May 5, 2026

The Université de Sherbrooke’s $250M fundraising campaign “Choisir de changer l’avenir” has officially reached its goal two years ahead of schedule. Le Devoir reports that funds raised through this campaign will go toward 150 projects that reflect one or more of the campaign’s core themes: living together, climate change resilience, technology benefitting humanity, and the personalization of health care and services. As part of its commitment to donors, USherbrooke is using a variety of follow-up methods to share updates on the progress of funded projects, highlight the tangible results, and showcase the experience of students who are involved. The university said that it hopes to build on the momentum by setting a new target of raising $270M by October.

St Francis Xavier University has received a $20M gift from alumnus and formerNew Brunswick Premier Frank McKenna. This gift will be used to establish The McKenna Scholars Program, an undergraduate scholarship initiative that recognizes academic excellence and community-based leadership. The program includes the McKenna National Scholars ($125K over four years), the McKenna Order of Merit scholarships ($40K), and the McKenna Scholars of Distinction ($20K). Award recipients will also take part in a term dedicated to working and studying abroad to help broaden their perspectives. “The scholarships will be the largest in the country,” said McKenna.

The University of Saskatchewan’s College of Dentistry has officially opened its updated clinic following a $24M renovation. The clinic is used by students to study dentistry and to treat patients from the community at reduced or no cost. The overhauled facility features clinical and preclinical learning environments that are equipped with cutting-edge equipment and software. The new technology will allow the clinic to serve up to 20% more patients each year. “This new clinic enhances our ability to deliver outstanding education and patient care and it reflects USask’s commitment to excellence, to serving the community, and to meeting the needs of the people of Saskatchewan,” said USask President Vince Bruni-Bossio.

Colleges and Institutes Canada, the Lawson Foundation, and Waltons Trust have launched a new pan-Canadian initiative focused on strengthening early childhood education (ECE). The initiative, supported by $5M from the Lawson Foundation and Waltons Trust, is focused on better preparing the next generation of ECE professionals by integrating outdoor, land-based, and Indigenous-informed approaches into ECE programs. A total of 29 postsecondary institutions will be involved in the project through communities of practice, funded projects, and targeted supports. The project is also expected to support the development of open educational resources.

Cégep de La Pocatière has received a $3M investment from the Government of Québec to begin renovation work on its swimming pool. QC Ministre de l’Enseignement supérieur Martine Biron noted that this investment will enable the cégep to proceed with the launch of the renovation project. The project, which is estimated to cost $14.8M, will modernize and improve the accessibility of the pool in order to maximize its use by students and the community. Construction will begin in June. This investment adds to a previous $5.9M investment from QC, for a total of nearly $8.9M in financial assistance.

Castanet reporter Josh Dawson recently examined a 2022 report by former Government of British Columbia Deputy Minister Don Wright on BC’s funding model for postsecondary education. In the report, received through a Freedom of Information request, Wright indicates that BC’s baseline block funding has been “uncoupled” from student enrolment and is now based on the prior year’s amounts with adjustments to cover wage increases from collective bargaining. Dawson reports that BC shelved the report after major shifts in the postsecondary sector changed the context that the report would have been released into. Castanet reports that the review led by Don Avison is expected to be publicly released later this year.

The University of Lethbridge has publicly responded to media inquiries about the recent police actions and active trespass notice barring speaker Frances Widdowson from campus. Widdowson is reportedly subject to a trespass notice, which ULethbridge confirmed she contravened multiple times in April. During one of these instances, CTV News reports that Widdowson refused to leave when asked by security, which resulted in police action leading to her arrest and a trespassing ticket of $600. “The University has reasonable grounds to believe that Widdowson’s presence would again result in significant disruption that exceeds the University’s ability to manage it,” read the ULethbridge release.

In Psychology Today, Richard Zhang (Yale School of Medicine) and Chandani Rana explore the challenges faced by first-generation international students and how postsecondary institutions can better support them. The authors explain that these students must navigate the intersecting challenges of being international students and being first-generation students, which means they do not have implicit awareness of either the cultural or higher education norms they are navigating. They recommend supporting this unique community by bringing international and first-generation student offices together for joint workshops, offering resources on cultural norms, and providing joint mentorship initiatives. “De-siloing support services and addressing intersectional stressors enhances colleges’ economic gain, campus life, and proximity to true health equity,” conclude Zhang and Rana.

The University of Prince Edward Island’s Faculty of Medicine has achieved applicant status with the Committee on Accreditation of Canadian Medical Schools (CACMS). “This work reflects a phased, collaborative approach to building a sustainable, locally grounded model of medical education that will support the future health of Islanders,” said UPEI Faculty of Medicine Dean Preston Smith. The university explained that this achievement is a key step towards the establishment of a medicine program. UPEI will also be pursuing Canadian Residency Accreditation Consortium accreditation at the institutional level and for a proposed family medicine residency program.

Collège Bois-de-Boulogne has announced a new visual identity and logo for its Cavaliers sports teams. The visual identity is intended to reflect the determination and team spirit of the cégep’s sports teams. The new logo—a green knight helmet on a shield with the Cavaliers name—represents both tradition and renewal, according to the college. The logo will gradually be phased in across the teams’ uniforms, facilities, and digital platforms.