August 17, 2026

Brandon University will manage and host the Open Education Manitoba Pressbooks platform formerly operated by Campus Manitoba, following the organization’s closure at the end of June. Government of Manitoba Advanced Education Minister Renée Cable explained that BrandonU will serve as the records custodian, with Campus Manitoba’s open educational resources (OERs) remaining available to the public, and the university will work with other postsecondary institutions to create new OERs. Cable added that the government is currently working on a centralized system to track student progress in the province, which would make it easier to support credit transfer and the assessment of the impact of postsecondary education across MB.

As the provincial election approaches in Québec, Confédération des syndicats nationaux President Caroline Senneville has called for further investments in higher education. The CSN is asking parties to pledge funding that would allow institutions to hire staff, renovate infrastructure, and integrate private schools into the public education system. “We won’t be able to tackle the challenges that we face as a society, be it economical, environmental, technological problems, health, the aging of the population — we cannot do that without a strong education system for everybody,” Senneville concluded. The CSN also called on the current Government of Québec to treat English-language institutions equally to their French-language counterparts.

The Government of the Northwest Territories has updated their Student Financial Assistance Regulations following a public engagement period earlier this year. Changes to the regulations include introducing flexibility for loan remission for students withdrawing mid-semester, allowing NWT to request proof of attendance when a student withdraws from studies, and clarifying initiatives like reimbursement of course-related expenses and spousal travel benefits. “The changes to the Student Financial Assistance Regulations are intended to make the program clearer, while ensuring supports are delivered fairly,” concluded NWT Minister of Education, Culture and Employment Caitlin Cleveland.

Heart & Stroke and Brain Canada have announced a $5M, five-year investment into a national research network that will be led by Dr Jodi Edwards of the University of Ottawa Heart Institute. The Redesigning Effective aNd Equitable systems of care for Women’s heart-brain recovery (RENEW) network will focus on improving recovery for women after heart-brain events. The research conducted by the network will cover topics such as menopause and recovery impacts on heart-brain rehabilitation and recovery outcomes, the tools and supports that address women’s specific mental health needs, and new approaches to recovery.

The Association of Nova Scotia University Teachers has released a report on the academic program reviews currently being conducted at Nova Scotia universities. In the report, the organization questions the purpose, transparency, and governance of the reviews, and asserts that they are part of a shift in academic decision-making within the province’s universities. “Faculty have always supported rigorous academic program review,” said ANSUT President Mathew Reichertz. “The concern is not with quality assurance itself, but with a process that appears to shift authority away from the collegial governance structures that have long safeguarded academic standards and institutional independence.”

The University of Calgary brought a herd of goats to campus last week as a part of its landscaping efforts. The herd lived temporarily on campus, eating invasive vegetation and avoiding the need for herbicides. Grazin’ Goats co-owner Kellie Cartwright explained that when the goats eat vetch and thistle leaves, the root systems of these plants become unable to survive the winter months. UCalgary Facilities Management Associate VP James Rendell explained that the goats are a popular attraction on campus: “Everyone that walks by, they walk away with a smile.”

Algoma University and Oxford International Digital Institute have partnered to widen access to Canadian higher education through a transnational education model. Under this collaboration, students will be able to study an International Year One in Business program—developed in alignment with Algoma’s undergraduate standards—through OIDI’s multinational Global Hub network and online learning opportunities, before progressing to undergraduate study through Algoma. For the university, the partnership will offer a predictable, sustainable international growth framework with access to multiple international markets.

Two institutions recently shared how they have upgraded their infrastructure and improved efficiency and sustainability. Saint Mary’s University installed a new climate-resilient roof on its McNally East building, complete with a photovoltaic array on top of it. “McNally East needed a new roof either way,” explained SMU Senior Director of Facilities Management Dennis Gillis. “Now it keeps the weather out, keeps costs down, and generates clean power every day.” The University of Saskatchewan replaced two aging boilers with a single, energy-efficient model as part of a $17M steam capacity replacement project.

The Collège communautaire du Nouveau-Brunswick (CCNB) has officially signed a collective agreement with the Syndicat des employés des secteurs public et privé du Nouveau-Brunswick (SNB). The agreement affects 40 employees at the college who are responsible for areas such as accessibility to learning, mental health and wellbeing, and teaching and learning advice. CCNB stated that the agreement reinforces the college’s ongoing commitment to its staff and recognizes the staff’s role in student success and the student experience.

Cégep Saint-Laurent has closed its Pavilion C building at the recommendation of building experts, according to La Presse. The building was used for classes and labs related to the college’s engineering and science programs. The cégep had reportedly begun repair work to the pavilion’s external wall earlier this summer. Le Devoir andRadio-Canada report that this is the third pavilion in the last few years at the cégep that has needed to be closed due to structural safety issues, and that the structural problem behind the closure could take years to resolve.