Distance education has been used by Ontario universities since before the turn of the century to provide university programs to adults who are unable to attend traditional classes. Currently, 11 of Ontario's universities have distance education programs using broadcast or cablecast television, videotape, teleconferencing, audiocassettes, or print. Laurentian University, serving an area twice the size of France with a population of only 650,000 in scattered communities throughout Northeastern Ontario, is committed to the provision of university-level programs through distance education. The special needs of the people of Northeastern Ontario include bridging programs for francophones to bring them to university entrance, the provision of basic and graduate commerce programs to help increase the economic base of what are essentially single-industry towns, and the provision of continuing professional education for teachers, social workers, and nurses in isolated communities. Government cutbacks have caused a significant retrenchment in an off-campus program which once serviced over 40 communities. In spite of this, developments in the distance education program have continued, and a teleconferencing network has recently been added to existing courses by television, audiocassette, and print. The university is also involved in cooperative ventures with TVOntario. The paper concludes with a brief discussion of strategies for the future. (Author/MES)