May 11, 2026

The Government of Ontario has relieved Conestoga College’s Board of Governors of their duties and appointed former Colleges Ontario CEO Linda Franklin as Administrator for the college. The decision follows an audit that revealed “evidence of serious financial and governance mismanagement,” including termination payments in excess of the permitted amount under the Broader Public Sector Executive Compensation Act and issues with travel and hospitality expenses claimed by employees. ON stated that these actions led to upheaval for students, staff, and the local community. OPSEU/SEFPO Local 237 and Local 238 leaders expressed shock at the news and stated that they were unaware of the audit or the plan to appoint Franklin. The decision is not expected to affect the college’s day-to-day operations for staff and students.

The Government of Canada recently made two significant announcements with a focus on higher ed. Canada’s Minister of Industry Mélanie Joly highlighted Canada’s proposed $165M investment into the College and Community Innovation (CCI) program as part of the recent Spring Economic Update. “As other countries turn away from science and research, Canada is investing strategically through the Canada Strong Fund to bolster our research capacity,” said Joly. Canada’s Minister of Finance and National Revenue François-Philippe Champagne also recently introduced Bill C-31, which includes a measure to facilitate automatic enrolment in the Canada Learning Bond. This change is intended to make it easier for Canadian families to save for postsecondary education.

Thousands of educational institutions across North America were affected by a cyberattack on the Canvas learning management system earlier this month. Affected Canadian postsecondary institutions include OCAD University, Ontario Tech University, Simon Fraser University, the University of Alberta, the University of British Columbia, and the University of Toronto. The platform was shut down for several hours on Thursday, and Canvas’s parent company Instructure reported that data including names, emails, and messages among users may have been compromised. The hacker group that took credit for the attack claims that data from 275M users was stolen. Institutions urged their users to change their passwords and remain vigilant for phishing attempts.

Simon Fraser University and Thompson Rivers University have announced a partnership to advance innovation, research, graduate studies, and workforce development. Areas of focus will include AI, cybersecurity, health, wildfire management and emergency response, and Indigenous language revitalization. “There has never been a more important time for BC public postsecondary institutions to collaborate on areas of shared impact,” explained SFU President Joy Johnson. TRU President Dr Airini asserted that the collaboration will “deliver real outcomes for the province.”

Lakeland College and Portage College have signed a Memorandum of Understanding expanding their collaboration in agricultural research. The agreement includes exploration of collaboration opportunities in crop production research, access to facilities, and joint pursuit of project funding. “Partnering with Lakeland College and utilizing our shared expertise and facilities, we are providing valuable learning opportunities for our students as we address challenges facing producers across our region and beyond,” said Portage Director of Applied Research Cristina Holguin.

In a recent article for The Pie, George Chilton offers solutions for universities facing the four “modern horsemen of the apocalypse”: the integrity gap, politics and migration, outdated degrees, and purpose over prestige. Chilton explains that as the integrity gap widens, universities must ensure that a degree guarantees learning. The author encourages universities to adapt to new migration streams by bringing innovation to foreign communities and points to the opportunities in offering professional development. Finally, he encourages institutions to invest in qualitative market research to identify ways to position universities as a place of purpose. The author calls for the sector to “pull together” to avert these four horsemen.

Lakehead University and Paapiiwaaniimaan Grassy Narrows Mercury Care Home (GNMCH) have signed two agreements that will support education, workforce development, and community-based research. The partners will expand Grassy Narrows First Nation members’ access to postsecondary education, introduce new programs, support student placements within the community, and advance research focused on local issues. Lakehead’s Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences and GNMCH also signed a memorandum of agreement focused specifically on health education and the health workforce. “This collaboration reflects our shared belief in the transformative value of education and the importance of working together in meaningful, community-driven ways,” said Lakehead President Dr Gillian Siddall.

In a new article for The Conversation, Melissa Fong-Emmerson (Edith Cowan University), Braden Hill (Edith Cowan), and Claire Lambert (Edith Cowan) discuss what prompts some Indigenous Australians to attend university. Through storytelling and focus groups with 37 Indigenous university students, they found that the desire to go to university often began with a “spark,” ranging from encouragement from a friend to a school outreach visit. The authors added that while traditional postsecondary marketing focuses on details like websites, fees, and rankings, study participants tended to prioritize input from family and community members to guide their choice. The authors propose that institutions should invest in relationships with students through initiatives like mentorship and school outreach, as well as initiatives to support inclusivity on campus.

Cégep Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu has partnered with the elementary school École Bruno-Choquette, to launch the “L’École des Grands” mentorship program in Fall 2026. Cégep students will be paired with elementary students and will provide them with personalized support to reinforce their learning in areas such as French, mathematics, and science and technology. The students will work together at the cégep throughout the Fall and Winter semesters. Cégep students will develop interpersonal and teaching skills, while also having their contribution recognized as a part of their studies.

University Pension Plan Ontario—a jointly sponsored defined benefit pension for Ontario university sector employers and employees—has partnered with private equity real estate firm KingSett Capital to invest in industrial real estate in Canada. The partners will focus on multi-tenant, light industrial buildings in supply-constrained markets. The move will reportedly enable UPP Ontario to further diversify its portfolio and increase its allocation to income-generating assets. Earlier this year, UPP Ontario also partnered with Schroders Capital to invest in logistics and industrial real estate across Northwestern Europe.