February 02, 2026

The University of Ottawa’s Faculty of Medicine has launched a hub focused on accelerating AI-driven health breakthroughs. The Ottawa Medical Artificial Intelligence Research Institute (OMARI), led by Canada Research Chair in Medical Artificial Intelligence Khaled El Emam, is a resource hub that will support AI implementation to expedite research discoveries, enhance education, and support data-driven tools. It will focus on a variety of areas, including commercialization of innovations, building communities of practice for the co-creation of medical AI solutions, empowering medical innovators, and eliminating barriers to excellence in medical AI.

The Confédération des syndicats nationaux (CSN), a confederation of over 1,600 unions across Québec, has called on the Government of Québec to protect workers who are affected by the closure of the Programme de l’expérience québécoise (PEQ). The PEQ offered a fast track to permanent residence. City News reports that approximately 25 professors from the Université du Québec à Montréal may have to leave the province as a result of the PEQ closure. CSN hopes that the province will introduce a grandfather clause to protect those who already had a temporary immigration permit at the time of the closure. The PEQ has been replaced by a new skilled workers program that will reportedly accept 29,000 permanent residents this year.

In a recent article for University Affairs, Frédéric Deschenaux (Université du Québec à Rimouski) and Stéphane Allaire (Université du Québec à Chicoutimi) discuss the benefits of public engagement for academics. Deschenaux and Allaire highlight some of the reasons that academics may have for participating or not participating in public engagements. They assert that speaking to the media is a beneficial activity that can support social emancipation, counter fake news, and offer an informed perspective. They also note that it is not a task that needs to be taken on alone: research teams can set up a “speaking rotation” to distribute the work. “Everyone benefits: society gains an informed perspective, and you gain another line for your CV,” write the authors.

The University of New Brunswick will be supporting a newly launched provincial Tenant Information Program. This program will be delivered by the Public Legal Education and Information Service of New Brunswick with UNB’s Legal Clinic and the New Brunswick Coalition for Tenants’ Rights, and is financially supported by the Government of Canada. Through this program, any tenant in NB will have access to bilingual support if they are facing challenges with a lease or landlord. Tenants will be able to access resources such as the Legal Info Line, free workshops on tenants’ rights, and pop-up legal clinics.

Several colleges in Canada have recently opened new labs and learning centers on campus. Cégep de Baie-Comeau has opened a new technology-enhanced learning center with a dedicated computer room, a multifunctional room for filming and content production, a podcast recording room, and more. Cégep de Sept-Îles recently celebrated the inauguration of its Pavillon de recherche et d’innovation Rio Tinto IOC, which includes custom laboratories, specialized test benches, and open-concept offices and ideation spaces for training and applied research. Medicine Hat College celebrated the grand opening of the pharmacy technician lab space that will be used for its new Pharmacy Technician program.

The Government of Nova Scotia’s Department of Emergency Management will be investing $2.64M into the acquisition of two mobile burn units and four propane-fueled training props that will expand hands-on firefighter training capacity. The two mobile burn units will be based in the western and central regions and moved as necessary to support training. “Firefighters need realistic, high-quality training to safely do their jobs and protect the public,” said NS Minister of Emergency Management Kim Masland. “[Mobile burn units] help close training gaps and ensure firefighters across the province can train closer to home in a safe and controlled environment.” NS stated that it is continuing to work on the development of a long-term training program.

Wilfrid Laurier University has officially opened its multi-use inflatable dome at its University Stadium. The dome encloses the stadium’s entire turf surface, allowing the university to continue to use the space all year. The structure can be divided in half or in thirds so that different sports can train simultaneously. In addition to being used by university athletes and students, it will be available for rental to community organizations. WLU President Deborah MacLatchy stated that the dome is the largest seasonal dome in university sport, and “the second largest air supported structure in the country.”

Campus Technology Editor in Chief Rhea Kelly has published a series of articles on what industry leaders and technology developers believe 2026 will hold for AI, cybersecurity, and education technology. Kelly writes that AI is expected to become part of the embedded infrastructure of higher ed in 2026, with institutions moving forward from pilots and experiments. On the front of ed tech, Kelly notes that investors appear to be supporting technologies that are focused on access, flexibility, and different learning modalities. Meanwhile, with cybersecurity, several industry leaders told Kelly about the AI-driven threats that they see playing a significant role in fraud and security attacks. They emphasised that institutions will need to address constraints such as legacy systems and decentralized IT environments to better respond to the challenges.

McGill University’s Women’s Rugby team, which McGill announced would be cut for the 2026-27 season, has raised over $80K with the aim of ensuring that the team can play in the next season. Current and past players started a fundraiser with an initial goal of $35K, but quickly surpassed that amount to raise over $80K to date. This money is being budgeted for the club’s basic needs. However, since McGill has cut the program, CTV News says that Women’s Rugby will no longer be able to compete as a varsity team and instead will be considered a student club that will need to seek out teams to compete against. “We’re not going to give up on this team,” said player Fianna Edgerton-Raymond.

Brandon University is hosting a BU Confidence Closet pop-up event in order to help students prepare for their co-op or work opportunities. The closet offers free, gently used professional clothing that students can take to use for job interviews. A fashion expert will also be at the event to help match students with pieces that fit their needs and personalities. “The BU Confidence Closet can remove a minor but meaningful hurdle, so we can send our students into their interviews knowing they are supported by their campus community,” said BrandonU Co-op Director Cora Dupuis.