February 09, 2026

The Government of the Northwest Territories has released its Budget 2026–27. For the Department of Education, Culture, and Employment, the main estimates indicate that Aurora College will receive $34M in base funding to deliver adult and postsecondary education, which is a slight decrease from its revised 2025–26 academic year funding allocation. The college will also receive funds through other sources, such as Francophone Affairs. An additional $353K has been set aside to support two other institutions—Collège Nordique Francophone and Dechinta Centre for Research and Learning—as they expand their role in the territory’s postsecondary sector. The student loan fund has also received an authorized budget limit of $55M, which is a continuation for the revised limit from 2025–26.

The Canadian Institutes of Health Research have announced $431M in funding for 421 research grants submitted as a part of the Project Grant: Fall 2025 competition. Selected from a total of 3,101 applications and having an average duration of 4.5 years, the grant recipients’ projects range across a variety of subfields of health research including biomedical, clinical, and population health. A streamlining process was incorporated to identify suitable candidates for funding, and an equalization process was applied to identify a total of 73 applications submitted by members of equity-seeking groups.

British Columbia Institute of Technology has broken ground on three facilities at its new trades and technology training complex: The Robert Bosa Carpentry Pavilion, the Marine and Mass Timber Pavilion, and the Campus Services Centre. Work on a fourth facility, the Concert Properties Centre for Trades and Technology, is expected to begin in summer 2026. As part of this second phase of work, BCIT will also bring Guichon Creek above ground to flow uncovered and create a pedestrian green space that can serve as a living lab for students.

Brock University has launched a Master of Arts in Sport Management. The university built on its Master of Arts in Applied Health Sciences specialization to offer a program that is specifically tailored for Sport Management students and offers greater clarity for students and employers. Students will complete foundational coursework in the first year and an independent thesis in their second year. “Students become experts in an area that matters to the sport industry. This expertise helps them stand out in a competitive field,” said Brock Graduate Program Director and Professor Shannon Kerwin.

Mount Allison University has launched a Bachelor of Music Education degree program through a five-year pilot. Students in the program will benefit from personalized teaching and 18 weeks of teaching practica, preparing them for careers in areas such as public and private music education or performance. Graduates will be eligible to apply for New Brunswick Teaching Certificate 4. “This new degree responds directly to the need for well-prepared, creative music educators in our schools and communities,” said MtA Provost and VP Academic and Research Dr Richard Isnor. “It offers students a strong academic foundation alongside practical teaching experience, ensuring they graduate ready to lead and inspire in the classroom.” The first cohort is expected to begin studies in Fall 2026.

The Université du Québec à Montréal has requested $190M in investments and an additional $22.5M to its operating budgets over five years from the Government of Québec. The majority of the funding has been requested to support the renovations of three of its pavilions in the Quartier Latin while the nearby metro station is under construction. La Presse reports that this work will help to bring together the cultural and community sectors and the business world with the Maison du Quartier latin. UQAM also plans to create new health programs, develop a health data control room, and undertake efforts to consolidate it infrastructure and improve its services so that it can more fully fulfill its mission.

Government of British Columbia Minister of Post-Secondary Education and Future Skills Jessie Sunner has granted an extension for the review of the province’s postsecondary sector. Castanet reports that the minister responded to review lead Don Avison’s request for a five-week extension by granting a two-week extension. BC says that the approved time will be used by Avison to follow up with key stakeholders, compile the information, and analyze the written submissions. Several student unions in BC spoke to Castanet to reiterate their concerns about the review timeline and discuss their hopes for the results of the report.

The Northern Alberta Institute of Technology and Nipissing University have each reached tentative agreements with unions, averting strike action. At NAIT, an agreement has been reached with the NAIT Academic Staff Association following a vote in favour of a strike mandate in January. In the coming weeks, both parties will vote on the agreement, which spans July 1, 2024 to June 30, 2028. Nipissing’s Contract Academic Staff Bargaining Unit has also reached a tentative agreement with their university, following their entrance into a legal strike position in late January.

North Island College’s Board of Directors has confirmed that it will be suspending 15 programs due to a budget shortfall. The suspended programs include several certificate, diploma, and post-graduate certificate/diploma programs from a variety of program areas, as well as the college’s Bachelor of Business Administration–Marketing. The suspensions are not permanent cuts, but “opportunities to re-imagine how and what programs are delivered,” according to NIC. Comox Valley Record reports that alumni and students held rallies to protest the decision during the board’s deliberations.

Concordia University’s Food Services will be attempting to set a world record for the world’s largest chocolate chip banana cake in February. The university’s Food Services team and the Hive Café are planning to construct a cake that is 70 square feet with 3,000 portions. The cake will use Fairtrade ingredients and will be served on compostable cutlery, napkins, and plates. The campus community will be able to watching the cake’s creation before taking a free slice later in the day. Leftovers will be used for The Hive Café’s free lunch program.