September 17, 2025

Simon Fraser University has launched Fir, which it describes as the country’s most powerful academic supercomputer. Housed at the Cedar Supercomputing Centre, Fir is the only Canadian system ranked in the global top 100 most powerful supercomputers (78th). It supports research in fields such as AI, genomics, and infectious disease. The system is accessible to researchers across the country. “At a time when we want to capitalize on AI while carefully protecting the security of Canadian data, this Canadian resource is absolutely critical,” said SFU Professor Fiona Brinkman. The project was supported by more than $80M in funding from federal, provincial, and partner sources.

The University of Alberta has received a $25M gift from The Dianne and Irving Kipnes Foundation to establish the Dianne and Irving Kipnes Health Research Institute. This institute will help bridge the gap between research and scientific discoveries and health outcomes. As part of this effort, the institute will support UAlberta researchers who are leveraging the province’s integrated health data system and AI to turn discoveries into practice more quickly. “It creates a health learning system, where use of data will guide decision-making, where AI will accelerate discovery, where clinical trials will validate breakthroughs and specialized programs will realize that full cycle from research to impact,” said UAlberta College of Health Sciences Dean and Vice-Provost Brenda Hemmelgarn.

Dalhousie University and the Dalhousie Faculty Association (DFA) have come to a tentative agreement, ending the strike and lockout that began in August. The end of the lockout means that classes taught by DFA members—the majority of classes offered at Dal—will be able to resume on September 23rd. The new dates for adding and dropping courses, tuition fee deadlines, and switching between Dal and the University of King’s College have been announced on Dal’s website. As for the fall break and December exam schedule, the Dal Senate will meet on Monday, September 22nd to discuss and approve any changes.

The Government of Ontario has announced an investment of $18M into medical isotope production at McMaster University’s nuclear reactor. The investment is part of a provincial initiative to double medical isotope production in the next four years. As a result of the investment, the production facility will begin operating on a 24/7 operation schedule, increasing McMaster’s research capacity by 300%. McMaster President Susan Tighe said that “this increased capacity will enhance our ability to serve cancer patients worldwide through the increased production of critical medical isotopes.” The new funding will allow the facility to provide medical isotopes for up to 84,000 treatments per year.

University of Saskatchewan researchers and their students are leveraging quantum computing to accelerate vaccine discovery, aiming to go from identifying a pathogen to developing a viable vaccine in under 100 days. USask’s Centre for Quantum Topology and Its Applications and the Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization (VIDO) will use IBM’s quantum computers to create “digital twins” of viruses and simulate immune responses. Researchers say the approach allows them to test complex scenarios more quickly than traditional lab methods do, while giving students hands-on experience with emerging technology.

Memorial University will be offering a rural cohort of its Bachelor of Education (Primary/Elementary) as a Second Degree Program. Starting in 2026, this program will give residents of rural areas of Newfoundland and Labrador an avenue to pursue teacher education while staying where they are living. This full-time, five-semester program can be completed remotely and includes regional, in-person workshops, and practicums that can be completed close to home. “Teaching is an incredibly rewarding career, and Memorial’s efforts to make it possible for students to complete their degree in the communities they choose are a meaningful step forward,” said Dale Lambe, President of the Newfoundland and Labrador Teachers’ Association.

The University of Manitoba has released guidelines on AI usage for its faculty, staff, and students. The guidelines are broken into nine guiding principles including intellectual integrity, human centered approach, accessibility and fairness, and intellectual property and copyright. UManitoba explained that AI can provide many benefits including “enhancing teaching, accessibility, elevating research capacity, optimizing business processes and providing individualized student-centered learning.” It designed the guidelines to the address associated risks of AI while pursuing the benefits.

Niagara College’s Community Employment Services and the St Catharines Enterprise Centre have partnered to provide grant funding, mentorship, and business training to student and alumni in the Niagara region. These aspiring entreprenuers will have access to grant funding from the enterprise centre’s Starter Company Plus program for the creation or expansion of a business. They will also have access to a variety of courses on topics key to operating a startup business. “Through this partnership, [Niagara] is connecting our students and alumni to meaningful business opportunities while reinforcing our commitment to regional economic growth,” said Niagara Associate Director of Workforce Development and Community Partnerships Jessica Berecz.

As AI transforms the workplace, continuing education has a key role to play in helping learners regain a sense of agency, writes Avi Sheshachalam (MacEwan University); He argues that AI and innovation-focused programs must go beyond technical fluency to cultivate the ethical, creative, and strategic thinking needed to lead organizations through change. Sheshachalam highlights how MacEwan has applied this philosophy by developing stackable, human-centred AI-focused offerings aligned with industry needs and real-world practice. “We’re not building programs for the future of AI,” he writes. “We’re building programs for the future of people.”

Collège d’Alma’s nursing school clinic, La Vigie, has opened its services to the broader community through the Clic Santé platform. Members of the public can now book appointments for services such as blood tests, wound care, physical exams, and more. In addition to improving access to care for community members, this decision also creates new opportunities for nursing students at the college. Nursing students will be able to learn their profession under the supervision of their teachers and nurses, explained La Vigie head Mélanie Villeneuve.