August 28, 2025

Selkirk College has launched a refreshed brand that features a new logo, colour palette, and messaging. The new logo is designed with elements such as graduation caps, mountain peaks, and a larch tree. The college will follow a green and blue colour palette and use the tagline “Where Place Meets Purpose.” Selkirk President Dr Maggie Matear explained that the college’s new brand “shows the world we’re the kind of place where people can learn, connect, and thrive.” The visual identity will be rolled out over the coming months and years with updated materials replacing old branding as needed, in keeping with Selkirk’s commitment to sustainability.

Brock University and Bow Valley College have each recently taken steps to ensure ethical, trustworthy usage of technology on their campuses. Brock has released the Ethical Framework for Educational Technologies. The framework is intended to guide faculty and staff in the decision-making process around procuring, developing, and deploying digital tools. BVC has signed Cloud Security Alliance’s AI Trustworthy Pledge, which commits the college to AI safety, ethical accountability, privacy, and transparency. “It’s essentially the public line in the sand that this is how we’re running our AI program,” explained BVC Chief Information Security Officer James Cairns.

Six Nations Polytechnic’s Advanced Diploma in Ǫgwehǫweh Language Program has received accreditation through the Indigenous Advanced Education and Skills Council (IAESC). Learners in this diploma program complete two years of study at the Six Nations Campus. Each cohort program cycle focuses on one Ǫgwehǫweh language, enabling learners to obtain a diploma in one of six streams. “The Advanced Diploma in Ǫgwehǫweh Language is one more step that SNP is taking towards the critical development of quality assured Ǫgwehǫweh language programs and language revitalization,” said SNP Dean of Language, Culture and Lifelong Learning Robin Staats. The polytechnic said that this marks the first time that a standalone advanced diploma in the Ǫgwehǫweh language has been granted by an Indigenous institution.

Thanks to a $10.8M investment through the Canada-Saskatchewan Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement, Northlands College and Saskatchewan Polytechnic will receive new childcare spaces on campus. Sask Polytech will receive 450 new childcare spaces across its campuses, while Northlands will receive 90 at its La Ronge campus. The spaces will be open to children of faculty, staff, and students, with 30% of spaces designated for families facing barriers to access. The facilities will also serve as training sites for students in early childhood education programs. “The centres will enrich the learning experience for Early Childhood Education students, giving them the opportunity to practice their skills and interact with children as part of their daily learning,” said Sask Polytech President Larry Rosia.

Ontario Tech University and Hitachi Rail have signed a memorandum of understanding that will see Hitachi Rail supporting the university’s Railway Engineering Specialization, which is launching this fall. Hitachi Rail will contribute to the development and direction of the specialization, which will be designed to introduce students to railway systems. Students will have the opportunity to be considered for work placements at Hitachi Rail. Ontario Tech Dean of Engineering and Applied Science Hossam Kishawy says that the program is the only such English-language undergraduate specialization in Canada, and that it will equip students with “the skills industry needs most—rail electrification, automation, and climate-resilient infrastructure.”

In Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island, the first cohorts of new medical school programs have embarked on their education. Meanwhile, the new Cape Breton Medical Campus—operated through a partnership between Cape Breton University and Dalhousie University—welcomed 30 Nova Scotians for the inaugural class of its medicine program. The classes are being held at a former Nova Scotia Community College building while construction continues on the campus’s future facility. On PEI, 20 students are enrolled in Memorial University’s Doctor of Medicine program at the University of Prince Edward Island satellite campus. Representatives from both provinces praised the medical training initiatives as essential to the future of their provincial health care systems.

At Algoma University, the local World University Service of Canada (WUSC) committee has relaunched the Student Refugee Program (SRP). Starting this fall, the program will bring two refugee students to AlgomaU to begin their studies in the Cameron Faculty of Science or the Faculty of Business and Economics. “I see this program not only as a way to bring students to campus, but as a life-changing opportunity,” said WUSC Local Committee President Evan Nooman. “It opens doors for personal growth and fosters a community that supports success academically, socially, and personally.”

The National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA)’s new rule—opening NCAA Division I men’s hockey to Canadian Hockey League (CHL) players—came into effect this month and the change is reportedly having a ripple effect across men’s hockey. At the university level, U Sports CEO Pierre Arsenault said that the percentage of recruits from the CHL has dropped from 44.4% last year to 16% after the eligibility change. On the other hand, recruitment from Junior A and the BCHL has increased as organizations respond to the new rules. “The redistribution of players is happening everywhere,” said Arsenault. Calgary Flames player Cole Reschny told CBC that he is in support of the NCAA’s change, which he says will result in more opportunities for young players.

A hoax gun report earlier this week resulted in a “significant” police response on the Western University campus. Police reportedly received a call about a man with a gun outside of the Weldon Library on Monday afternoon. CBC reports that police vehicles, a light-armoured vehicle, and emergency services attended the scene, while Western issued a shelter in place alert. Police determined that the report was a hoax, but conducted a search of the building as a precaution. The library was reopened after no weapon or threat to public safety was found. CBC says that the focus is now on identifying the individual who made the fake report.

Université de Saint-Boniface and the Association des professeurs et professionnels de l’Université de Saint-Boniface (APPUSB) recently spent two days negotiating with a mediator present but did not come to an agreement. APPUSB said that despite its negotiating committee’s efforts, the negotiations are at an impasse. The union says that it is willing to resume negotiations, but APPUSB’s communications committee lead Phi-Vân Nguyen commented that the two parties are far from making a deal. Nguyen said that the union’s three demands are salary parity with English-language counterparts, a more balanced teaching load, and student and professor involvement in decision-making at all levels of the university.