Fairview NWP campus. Photo courtesy Northwestern Polytechnic Facebook.

By Erika Rolling

Post-Secondary Education

NWP to close Fairview campus

Oct 30, 2025 | 7:12 AM

Northwestern Polytechnic says they are taking steps to close their satellite campus in Fairview as they anticipate an ongoing budget shortfall.

The post-secondary institution says their Board of Governors made the difficult decision to end learning in Fairview by the end of summer 2026.

NWP says an extensive review of operations and finances show the Fairview campus as not financially sustainable and not meeting the needs of students or industry.

The school says it is committed to building a foundation for long term success to directly reflect student interests, industry demands, and the needs of Northern Alberta.

“We did not come to this difficult decision easily. After careful examination of various scenarios and options, it became clear that there is no scenario in which the Fairview campus is sustainable, and a transformative approach is needed immediately to achieve financial sustainability and operational effectiveness for NWP,” said Board Chair Shawna Miller in a news release.

According to the institution, the majority of students that attend the Fairview campus apprenticeship programs are closer to Grande Prairie’s main campus.

Miller also said in the news release that Fairview campus facilities have over $100 million worth of deferred maintenance required, along with programs that have high-delivery costs, low enrolment, and aren’t aligned with labour market needs.

She also noted that despite several changes to the organizational structure of the campus over a number of years to reduce overhead costs, NWP has found it impossible to continue operations without affecting their broader institutional priorities.

The Fairview campus will operate normally for the remainder of the academic year, including apprenticeship programs scheduled to run until July 2026.

Select programs will be transferred to the main campus in Grande Prairie for Fall 2026 instruction and current students will receive program specific information from their Dean’s in the coming weeks.

NWP says while the learning chapter with the Fairview campus comes to a close, they are committed to helping bring together stakeholders and facilitating conversations to explore the repurposing of campus buildings and land.

To read the full letter issued by NWP, click here.