April 24, 2025

Université de Montréal is fundraising for the recruitment of US researchers, reports La Presse. UMontréal vice-recteur désigné à la recherche et à l’innovation Vincent Poitout explained that the situation in the US has created an opportunity to restore Canada’s position as a leader in research. He added that while the US has long been a preferred location for internationally renowned researchers, the country is becoming less attractive. UMontréal is reportedly working to raise $25M to fund postdoctoral fellowships and support the recruitment of researchers around the world—including the US. To date, it has raised $12M. La Presse reports that other countries—such as France—are also beginning efforts to attract researchers from the US.

Two recent stories highlight how the international student cap is impacting hospitality and tourism in Canada. The Toronto Star reports that hospitality and tourism programs are not included on the list of programs that qualify for post-graduate work permits. In Ontario, many institutions have closed their hospitality and tourism programs at a time when tourism in the province has returned to pre-pandemic levels of activity. As a result, Colleges Ontario Interim President Maureen Adamson says the “industry is heading for a staffing crisis.” Prince Edward Island’s tourism industry is reportedly preparing for the impact that the elimination of three tourism-related Holland College programs will have. Tourism Association of PEI CEO Corryn Clemence said that the island’s tourism industry relies heavily on these programs.

Canada’s Top 100 has released its 2025 Canada’s Greenest Employers list and nine institutions have appeared among the leaders. The competition assessed employers across the country, ranking them based on employee-led initiatives, programs focused on creating a culture of environmental awareness, and in-house sustainability efforts. The postsecondary institutions that made the ranking were the British Columbia Institute of Technology, Durham College, Humber Polytechnic, Mohawk College, the University of British Columbia, the University of Northern British Columbia, the University of Toronto, the University of Victoria, and York University.

Lakehead University and the University of Guelph are moving forward with the Collaborative Doctor of Veterinary Medicine program. Student recruitment has begun and Lakehead is beginning the process of updating and constructing facilities to prepare for the program’s launch. The university is currently seeking a company to construct a large animal education facility and renovate other spaces at its Thunder Bay campus. The 2025 and 2026 cohorts of students will complete their entire program at UoGuelph while construction is underway; starting in 2027, students will complete their first two years at Lakehead and their final two years at UoGuelph.

A recent CBC article discusses the high demand for skilled tradespeople in Nova Scotia, which is occurring at a time when many Nova Scotia Community College programs have lengthy waitlists. NSCC VP Academic Andrew Lafford said that the college is “exhausting all of our assets, all of our capabilities to try to close that gap and not have students sitting on the waitlist for too long,” but called meeting labour demands “a balancing game” where the college must be careful not to graduate more than the labour market needs. A recently released BuildForce Canada report anticipates growth in the NS construction sector between now and 2034, and also notes that projects today are being affected by the need for workers. Additionally, the report highlights the differences in skills and experiences between new and incoming trades workers and those retiring.

Statistics Canada has released new data tables on the labour market outcomes of the graduating classes of 2010 to 2021, as well as an interactive tool that examines the Class of 2018. The data tables offer a look at the characteristics and median employment income of postsecondary graduates two and five years after graduation. This data can be examined by factors such as educational qualification and field of study. The tables show that the highest earners tended to be graduates of professional degree programs. In the Class of 2018, the average professional degree graduate earned $95K two years after graduation and $116K five years over graduation. The next highest earners were those with a doctoral degree ($79K after two years, $94K after five years) and master’s degree ($76K, $87K).

Sudbury.com reports that last year’s cybersecurity incident at Laurentian University cost the university $818K in fees related to consulting and coaching, credit monitoring, overtime, and other costs. The university received a ransom demand from the attackers, but did not pay the ransom. Cybersecurity expert Ritesh Kotak told Sudbury.com that these expenses were not unusual—insurance companies often require an organization to bring in external help to deal with a cybersecurity breach, for example—and could have been higher if any physical infrastructure required replacement. The university has submitted an insurance claim for the costs.

The University of Saskatchewan’s Edwards School of Business has joined the United Nations-supported Principles for Responsible Management Education (PRME) initiative. PRME engages business schools in advancing sustainability, ethics, and social responsibility in management education by aligning curricula with the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Through PRME, the business school will gain access to global platforms for sharing best practices and resources to support curriculum development, pedagogical innovation, and sustainability reporting. As a signatory, Edwards joins over 800 institutions worldwide committed to integrating ethics, sustainability, and social responsibility into teaching and research.

Camosun College and Gaelic College/Colaisde na Gàidhlig have shared updates on their student housing projects. Camosun recently presented its plans to the District of Oak Bay for a 423-bed student housing building. The building—the first student housing facility ever built on Camosun’s campus—will open to students in Fall 2027. Gaelic College has received nearly $3M from the Government of Nova Scotia to support a two-storey, 24-unit housing project. The housing will be used by students during the school year; in the summer, it will be used by seasonal workers and tourists.

Queen’s University and the Public Service Alliance of Canada Local 901 have ratified a new three-year agreement, officially ending a nearly six-week strike by graduate student workers. The agreement includes a 3% wage increase in 2025, a 2.25% increase plus a 12.86% market adjustment in 2026, and a further 2.25% increase in 2027. It also includes $110K for childcare support, recognition of intellectual property rights for research assistants, improved sick leave provisions, and protections against caste-based discrimination and funding reductions. The union represents approximately 2,000 teaching assistants, teaching fellows, and research assistants.