June 22, 2026

A report commissioned by the Council of Ontario Universities has forecast that Ontario will need more than one million university graduates over the next decade, or about 105,000 new university-educated workers each year. The areas identified as having the greatest demand included STEM occupations (total demand of 212,980 workers); business, finance, and administration (195,316); and education, law, and social/community/public services occupations (163,377). The Toronto Star reports that meeting these targets will require an increase in the number of graduates, as Ontario universities currently produce about 85,000 graduates per year on average.

The Conférence des doyennes et doyens des facultés de médecine du Québec—representing faculties from McGill University, Université Laval, Université de Montréal, and Université de Sherbrooke—has spoken out against the creation of a family medicine program at the Université du Québec. The group argued that the creation of the program will increase demand for an already limited number of clinical placement opportunities, and further asserted that the Government of Québec’s investment into the program’s creation would be better spent on existing faculties of medicine. UQuébec steering committee chair Dr Raymond Lalande challenged these claims. The steering committee’s final report is expected to be submitted to QC in the coming weeks.

The British Columbia Institute of Technology and Royal Roads University have announced a partnership that will expand access to flexible, affordable, and career-focused education options. The two institutions will create two-way pathways between their programs, enabling students to build on their existing credentials, move between programs, and reskill and upskill as needed. BCIT will also deliver programs at Royal Roads’ John Horgan Campus, while Royal Roads will bring programs to BCIT’s Burnaby campus. The partnership will begin with BCIT piloting select courses in interior design, user interface (UI), and user experience (UX) at Royal Roads.

Collège Boréal and the Conseil scolaire du Grand Nord have announced that they are partnering to create a $4M soccer field in Sudbury. The field, which will be situated between Boréal and the École secondaire Macdonald-Cartier, will meet FIFA standards and will have bleachers for up to 1,000 spectators. Boréal simultaneously announced that they would be adding men’s and women’s soccer teams to compete in the Ontario Colleges Athletic Association. To support the École secondaire Macdonald-Cartier and provide collaboration opportunities for the college’s sports-related programs, the partners also announced the jointly run Académie de soccer de l’École secondaire Macdonald-Cartier.

Mount Royal University is reportedly responding to a cyber incident that has affected access to certain university systems and services. MRU says that it discovered that several of its systems had been disrupted; after the issue was identified, it took steps to contain the threat, protect its systems, and notify law enforcement. CTV News reports that services such as the institution’s web services, on-campus internet, and telephone services have been affected by the breach. Exams will continue to run as scheduled and essential campus safety systems have not been affected.

Queen’s University’s Smith School of Business will be a recipient of $2.5M from Scotiabank over the next five years. The funds will support the school’s Scotiabank Centre for Analytics & AI, enabling it to continue its collaboration with industry, as well as providing research and applied learning in the areas of AI innovation, ethics, and literacy. “From interdisciplinary workshops that connect students with industry, to seed funding for early-stage analytics and AI projects, we will provide hands-on, experiential learning that transforms bold ideas into real-world solutions for industry and society,” explained Queen’s Scotiabank Centre for Analytics & AI Director Ceren Kolsarici.

Coast Mountain College Criminology graduates will have the opportunity to continue their studies at Thompson Rivers University thanks to a recently signed transfer agreement between the institutions. Eligible CMTN Criminology Diploma graduates may transfer 60 credits toward TRU’s Bachelor of Arts in Criminology, with CMTN Associate Degree holders with a specialization in Criminology eligible to transfer 66 credits. TRU President Dr Airini and CMTN President Dr Laurie Waye each described the pathway as “seamless,” with Airini adding that the agreement will train skilled professionals to northern British Columbia’s needs.

The Institut national de la recherche scientifique and Fonds de recherche du Québec have partnered to support FRQ’s scientist-in-residence program in municipal contexts. The partners aim to improve the experience of scientists-in-residence by providing them with tools to better address municipal issues using initiatives including expanded access to resources and databases, continuous training, and support for communities of practice. Amélie Forget, directrice d’implantation for the Centre Ruralités durables de l’INRS, explained that by providing scientific resources and a community of practice in the municipal context, the partners will be able to strengthen decision-making abilities to improve their impact on the public.

Lambton College recently celebrated the grand opening of its Indigenous Outdoor Space. The $8M space is a permanent, purpose-built gathering space that is being used to support Indigenous learners and programming, as well as partnerships with Indigenous communities. “The Indigenous Outdoor Space is a visible reminder that Indigenous culture belongs here, and it is a visible commitment that Indigenous learners and Indigenous community members belong here, too,” said Lambton President Rob Kardas, who called the day one of the most meaningful in the college’s history.

Suncrest College recently piloted two programs to help foster regional innovative growth in Eastern Saskatchewan. The college piloted the Suncrest Innovation Exchange (SiX) to foster entrepreneurship and innovation: While SiX will continue to evolve within Suncrest College in the form of entrepreneurial programming, the initiative also resulted in the creation of an independent Rural Innovation Ecosystem that will serve the wider SK ecosystem. The college also hosted an inaugural Startup Program that welcomed eight startups for weekly online sessions. Moving forward, the Startup Program will be delivered through a partnership between Suncrest and The Eastern Junction tech and innovation hub.