August 27, 2026

A recent article from Radio-Canada examines the costs and impact of the Bourses Perspective Québec, a scholarship program run by the Government of Québec from 2022 to 2025. The program, which has reportedly cost the province more than $1B, provided scholarships to youth pursuing programs related to high-demand fields. The results of the program were reportedly mixed. While several members of the higher ed sector were in support of the infusion of funds for students, they shared the concerns they had about the approach, planning, and effectiveness of the program at its inception and throughout its lifespan.

The University College of the North recently celebrated the official opening of a new student residence in Flin Flon. The residence, which is built primarily from portable units, includes 22 student suites; eight rooms for instructors and visiting professionals; and special facilities such as a recreation space, gym, commercial kitchen, and dining hall. “This is about more than providing a place to live,” said UCN AVP, Community and Industry Solutions Jamie Grant. “It helps make education and training more accessible and supports students, communities, and employers across northern Manitoba.”

Cégep de Saint-Jérôme has begun work on its planned modernization of Pavilion F, following a confirmation of funding by the Government of Québec’s Ministère de l’Enseignement supérieur. A total of $41.35M has been allocated by the provincial government for the project. Cégep de Saint-Jérôme directrice générale Patricia Tremblay explained that the project represents a commitment to higher education in the region, and that further investment is needed in cégep infrastructure beyond this project. The pavilion will open in Fall 2028.

Confederation College has suspended three programs for the Fall term and will be closing five of its regional campuses in 2027. The suspended programs are Information Communications and Technology Solutions for Business; Engineering, Business and Safety Management; and Digital Marketing and Marketing Analytics. Confederation President Michelle Salo said that the programs are no longer viable due to the decline in international students. Two full-time faculty were laid off during this change. The five regional campuses that are slated to close are located in Kenora, Dryden, Fort Frances, Red Lake, and Sioux Lookout. They will continue operation until the college’s partnership with Seven Generations Education Institute begins.

Acadia University’s Canadian Tick Research and Innovation Centre has received a combined $1.7M in funding from the Government of Canada and Research Nova Scotia (RNS). The funding from RNS will be used to support the centre’s tick surveillance program and further the development of new tick repellents, while the federal funding will support the purchase of equipment for the centre. Acadia President Dr Jeff Hennessy called the tickery a “game-changer” for tick research in Canada, as it reduces the need to import ticks from the United States.

Cégep de Rivière-du-Loup plans to reduce students’ reliance on their devices with the Cégep faible en cell campaign. As a part of the campaign, the cégep encourages students to use their phones responsibly, offering them the option to drop their devices in designated spaces upon arriving at their class. Cégep de Rivière-du-Loup directeur général Jérémie Pouliot emphasized that the campaign does not require students to leave their phones, but that it offers them an opportunity to continue habits formed in elementary and high school, where phones are prohibited. To date, the campaign has featured a website with tips to reduce screen time and the distribution of bookmarks to students.

NOSM University’s Senate has renewed its commitment to the Dr Gilles Arcand Centre for Health Equity for another five years. NOSM U Arcand Centre Director Dr Erin Cameron explained that the centre was originally created to ensure that research is grounded in community priorities. The work done by the centre is focused on better understanding and responding to the health challenges facing northern ON. “This renewal is both an opportunity to reflect on what we’ve learned and a commitment to continue building the relationships, knowledge, and capacity needed to advance health equity over the long term,” commented Cameron.

The Government of Québec and the City of Chibougamau have celebrated the official opening of the Maamuu Pimutetaau community residence. This residence can accommodate 16 Indigenous families where the parents are pursuing postsecondary education or otherwise returning to education. In addition to housing units, the facility includes a multipurpose community space and dedicated study room. It is also located directly adjacent to the Awash Utamet Indigenous Early Childhood Centre. QC states that residents will begin to move in within the next year. Centre d’études collégiales à Chibougamau du Cégep de St-Félicien directrice Roxanne Joly described the opening of the residence as a major step forward for student success that will remove significant barriers to pursuing postsecondary studies.

Through a recent survey of more than 1,500 university students, four researchers from Western University explored the relationship between cannabis use and eating habits. Jamie Seabrook, Jasna Twynstra, Jason Gilliland, and Rawan Alfares explain that health behaviours—positive or negative—tended to cluster together. This means that universities will generally see more benefits from encouraging students to develop healthy routines than by targeting an individual behaviour. The authors explain how their study did not determine a clear relationship between cannabis and diet quality, but that “when it comes to university students, diet quality […] reflects a broader collection of everyday habits and routines that develop during one of the most important transitions of young adulthood.”

At McGill University, members of the Association of McGill Academic Staff of the School of Continuing Studies have voted in favour of a limited strike mandate. The association—representing 20 faculty members and instructors in the School of Continuing Studies—is currently in negotiations for a first collective agreement with the university. The Montréal Gazette reports that two of the seven member associations within the Confederation of Faculty Associations of McGill have voted in favour of a strike mandate amid negotiations that began in July 2025.