August 18, 2025

Students recently shared their concerns with CBC about the impact that the Air Canada strike could have on their travel plans, exams, and the start of the new academic year. University of Toronto student Laeticia Halbedel, who is currently in Taiwan, said that she hopes that her flight goes ahead as scheduled so that she can travel to campus to write an exam worth 35% of her course mark. Kingston resident Anne Vivian-Scott also pointed out that Queen’s University students typically begin to fly into the city in the days leading up to the start of term.

The City of Edmonton has approved the use of $15M in federal funds to create housing in its downtown core, the Edmonton Journal reports. The funding comes from the Government of Canada’s Housing Accelerator Fund and is expected to give developers grants of up to $30K per unit built. Abdul Abbasi, VP external for the University of Alberta Students’ Union, strongly supported the move. “These projects will reduce vacant lands and transform underdeveloped lots into lively populated areas,” said Abbasi. Students’ Association of MacEwan University VP Wilfrid Youbi Fansi expressed concern about the funding requirement that eligible units must maintain market-rate rents, stating that students can only afford monthly rents between $500-$750.

The Government of Ontario has announced a $75M investment to train students for in-demand jobs in construction and urban planning. The funds will be used to create up to 7,500 new seats in construction programs at colleges and Indigenous institutes and up to 300 new seats for graduate students at universities. “In the midst of US tariffs and global economic uncertainty, it’s more important than ever to strengthen our skilled workforce,” said David Piccini, ON Minister of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development. “Each of these additional seats will help ensure Ontario workers can land better jobs with bigger paycheques.”

Three Canadian universities have ranked among the leaders of the 2025 Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU), published by ShanghaiRanking. The ranking assesses 2,500 institutions from around the world according to factors that include publications in top journals, Nobel Prizes and Fields Medals awarded to alumni and staff, and the per capita performance of the institution. The countries with the greatest number of universities in the top 100 were the United States (37), China (15), and the United Kingdom (8). The Canadian universities that appeared in the top 100 were the University of Toronto (#25), University of British Columbia (#53), and McGill University (tied for #76).

Canadian Mennonite University has announced that it will launch a condensed, 16-month Bachelor of Education after-degree program in 2026. The program curriculum will cover topics such as inclusive education, Indigenous perspectives, and adaptive teaching approaches. Students will take part in 28 weeks of practicum throughout the school year, with longer placements in rural and northern communities, where they will be paired with experienced mentor teachers. “Manitoba needs teachers who can work respectfully across differences, adapt creatively to diverse learning needs, and see education as a shared community project,” said CMU VP External Sandra Koop Harder. “This program answers that call.”

The University of Saskatchewan University Library has announced its plan to launch a Digital Skills Help Centre this Fall. At the centre, students will be able to connect with student tutors, take part in workshops and digital skills programs, and schedule one-on-one appointments. Through these learning supports, they will develop their digital literacy and their skills with approved technology and tools. USask Library Assistant Dean of Learning and Curriculum Support Jo Ann Murphy explained that the centre will help students build “the digital literacy they need to succeed—both in their studies and in professional settings.”

As several cégeps mark the beginning of the academic year, four union leaders affiliated with Centrale des Syndicats du Québec (CSQ) have issued a statement calling for greater attention from the Government of Québec to the cégep network’s situation. “Aging buildings and infrastructure, lack of staff and budgets to deliver services—there’s plenty to be discouraged about. No one is talking about our network and the effects of repeated cuts,” said CSQ President Éric Gingras. “This government clearly doesn’t grasp how vital the college system is […] to preparing Québec for the future.” The leaders assert that these factors could lead to staff resignations, burnout, and poor student retention in the future.

The University of Regina has announced that it is revitalizing its Project Resilience scholarship funding program in order to provide a “lifeline” to Afghan women students. The project was first launched in 2022 to support students affected by war or other forms of political violence by providing them with emergency funds, housing, and other supports as they pursue their education at URegina. The university is working with Women Leaders of Tomorrow to raise $500K for the program. “We might not be able to help everybody, but we as a university, as a country, can help some people … we have room on our campus, so we can actually provide to these students,” said URegina President Dr Jeff Keshen.

Hastings County has agreed to recommend the renewal of the current student placement agreement with Loyalist College on Wednesday, InQuinte reports. If renewed, the five-year agreement would see Loyalist paramedic students continue to be placed with Hastings-Quinte Paramedic Services during a portion of their program. The current agreement is set to expire in September, which InQuinte states coincides with Ontario Colleges proposed changes to paramedic program length. Renewal will be voted on by council.

In a column for the The Independent, Memorial University Teaching Assistant Professor Lori Lee Oates calls for “a reckoning” on public university education in Newfoundland and Labrador. Oates describes how NL’s postsecondary system has changed since she was a student and highlights the impact of tuition increases, service cuts, and job reductions on students and their families. She also challenges the provincial government’s claims about university funding, tuition, and cuts. “Newfoundland and Labrador used to be the crown jewel in Canadian public education, on par with European countries for cost-effective education,” writes Oates. “As an economically-depressed region, we need more development of human capital.”