February 03, 2026

Olds College of Agriculture & Technology has announced that it has suspended its Craft Beverage and Brewery Operations program and will be closing the Olds College Brewery in June 2026. Olds School of Trades & Skills Dean Dennis Beaudoin explained that the decisions stemmed from “the downward trend of the craft beer industry and low enrolment” in the program. The program intake was suspended earlier last year. The college will continue to provide two continuing education courses in craft brewing and distilling, and the brewery will remain open for sales until June.

In recent comments on the international student cap, Government of Canada Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Lena Diab directed colleges and universities to contact their provincial government with financial support concerns. “We are on a path to stability and predictability which is what we promised the sector we [would] do and we will honour that in 2026 and 2027 to ensure that they do well,” she said. “With respect to financial [support] and so on, I would direct them to contact the provinces.” Diab added that international student reductions were necessary to reduce fraud and to address the pressure on the country’s health care system, housing, and other services.

In a recent interview with The evoLLLution, Catherine Chandler-Crichlow (University of Toronto) discusses how higher education can design rigorous, economically sustainable learning pathways. Chandler-Crichlow explains the ongoing shift towards modular and stackable learning experiences that create pathways that grow with learners. She also describes strategies institutions can use such as aligning learner values with institutional strategic priorities, scaling flexible offerings while prioritizing iteration, and recognizing continuing education units as “innovation engines” for the broader academic mission. “In a world where learning never stops, the pathways we build today must be ready for tomorrow—and the many tomorrows that follow,” explains Chandler-Crichlow.

Acadia University has opened a new centre—the Acadia Centre for Critical Play—to support academics and students looking to study video games. Acadia Assistant Professor Natalie Swain, Professor Jon Saklofske, and Academic Librarian Mike Beazley founded the centre with the hope that the growing interest in video games will fuel research efforts. The centre contains 50 consoles and 4,000 games, with content spanning from the 1970s to present day. Swain explained that video games have become “the predominant art form of our time,” and that the scale of the video game industry and unique qualities of the medium warrant it becoming an area of study.

The Université de Hearst and the Université de Sudbury have signed a partnership to share library resources. USudbury’s 29,000 title collection will be integrated into UHearst’s system, saving money for the institutions and providing wider access to materials. UHearst Rector Sophie Dallaire said that “by joining forces, we are increasing access to French-language documentary resources and supporting the vitality of research and university teaching in Northern Ontario.” USudbury President Serge Miville added that the partnership will also serve to strengthen collaboration between Francophone institutions, which aligns with the university’s broader partnership strategy.

The University of Saskatchewan is shutting down alumni email accounts in mid-February. USask is no longer offering alumni a lifetime university email accounts due to concerns around cybersecurity and rising data costs. “Email services have changed dramatically since alumni accounts were first offered and most alumni prefer free alternatives,” explained a statement from the university. Alumni have been advised to save any information that they would like to keep before the service ends. Some alumni have expressed concerns about losing access to their main email account before they can switch to another email account.

Lakehead University has launched a Master of Social Justice Studies program at its Orillia campus. The two-year program offers students the opportunity to tailor their education through coursework, a practicum, and project-based learning. It is designed for students who are established in their careers or who have just completed a university degree. Students will learn about race, gender, poverty, and the environment from faculty and researchers in areas such including criminology, Indigenous learning, and political science. Lakehead

Cégep de Granby will be adding biathlon to its L’Indigo sports team. The program will ensure that students from Collège Mont-Sacré-Cœur, where biathlon is offered at the secondary level, will be able to continue biathlon at the college level while completing their studies. The cégep will begin offering biathlon in November 2026, with training to take place in partnership with Les Cèdres Golf et Plein air and the Centre de tir de Granby. Cégep de Granby directrice générale de la Fondation du Cégep Isabelle Giard said that offering biathlon will strengthen ties with community and partners and elevate the cégep’s profile in the region.

The University of Alberta has partnered with the City of Edmonton and Diesel Tech Industries (DTI) on a project focused on retrofitting the city’s fleet of diesel-powered buses. The project aims to integrate hydrogen fuel into the buses’ combustion engines, reducing their carbon footprint. UAlberta’s Mechanical Engineering Energy Control Lab will research hydrogen-to-diesel fuel replacement, its implementation, and its potential benefits. Engineering students will be able to participate in hands-on research with the project. DTI will also leverage UAlberta’s experience with machine learning control and diagnostics to produce retrofit kits that will be used for Edmonton city buses and sold to other Canadian operators.

Many east-coast institutions closed or changed their schedules on Monday due to adverse weather as another winter storm hit the area. In Newfoundland and Labrador, Memorial University closed buildings at the Marine Institute and at its St John’s and Signal Hill campuses. In Nova Scotia, several institutions delayed opening until later in the day, including Cape Breton University, Dalhousie University, Mount Saint Vincent University, Nova Scotia Community College, Nova Scotia College of Art and Design, Saint Mary’s University, and St Francis Xavier University.