July 29, 2026

The Government of Canada and Government of Ontario have announced a $7.2M investment that will be used to help more than 500 workers in Northern Ontario upgrade their skills and transition into in-demand careers. The recipients—Algoma Steel Inc, Canadian Skills Training and Employment Coalition, Confederation College, and the Washagamis Bay Investment Corporation (WBIC)—will use the funds to provide technical and skills training to jobseekers and workers. WBIC will use $1.4M to train primarily Indigenous participants from the Treaty #3 region for careers in housing, construction, forestry, and telecommunications infrastructure in Kenora. “As tariffs and global economic pressures continue to affect workers and communities, no one will be left behind,” said Canada Minister of Jobs and Families Patty Hajdu.

The Government of the Northwest Territories has released its 2024–25 Junior Kindergarten – Grade 12 Education System Performance Measures Technical Report. The report highlights strong participation in early learning programs, but noted challenges in areas such as attendance rates. For Indigenous learners in particular, the report indicates that the six-year graduation rate has remained at around 44% for the last three years, compared to over 75% of non-Indigenous learners. The report also indicates that 64% of Grade 1–9 students and 13% of Grade 10–12 students are enrolled in Indigenous language courses. NWT told Cabin Radio that “challenges such as student attendance and achievement continue to require attention,” noting that these are not new issues for the territory.

The Saskatchewan Indian Institute of Technologies, SREDA’s entrepreneurship program, and the SK Startup Institute will be working together to deliver SREDA’s SOAR Indigenous Entrepreneurship Competition across Saskatchewan. The program provides Indigenous entrepreneurs with mentorship, business development workshops, and a pitch competition with cash prizes. “This new partnership allows us to combine our strengths, expand our reach, and create more opportunities for Indigenous business owners to access the training, mentorship, connections, and visibility they need to succeed,” said SREDA CEO Erin Lawson. “Together, we’re investing in entrepreneurs who are driving economic growth and creating positive change in communities across Saskatchewan.”

The Government of British Columbia has announced $3.5M investment through the Union of British Columbia Municipalities to strengthen emergency operations centres across the province. Emergency operations centres are hubs where local government and First Nation staff and volunteers direct resources, co-ordinate with other partners, and support first responders during an emergency. The funds will support these centres on several fronts, including efforts related to training, planning, and community education. “Continued funding through the Community Emergency Preparedness Fund is critical to helping local governments and First Nations maintain strong emergency preparedness and response capacity,” said Union of British Columbia Municipalities President Cori Ramsay.

Northern College announced that it will be launching a transition program for Indigenous students in the lead-up to this Fall term. The Indigenous Student Transition Program will provide incoming students with a variety of supports including tours, academic preparation sessions, and cultural programming. Northern College Manager of Indigenous Services Christina Kioke explained that the program was launched in response to hearing that some Indigenous students have found the transition from their communities to the postsecondary environment overwhelming. “The program is carefully designed to help them connect, to make friends, to feel supported and ultimately succeed in their studies during their time with us at Northern,” Kioke explained.

Due to the Government of Alberta’s recently passed Regulated Professions Neutrality Act, the Law Society of Alberta will no longer require lawyers to complete a mandatory Indigenous education program. Previously, the Law Society of Alberta had required new and transferring-in lawyers to complete The Path: Your Journey Through Indigenous Canada, an online course that covered topics such as residential schools, Indigenous law, and Indigenous rights. “Over 10,500 Alberta lawyers completed The Path over the past five years. As a result, the Law Society is confident that we have responded to [the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Call to Action 27] in a meaningful way,” said Law Society President Bud Melnyk. CTV News reports that lawyers will continue to have access to education on the topic of Indigenous legal issues through organizations such as the Canadian Bar Association and at Canadian law schools. However, critics such as First Nations advocate Nicole Johnston and former Law Society of Alberta Indigenous initiatives liaison Koren Lightning have spoken out about the change and its potential impact on lawyers’ ability to serve their clients.

Sprott Shaw College has enhanced its Early Childhood Education program with the addition of several Indigenous components. In addition to a welcome video featuring Indigenous Knowledge Keeper Tsitsáyxemaat (Rebecca Duncan), the program now offers music, language, and storytelling traditions from First Nations, Métis, and Inuit perspectives. Sprott Shaw said that the additions are part of continuous work with Indigenous educators on program development and implementation and reflect the college’s commitment to reconciliation, aligning with TRC Call to Action #12 and #63iii.

The Urban Society for Aboriginal Youth (USAY) recently brought 40 Indigenous youth to Calgary for the Medicine Wheel Warriors project. This project brought together Indigenous teachings, technology, and youth creativity to help youth discover their own strengths and connect with their culture. The participants in the project created their own superhero stories, powers, and identities before having a 3D superhero action figure made of them. “We wanted Indigenous youth to have representation in the superhero space, but also to involve youth in understanding more about technology, 3D printing, 3D design, and things like that,” said USAY Executive Director LeaAnne Ireland, who explained that the idea came from a visit to Red Deer Polytechnic’s makerspace. USAY plans to continue the program in the future to give more Indigenous youth the opportunity to explore their identities, creativity, and leadership potential.

Researchers are calling for funding providers to better recognize Indigenous practices and the involvement of Indigenous community members Institute for Circumpolar Health Research researcher and Yellowknives Dene First Nation member Laurie-Ann Lines explained that more Indigenous people are entering academic research and bringing traditional practices to their work. However, the current grant funding systems are not well suited to traditional knowledge holders. “In different funding calls, sometimes there’s things that make it more difficult to include elders and knowledge holders as principal investigators or co-investigators on research applications,” she explained. Wilfrid Laurier University Professor Heidi Swanson also shared how rigid grant requirements fail to account for the logistical realities of working in the North and communicating research results back to communities in a manner that suits the community’s need. Looking to the future, the researchers called for grant agencies to offer funding without rigid guidelines.

The Prince Edward Island College of Nursing and Midwifery has announced that its members will be expected to complete Indigenous cultural safety training. The requirement will apply to licensed practical nurses, midwives, nurse practitioners, registered nurses, and registered psychiatric nurses across the province. PEI College of Nursing and Midwifery CEO and Registrar Melissa Panton explained that the effort is part of the organization’s response to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action. The organization worked with the Mi’kmaq Confederacy of PEI to develop the practice directive. “These are the types of projects that we engage in to ensure that … racism is eliminated from the health-care system, and we were more than happy to partner with the college in this,” said Bethany MacIssac, the senior health adviser with the Mi’kmaq Confederacy of PEI. “This practice directive is extremely important to all Islanders and to nurses because it supports nursing in their journey towards cultural humility and acknowledging the Mi’kmaw culture here.”