February 26, 2025

At several postsecondary institutions across Canada, staff, faculty, and students are wearing pink to recognize Pink Shirt Day and stand up against bullying. Brock University and the University of Alberta released articles describing the background and importance of the day. MaKami College and Red River College Polytechnic sold special edition pink shirts to raise money for the Pink Shirt Day organization. Northern Lights College hosted a special event that included craft workshops and a pink-shirt-themed photobooth.

The Government of Canada is investing $75M through the Sustainable Jobs Training Fund to help more than 10,000 Canadian workers gain new skills for the low-carbon economy. This funding will focus on training initiatives in low-carbon energy and carbon management, green buildings and retrofits, and electric vehicle maintenance and charging infrastructure. The funding recipients include Atlantic Colleges Atlantique—which represents seven public institutions delivering college programming in Atlantic Canada—and Mohawk College on behalf of the Canadian Colleges for a Resilient Recovery. “The projects announced today represent Canada’s commitment to fostering sustainable economic growth and enhancing the well-being of all workers across Canada,” said Canada Minister of Employment, Workforce Development, and Labour Steven MacKinnon.

Okanagan College President Neil Fassina recently shared that the college is plannign to reduce its workforce as it contends with declining enrolment. The college is offering early retirement incentives and job-sharing opportunities, as well as opting not to fill existing vacancies as measures to offset potential layoffs. “Please know that all of us at Okanagan College are working hard to reduce the potential for job loss,” said Fassina. “Our team members across the region are exceptional people, and we value their contributions to the College and our local communities.” The college is also reviewing its programs. Fassina added that current students will not experience any changes to their classes or their ability to complete their programs.

Collège de Bois-de-Boulogne will expand its campus with a new pavilion, thanks to a $14.5M investment from the Government of Québec. The facility will host the college’s health learning and innovation center, which will contain a clinical learning environment with simulation spaces for nursing training, as well as dedicated learning spaces for continuing education in management and administration. It will also be used for efforts focused on promoting and learning French. Le Devoir reports that the space was previously used by Matrix College, a private career college.

The University of New Brunswick has signed the Scarborough Charter on Anti-Black Racism and Black Inclusion in Canadian Higher Education, pledging to advance inclusion and equity on campus. This national framework outlines specific actions that institutions can take to proactively address anti-Black racism and advance Black success. These actions include developing anti-racism policies, supporting Black-led research, and creating mentorship programs for Black scholars. “We know that diversity in thought, background and experience strengthens our academic community, and we are determined to build on this by prioritizing initiatives that increase Black representation among our students, faculty and staff,” said UNB President Dr Paul J Mazerolle.

Algonquin College’s Board of Governors has voted unanimously to cancel 41 programs and close the Perth Campus. The 41 programs include 31 active programs that will be suspended with intent to cancel, as well as six active and four dormant programs that will be cancelled. “Nothing in the history of the college compares to this extraordinary and unprecedented context against which we are working decisively and with a sense of urgency,” said Algonquin President Claude Brulé. When questioned about the potential for further program cancellations at the board meeting, Senior VP Academic Julie Beauchamp stated that it “would be irresponsible to say we are done reviewing.”

The Université Laval will launch new programs in agroecology and archaeology this year. The university will offer a professional master’s degree in agroecology, starting this Fall. Students who enrol in this two-year program will study the relationship between agriculture, ecology, and society. ULaval will also introduce a nine-credit microprogram in archaeology for First Nations students. This program is designed to meet the needs of Indigenous communities that are looking for university archaeology training. The first cohort will spend three weeks in an Innu community, three weeks completing laboratory training at ULaval, and three weeks participating in internships.

Two University of Regina football players are among five people who were arrested and charged after the Regina Police Service completed a four-month long drug trafficking investigation. Last week, the police carried out eight search warrants and seized more than $150K in cash, two firearms, and quantities of cocaine, methamphetamine, and fentanyl; the total value of which is estimated at $1.5M. URegina confirmed in a statement that two of the individuals charged are student-athletes at the institution. “Due to the ongoing police investigation, we will not comment on the arrest or the charges,” read URegina’s statement. “At this time, the individuals are suspended from the football team.”

Huron University has received a $10M gift from Fairfax Financial Holdings Limited, the largest in the university’s history. Huron will use the gift to establish the Fairfax Centre for Free Enterprise, which will be dedicated to the study and promotion of free enterprise. “This new Centre will help inspire our students and promote the value of entrepreneurship for all of Canada,” commented Huron President Dr Barry Craig. The centre is expected to open in September 2025. Huron says that the centre will be the first of its kind at a Canadian university.  

Bow Valley College will eliminate its Language Instruction for Newcomers to Canada (LINC) program, starting this April. The program provides English-language reading and writing training for daily life and work. BVC is one of several other institutions to make cuts to these types of programs, after the Government of Canada significantly reduced funding for LINC before the winter break. A statement from BVC indicated that while it is still determining the full scope of the changes, this cut will impact employee positions.