November 21, 2025

Okanagan College and the BPL Legacy Association have announced a joint initiative to create a $22M facility to support aviation-related training. The 42,000 square-foot facility will be located at the Kelowna airport (YLW), and will include classrooms, workshops, and hangar space. Okanagan will use the space to expand the capacity of its Aircraft Maintenance Engineering programs. “Having new learning space at YLW here in what we call the ‘Okanagan education corridor’ allows us to enroll more students and to fulfil our role supporting companies with the qualified, job-ready talent they need to grow and thrive,” said Okanagan Provost Dr Samantha Lenci.

The Canadian Space Agency has announced over $2.2M in funding for 16 research projects focused on the effects of spaceflight on human health. Projects will be focused on better understanding chronic conditions such as bone density loss and cardiovascular disease. These projects will be led by researchers from postsecondary institutions such as McGill University, Simon Fraser University, Université de Montréal, Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières, the University of Alberta, the University of British Columbia, the University of Ottawa, the University of Toronto, and the University of Waterloo.

The Ontario Council on Articulation and Transfer (ONCAT) has published a new report on the terminology used for learner mobility in Ontario. ONCAT researchers Jeffrey Napierala and Emerson LaCroix explain that ONCAT noticed the lack of a common vocabulary for learner mobility when talking with representatives from various postsecondary institutions. In light of this, they set out to develop a set of terms and recommended definitions. They have published a set of reports that include definitions for all related concepts and associated terms, as well as the rationale behind each definition.

In a recent article, Hannah Liddle of University Affairs discusses how Canadian postsecondary instructors are engaging with uncomfortable debates on campus through the US group the Heterodox Academy. The Heterodox Academy formed in 2015 as a reaction to what it calls “the rise of close-minded orthodoxies within scholarly communities that stifle rigorous, truth-seeking investigation of complex questions and issues.” Liddle profiles several Canadian members, their reasons for joining, and the challenges they have faced in standing for their beliefs. She also discusses the changes in students’ willingness to engage with those who hold opposing beliefs and the rise of a feeling that different views constitute violence.

CIFAR has launched its first two Solution Networks focused on AI safety under the Canadian AI Safety Institute (CAISI) Research Program. Each of the networks have received $700K to support their research and development efforts. The Mitigating Dialect Bias solution network will be led by co-directors Laleh Seyyed-Kalantari (York University) and Blessing Ogbuokiri (Brock University); while the Safeguarding Courts from Synthetic AI Content solution network will be led by co-directors Ebrahim Bagheri (University of Toronto) and Maura R Grossman (University of Waterloo and York University).

The Government of Manitoba has launched several initiatives to expand paramedic training in the province. At Red River College Polytechnic, a new direct-entry Primary Care Paramedics (PCP) program will allow students to complete their training and begin working sooner. MB will be opening 14 new training seats in this program, raising the total number to 40. Additionally, MB has shifted intakes in RRC Polytech’s Paramedicine – Advanced Care program so the program is better aligned with practicum availability. The University College of the North will add 16 additional PCP seats in Thompson, resulting in a total of 32 seats between its campuses.

In a new article for Maclean’s, Simon Lewsen argues against university administrations making statements or taking positions on major issues. Lewsen discusses the general public’s reaction to recent events such as the lawsuit related to land acknowledgements and statements made about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. He asserts that public perceptions of postsecondary education are declining, which in turn is leading to political and policy shifts. He argues that hasty statements from administration are “unlikely to make the world a fairer place,” and that social change is more likely to be a downstream effect of impartial research. “Institutional neutrality, therefore, isn’t about renouncing social progress; it’s about protecting the intellectual conditions that make such progress possible,” concludes Lewsen.

The Université du Québec à Chicoutimi and Cégep de Sept-Îles have signed a framework agreement focused on research, creation, innovation, and knowledge transfer. The five-year agreement covers a variety of collaborative initiatives, such as the joint development of research projects, researcher and student mobility, and joint grant applications. This partnership is part of a broader effort to support the eastern part of the North Shore region through bolstering its innovation ecosystem and supporting coordinated development.

The Higher Education Quality Council of Ontario and Fleming College have published the findings of a survey that they conducted to gain an understanding of how international enrolment changes impact the labour market. The survey was administered to Fleming international students from Fall 2023 to Fall 2024. Researchers discovered that 53% of surveyed international students were working during their studies; among those that were not currently employed, 94% were looking for work. The loss of many of these students, researchers concluded, disproportionately affects smaller college towns that previously relied on this group for workers and to drive economic activity. HEQCO concludes that policy changes may ultimately weaken Canada’s economic growth and talent pipelines.

In several parts of Canada, postsecondary professionals are now governed by new agreements are in place for members of three unions. The BC General Employees’ Union—representing workers in BC’s public sector, including postsecondary institutions—ratified an agreement that had been reached in mediation. At Mount Saint Vincent University and Saint Mary’s University, part-time faculty who are part of CUPE Local 3912 have returned to work after they voted to ratify tentative agreements. Key gains included workers’ priority issues, job security, and compensation. Trent University’s negotiating committee and the Trent University Faculty Association have ratified a new collective agreement that addresses issues such as AI, intellectual property rights, and equity and efficiency processes.