinating a province-wide response with other student associations if the bill advances without meaningful revisions.
What’s next
WUSA is urging students and the broader Waterloo community to speak up and defend campus democracy. “We urge the broader Waterloo Region to stand with students in defending student democracy,” WUSA said in a statement to CityNews.As Bill 33 progresses through the legislative process, student groups continue to push for meaningful consultation, highlighting the importance of student voices in shaping campus policies that directly affect their education and well-being.
