Universities start year with massive maintenance backlog
Canadian universities began 2021 with a staggering backlog of deferred maintenance totalling more than CA$17 billion (US$13.4 billion), in addition to struggling with hundreds of millions of dollars in debt caused by the loss of residence and other campus fees.
This figure, which has grown 30% since 2014, shows no sign of declining, according to the Canadian Association of University Business Officers (CAUBO) in a report issued last October.
Ministers of higher education and university officials across the country relish the spotlight of announcing new buildings. But the amount of money now being devoted to maintenance is insufficient to make a dent in the overall backlog.