June 29, 2026

The University of Saskatchewan has received a $4M gift from Hospitals of Regina Foundation to create a pediatric research chair. The Hospitals of Regina Foundation Pediatric Chair in the Origins of Health and Disease will investigate the origins of health and disease in children, with the ultimate goals of preventing disease, lessening healthcare demand, and increasing patient quality of life. USask President Dr Vince Bruni-Bossio stated that the gift “will accelerate vital research at USask into how early life shapes lifelong health.”

Trent University and Kids Help Phone will be embarking on a five-year partnership to integrate national mental health supports with campus-based services. The collaboration will advance an accessible, responsive model of student mental health support that brings together Trent’s wellness initiatives with KHP’s digital infrastructure. Students will gain access to KHP’s online messaging, moderated peer-to-peer communities, and “resources around me” directory. The university will also receive aggregated, de-identified trends on youth mental health to refine its services and identify emerging needs. The effort is supported by a $1M gift from Degrassi creators Linda Schuyler and Stephen Stohn.

Times Higher Education has officially released its Sustainability Impact Ratings 2026, which assesses institutions from around the world according to their work across the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Several Canadian universities appeared in the top 100: Queen’s University (#4), the University of Alberta (tied for #10), Western University (tied for #12), McMaster University (#18), University of Victoria (#27), Simon Fraser University (tied for #52), Université Laval (tied for #68), York University (tied for #78), and Dalhousie University (#90). Two institutions also appeared in the top three for specific SDGs: Queen’s (#1 Zero Hunger, #2 in Sustainable Cities and Communities) and UAlberta (tied for #1 for Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure).

Statistics Canada has released the postsecondary component of the 2024 Survey of Commercial and Institutional Energy Use. The study examined 650 postsecondary campuses across the 10 provinces. It found that universities on average used 1.12 gigajoules per square metre, while colleges and cégeps used 0.86 gigajoules per square metre. The greatest energy usage for both institution types was in Alberta, while the lowest was in Atlantic Canada for universities and British Columbia for colleges and cégeps. StatCan noted that the average energy use intensity also decreased from 2019 to 2024.

The University of Guelph has opened its new Luckevich Pinchin Honey Bee Research Centre (HBRC), which will expand the university’s ability to research and support honey bee health. The expanded facility contains research labs, classrooms, bee breeding facilities, and the space to potentially double the HBRC’s number of managed bee hives. “At a time when pollinator health is critical to the future of agriculture and food production, this investment strengthens the U of G’s ability to deliver solutions with impact locally, nationally, and around the world,” explained UoGuelph Ontario Agricultural College Dean Dr John Cranfield.

In an article for the Edmonton Journal, MacEwan University President Dr Annette Trimbee calls for a revised funding model for Alberta’s postsecondary sector. Trimbee explains that the potential future funding model for AB will need to strike a balance between base operating costs, community impact, and enrolment growth. She argues that a strong funding framework would recognize both measurable outcomes and the less quantifiable ways that institutions contribute to their broader communities. It would also need to reflect the diversity of the institution types in the system. “If Alberta’s ambition is to build a resilient, diversified economy, then its approach to funding post-secondaries must match that ambition,” concludes Trimbee.

Graduates of Saskatchewan Polytechnic’s Media Production diploma program are now able to continue their studies in a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Film Production at the University of Regina, thanks to a transfer credit agreement between the institutions. Eligible Sask Polytech grads will receive up to two years of credits recognized towards the URegina’s four-year program. Sask Polytech School of Creative Media Dean Kristen Craig explained that film production is seeing increased demand in the province. The agreement applies to those who completed the Media Production diploma on or after June 1, 2025 with a minimum average of 60%.

Conestoga College is seeking an investment partner to complete its paused student housing project in downtown Kitchener. According to a memo obtained by CBC News, the college is reportedly searching for a partner willing to cover between $12M and $18M required to finish the project. In a statement to CBC, Conestoga Interim President Normal McDonald Ewing said the request for proposals “will identify a partner capable of delivering a project aligned with municipal priorities, community objectives and evolving market demand.” OPSEU Local 237 President Leopold Koff, who represents faculty at the college, called the request for proposals a way to “minimize the damage” for the college.

Vancouver Community College is launching several new and expanded programs in clean energy and sustainable technologies in September 2026 onwards. The college states that it has designed the new clean energy programs through consultations with industry to help prepare British Columbia’s future workforce. The nine programs include micro-credentials, certificates, diplomas, and an apprenticeship across fields such as automotive technologies, electrical and clean energy, and refrigeration and building systems. “Our new clean energy programs are designed to expand students’ career opportunities and strengthen BC’s workforce by preparing graduates with increasingly in-demand skills,” said VCC VP Administration and International Development Ian Humphreys.

In a recent interview with The evoLLLution, Hilton Guidry (Delgado Community College) discusses how institutions can shift their websites from static hubs to exploratory, guided experiences. Guidry discusses the importance of ensuring these sites have the tools, guidance, and nudges that students need to move through the discovery process; balancing the emphasis on self-service with access to human support; and avoiding the creation of digital silos for each possible audience. “The website really is the front door to the institution,” states Guidry. “It’s often the first place someone goes after hearing about you through word of mouth, and it either reinforces that interest or stops them cold.”