July 14, 2023

The Université de Montréal will significantly reduce its advertising on the social media platforms Facebook and Instagram–both of which are owned by the firm Meta–effective immediately and for an indefinite period. This decision follows Meta’s announcement that it will not be complying with federal Bill C-18, a law which will require web giants to pay royalties to Canadian news outlets and will come into force this December. “With this gesture, Université de Montréal is showing its solidarity with the media, whose role is essential to the circulation of reliable information and to the health of our democracies,” said UMontréal rector Daniel Jutras.

Selkirk College has broken ground on the Tenth Street Campus Indigenous Gathering Space at its Nelson campus. The gathering space, which is being developed in partnership with the City of Nelson and regional Indigenous nations, will serve as an Indigenous cultural gathering and ceremonial space for the community. Indigenous students at Selkirk will be able to use the gathering space to practice cultural wellness and traditions, explore food sovereignty, and learn from Indigenous voices. A ceremony for the official opening of the gathering space is planned for October.

The Government of Ontario is investing approximately $9M into infrastructure improvements at McMaster University, Western University, and York University that will cut over 35,000 tons of carbon emissions in 2030. The funding–which comes from pollution pricing proceeds–will be used to upgrade the energy management system at YorkU and install electric and electric steam boilers at McMaster and Western respectively. “By returning pollution pricing proceeds to these three universities for emission reduction projects, we are empowering Canadian institutions to lead the way in fighting climate change,” said Federal Minister of Environment and Climate Change Steven Guilbeault

In an effort to reduce its reliance on fossil fuels, the University of Manitoba has announced that it will update the infrastructure in its central energy plant. UManitoba will decommission four natural gas boilers and replace them with three electric boilers and one natural gas boiler. According to the university, this update will reduce UManitoba’s greenhouse gas emissions by 16,000 tons annually. “The switch to electric power and away from reliance on natural gas will transform our campus in terms of current and future impacts for our climate and sustainability,” said UManitoba Associate VP (Administration) Raman Dhaliwal.

Dalhousie University has announced that its on-campus Student Health & Wellness Clinic now formally offers gender-affirming care. Physicians at the clinic are trained to offer services that include initiating and maintaining gender-affirming hormone therapy, providing letters of readiness for gender-affirming surgery, and post-surgical follow-up supports. “A large part of my work at Dalhousie is to ensure queer and trans students have access to the support and services they deserve,” said Dal 2SLGBTQIA+ Advisor Olivia Fader. “I’m proud to be part of an institution that prioritizes gender-affirming health care.”

The Université de Saint-Boniface will receive $1.5M from the Government of Manitoba to expand the institution’s French-language education programming. This funding will support the creation of 20 new seats for USB’s Bachelor of Education program for the 2023-24 academic year, as well as the creation of 30 seats for a new French-language Educational Assistant Training Program. “This funding recognizes our relentless efforts to help remedy the shortage of French teachers in Manitoba and reaffirms our mandate as the only university in the province responsible for training French-speaking professionals in the education sector,” said USB President Sophie Bouffard.

Canadore College will participate in Colleges and Institutes Canada’s ImpAct Climate Change Living Labs project this year. Canadore will review the 650-acre forest at its College Drive campus to evaluate the amount of carbon that the forest absorbs. With the development of a 10-year forest management plan to manage the health of the land, the college hopes to obtain a Forest Council Stewardship certification. “This initiative is a key component of a larger effort by Canadore to become carbon neutral by 2031,” explained Canadore President George Burton.

In the midst of wildfire season, Simon Fraser University is launching a Fire and Ecosystems Research Lab. The lab will be led by SFU Assistant Professor Sophie Wilkinson. The research team will use the lab to study wildfire qualities–including behaviour and impacts–with the intent of developing ecosystem management strategies that reduce the negative impacts fires can have on all aspects of the environment and society. “The effects of climate change are a contributing factor to this record-breaking wildfire season and now more than ever, there is a need for scientists to work with community partners to understand and mitigate the impacts,” said Wilkinson.

The University of Winnipeg’s Board of Regents and President have each issued a statement in response to an open letter from the UWinnipeg Faculty Association (UWFA) that expressed concern about the rate of change at the institution. The Winnipeg Free Press reports that UWFA issued the letter after hearing concerns from its members and noting “an inordinate number” of senior staff departures. UWinnipeg’s board explained that these departures were due to the interim nature of many of the senior staff, who were appointed during the presidential transition in order “to allow the new president […] to build their own leadership team.” UWinnipeg President Todd Mondor also acknowledged the concerns and shared how the past year had been dedicated to building a leadership team.

The University of Northern British Columbia’s three Bachelor of Applied Science in Engineering programs have earned the maximum accreditation from the Canadian Engineering Accreditation Board. This is the first time that two of the engineering programs have completed the process run by Engineers Canada. “Students can be confident that our programs meet the thorough criteria set by industry professionals, equipping them with the necessary knowledge to excel in their future engineering careers,” said UNBC School of Engineering Chair Prof Mauricio Dziedzic.