November 3, 2025

Toronto Star reporter Nicholas Keung recently spoke to several members of the postsecondary sector about the decline in international enrolment and a new campaign that will aim to restore the international “brand” of Canada. Saskatchewan Polytechnic President Larry Rosia, Niagara College President Sean Kennedy, and University of Alberta Acting Vice-Provost and AVP International Doug Weir each spoke to the importance of international students and repairing the Canadian brand. To address this need, the Canadian Bureau for International Education is launching a digital and social media campaign today.

Medical students at McGill University, Université de Montréal, Université de Sherbrooke, and Université Laval have voted for an unlimited general strike mandate in response to the Government of Québec’s recently passed Bill 2. Le Devoir reports that voter turnout ranged between 65% and 75%, while the votes in favour of the mandate ranged from 53% at ULaval to 70.4% at UMontréal. The Fédération médicale étudiante du Québec, which represents approximately 5,000 medical students across 11 campuses in the province, publicly denounced Bill 2 and filed for an application for judicial review and stay of several sections. The application will be heard by the Québec Superior Court this week. CBC reports that the bill has faced strong opposition from provincial doctors’ federations and includes fines of up to $20K per day if doctors take part in “concerted actions,” such as deciding as a group of three or more to refuse to teach students.

The Government of Canada has announced more than $11M in investments in made-in-Canada carbon utilization and storage technologies. The Institut national de la recherche scientifique has received nearly $5M to assess a geological storage site for CO2 in the Lower Saint Lawrence Lowlands using digital replicas and 3D seismic data. Memorial University has also received nearly $5M in funding to assess the potential for carbon storage targets in Atlantic Canada. Université Laval has received $483K to test a process used to sequester CO2 and simultaneously recover critical metals used in battery production. In addition to the funding, the government has launched the AI for Canadian Energy Innovation Call for Proposals, which will fund Canadian-made AI solutions that increase domestic energy innovation and decrease costs.

The Government of Alberta is proposing several amendments to the Private Vocational Training Act, which regulates private career colleges in the province. These amendments include the creation of a Student Tuition Protection Fund, which will allow students to recover tuition if a college closes or violates consumer protection rules, as well as strengthened protections for students who wish to back out of an enrolment contract. AB will also begin to publish information about private career colleges and programs to better inform students. Those found in violation of the standards can have their licenses suspended or a stop order placed on their program, according to CBC. Alberta Association of Career Colleges Tim Ogilvie applauded the changes, asserting that they “will ensure that responsible institutions continue to thrive while students are better protected from those who do not meet these standards.”

Holland College is projecting a $4M loss in tuition revenue this fiscal year as international enrolment is expected to fall by 47%. Holland College CEO Sandy MacDonald cited federal immigration policies for the decline, saying that changes to post-graduation work permit eligibility are having a disproportionate impact on the region. The college also projects that an additional 700 international students will be lost over the next two academic years, according to CTV News. Despite the loss in international students, the number of students from PEI rose 11% compared to last year.

Wilfrid Laurier University has announced the launch of its first engineering program. WLU will launch a Bachelor of Engineering in Software Engineering program at its Milton campus in Fall 2026. The program will include personalized learning experiences, small class sizes and faculty-student mentorship, and work-integrated learning components. “Software Engineering will not only broaden our successful research and academic programming in STEM, but it will also create significant links to business and industry through research and co-op opportunities,” said WLU President Deborah MacLatchy. The program was designed to meet Canadian Engineering Accreditation Board requirements, ensuring that graduates will be able to pursue their Professional Engineering designation.

The Government of Canada will be tabling Budget 2025 tomorrow, which includes several investments in reskilling, training, and foreign credential recognition. The budget will include the previously announced reskilling and support package for workers affected by trade disruptions, which includes $570M over three years to support training and employment assistance for workers affected by tariffs and global market shifts. The budget is also expected to include $75M over three years to expand the Union Training and Innovation Program, as well as $97M over five years to create of a Foreign Credential Recognition Action Fund.

Western University professor Derek McLachlin has gone viral on social media following his performance of a biochemistry-infused parody of Ed Sheeran’s Shape of You. Posted to TikTok by Western student Hoon Dao, the video shows McLachlin singing about ketone bodies as students clap along. The video has received more than 4 million views. McLachlin told CTV News that the parody served as more than an exercise in musical ability: “I use humour and tell personal stories to build a connection with students. When they feel that connection, they’re more ready to learn.”

Northlands College has partnered with the University of Saskatchewan’s Dental Therapy Clinic to deliver no-cost dental care services to the college’s students and their families. The purpose of the partnership is to reduce barriers to oral health care across northern SK. The services will be made available through the USask Dental Therapy Clinic at the Northlands College Canoe Campus, as well as through a satellite campus. Students will be able to access services from November 1, 2025 until June 30, 2026 or until funding is fully used.

Fanshawe College has announced that it will no longer be financially supporting the campus radio station 106.9 The X and is seeking community partners to keep the station operational. Fanshawe Board Member Gina Lorentz pointed to both Fanshawe’s financial circumstances and the broader industry shift away from terrestrial radio; Fanshawe Senior VP Academic Susan Cluett also noted that future intakes of the college’s radio broadcasting program are suspended. “We don’t want to lose the radio station, but we can’t continue to operate it at significant financial loss every year and without the majority of the students who participate in the operations of the station,” says Cluett. CBC reports that the station was the first licensed, instructional campus radio station when it launched in 1978.