PERTH — What if a small Ontario town dared to think globally?
Former Shopify chief operating officer Toby Shannan believes saving Algonquin College’s Perth campus could do more than preserve a shuttered institution. He says it could transform Perth into the best place in the world for heritage restoration. Now, he is asking council to help him make it happen.
“What I need from you is leverage,” Shannan told council members at the Jan. 13 committee of the whole meeting. “The ability to potentially buy the campus with me, the ability to expropriate it. There’s precedent for this if Algonquin won’t sell it for a pro social purpose. And the ability to rezone it.”
Council, which has been broadly supportive of Shannan’s efforts from the outset, did not push back.
“Two things you mentioned, expropriation and selling, we’ll have to discuss that in camera just because of its nature,” said Mayor Judy Brown.
Shannan’s argument was direct. He said towns fail when they cannot manage the basics, stagnate when they settle for average, and thrive only when they commit to being the best in the world at something. Perth, he argued, is not broken, but Canada is being held back by NIMBYism, over regulation, and a fear of building. The town is safe, walkable, and rich in amenities passed down by earlier generations. What is missing, he said, is ambition.
“Could we be the best in the world at something?” Shannan asked. “I think every organization should ask itself that. And I actually think there is an answer. I think Perth could be the best in the world at heritage buildings and rebuilding.”
The urgency, he said, is rooted in economic reality. Perth is one of the oldest and poorest communities in Lanark County, attempting to fund its future largely on fixed incomes. Average earnings sit at about $56,000, far below Ontario’s average of roughly $91,000, according to Statistics Canada. Local incomes lag behind most neighbouring municipalities, even as the town holds assets that set it apart.
“It’s really unusual in North America to have a fully built Georgian townscape,” Shannan said. “Incredibly unusual. And we have this asset. We also have a college full of people who want to revitalize it. That’s an incredible opportunity to attract people from all around the world.”
Tourism has grown in recent years, and Shannan acknowledged the town’s efforts, but warned that tourism alone does not build long term prosperity.
“The town has done a lot of good things for tourism. I do need to call that out. But that’s seasonal,” he said.
Without a deliberate strategy to attract younger and higher income residents, Shannan argued Perth risks locking in economic decline for generations. In an era of remote work, he said, the question is not how to manage scarcity but whether the town is willing to reinvent itself.
Shannan also pointed to broader disruption facing post secondary education.
“There’s an enormous tailwind behind education right now that’s going to change everything in the next five to 10 years,” he said. “Education is far too expensive, and the outcomes don’t match the price. That’s going to tear down all kinds of schools.”
The not-for-profit institution he envisions would break from traditional models, with close partnerships with trades, unions, and industry. It would offer stackable credentials that move students from entry level skills to advanced training, pathways to diplomas and degrees, and a dedicated research facility. The focus, he said, would be outcomes rather than bureaucracy.
Despite outreach to Queen’s Park, Shannan said progress has stalled. He noted a bipartisan letter of support from former ministers John Baird and John Milloy, but said the province has so far declined to engage. Minister of Colleges, Universities, Research Excellence and Security Nolan Quinn has reportedly maintained that Algonquin College is a separate legal entity.
“Minister Quinn apparently has bigger fish to fry than the Perth campus of Algonquin College,” Shannan said.
Councillor Jim Boldt acknowledged both the ambition and the challenge.
“I think everything you’ve put forward is great vision, and trying to make this a younger town,” he said. “Right now, we’re considered the retirement capital of Canada. It’s going to be a big job to turn that around.”
The proposal will return to council for closed session discussion within the next few weeks.
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