March 18, 2025

Cégep de l’Outaouais recently held a groundbreaking ceremony to mark the launch of its expansion project at the Gabrielle-Roy campus. This project includes the development of a new educational wing to host both the diagnostic radiology technology and the computer science technology programs, allowing both programs to expand their capacity and enrolment. The Cégep’s managing director Steve Brabant said that the expansion will enhance the institution’s training offerings in key sectors for the region while providing students with modern facilities adapted to their needs. The project is funded by the Government of Québec and is expected to be completed by Fall 2026.

Last weekend, students dressed in green and gathered in large numbers to celebrate the “luck of the Irish” for St Patrick’s Day. In Québec, students and staff from Cégep Champlain-St Lawrence and Concordia University took part in local St Patrick’s Day Parades. In Atlantic Canada, Acadia University’s Women Who Weightlift Acadia club encouraged members to wear themed outfits for their workouts, while the St Thomas University Irish Society held a series of events, including Irish-themed trivia and karaoke, to celebrate Irish heritage and culture. In several cities in Ontario, student-led street parties took place in cities such as Kingston and Waterloo. A Trent University student visiting Waterloo for the weekend told CBC that the increased police presence “put the thought in your head […to] contain yourself a little.”

Many members of the postsecondary sector are taking part in SDG Month Canada: A national, collaborative initiative focused on raising awareness about the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The initiative is led by Colleges and Institutes Canada, the Sustainable Development Solutions Network Canada at the University of Calgary, and the University of British Columbia’s Sustainability Hub. In addition to hosting webinars and talks, many institutions also held special events and activities. Examples include the student competitions held at institutions such as Fanshawe College, the Saskatchewan Indian Institute of Technologies, and the University of Saskatchewan; the repair workshops hosted by Red River College Polytechnic, Sheridan College, and the University of the Fraser Valley; and the sustainability tours run by UBC and Western University.

The Université de Montréal’s Faculty of Medicine is collaborating with the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts (MMFA) and the Centre d’exposition Raymond-Lasnier to offer a new required course for medical students. This course will help students in Montréal and Trois-Rivières to hone their observation skills through three workshop visits to the respective gallery. In these sessions, an art educator will guide students in observing the portraits and sculptures, before an accompanying doctor leads a discussion about applications to medicine. “These skills—searching for evidence, introspection, tolerance for ambiguity—are directly transferable to the medical profession and are part of patient management,” said UMontréal Professor Aspasia Karalis.

Brock University and York University have each shared updates on how they are addressing their financial deficits and working toward financial sustainability. Both universities are engaging in projects that will introduce new sources of revenue, find more efficient ways to operate, and grow enrolment in key programs. In addition to these efforts, Brock Provost and VP Academic Arja Vainio-Matilla explained that the university is tackling its total shortfall of $39M by postponing hirings, right-sizing its programming and class sizes, and taking on initiatives to improve student retention and graduation rates. YorkU President Rhonda Lenton highlighted some of the ways that the university will address its over $100M deficit through its Forward Action Plan, which outlines 17 key projects that will be carried out over 2024-25 to 2026-27. YorkU will also be holding town halls for its community in the coming weeks.

The City of Edmonton and postsecondary institutions in the city are taking steps to address Edmonton’s student housing crunch. The city has partnered with the Edmonton Students’ Association to survey postsecondary students about housing availability and affordability. The results will inform the municipality’s development of a student housing strategy. Meanwhile, Concordia University of Edmonton is developing a 200-bed residence for 2027 that will triple its housing inventory. MacEwan University is reportedly “moving away from landlord responsibilities” and instead partnering with developers to create new housing. MacEwan is accordingly collaborating with a yet-to-be-named developer to create 50 new rental spaces.

The Canadian Military Colleges Review Board has released its first report, which will be reviewed by the Department of National Defence and the Canadian Armed Forces. The review board analyzed the costs, benefits, and disadvantages of educating naval and Officer cadets in the military colleges’ Regular Officer Training Plan and reviewed aspects such as education quality and military training. The report includes 49 recommendations, including maintaining the colleges’ status as undergraduate degree-granting institutions and revising aspects such as governance structures, authorities, activities, programs, and training. Additionally, the recommendations include changing the names of the colleges to Royal Military College of Canada, Kingston and Royal Military College of Canada, Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu and updating all branding and products in alignment with these changes.

The University of Regina Women’s Centre ended its annual general meeting abruptly after several audience members became disruptive. Regina Leader-Post reports that an estimated 100 individuals—most of whom the centre’s board of directors said registered that day—attended the meeting. After the meeting began, several attendees reportedly became disruptive, including by filming and interrupting the Indigenous Knowledge Keeper. One person continually disrupted Board Chair Debra Schubert’s introduction, and after the disruptive individual refused to leave, Schubert adjourned the meeting. Schubert told 650 CKOM that a security guard was also assaulted. According to the Leader-Post, the Women’s Center’s executive director and staff were expecting some “contention” based on some recent experiences.

Fanshawe College’s student union is facing backlash over its decision to shutter its student newspaper, the Interrobang. Last week, the Fanshawe Student Union (FSU) announced it would close the paper’s print and online operations by April, ending its 50-year run of independent student journalism. FSU President Siddharth Singh told CBC that the paper’s funding might be reallocated to create a new full-time student union advocacy role, while the paper’s staff could shift responsibilities to creating FSU social media content. In response, Fanshawe students have launched a petition calling for a referendum on the paper’s future. FSU’s decision has also drawn criticism from the Canadian Association of Journalists, the Canadian University Press, and the editors of the student newspaper the Queen’s Journal.

Statistics Canada has released information on the earnings and mobility of newly certified journeypersons in Canada in 2022. Overall, the median employment income for journeypersons one year after achieving their certification was $56,580, which was an increase of 1% from 2021. Additionally, the unemployment rate returned to pre-pandemic levels. And while median employment income rose in 17 of the 27 trades, it remained below pre-pandemic levels in several trades, including ironworkers and early childhood educators. StatCan also noted that interprovincial mobility rates had increased: one year after earning a certification, 5.8% of journeypersons were living or working in a province or territory that was different from their jurisdiction of certification.