Witness Testimony

Aidan Coulter testified that after receiving acceptance to Ryerson University for Fall 2021 in Film and Visual Media, he was informed shortly before term start that residence access required full COVID-19 vaccination. He declined vaccination and submitted a modified human rights accommodation form citing legal and ethical objections, but his request was denied. By the time the response was received, the residence deadline had passed, requiring him to secure last-minute housing in Toronto. He completed one semester, though some classes promised as hybrid required screening protocols and testing to attend in person.
For Winter 2022, he testified that his courses were frozen and he was not automatically enrolled, prompting him to return home. He described experiencing significant stress and isolation due to the disruption of his studies and lack of access to technical equipment required for his program. In May 2022, he experienced a brief episode of psychosis, which he stated had never occurred previously. He was hospitalized under a Form F psychiatric hold and required to undergo PCR testing for admission, which he believed resulted in a false positive.
Coulter testified that he was prescribed Abilify for approximately nine months and later recovered. He chose not to return to Ryerson due to concerns about potential reinstatement of mandates and his mental health. Instead, he applied to King’s College University in Halifax for a foundation year program in classical literature, noting continued masking policies. He also stated that his Ryerson credits were not transferable.