September 4, 2026

The University of British Columbia has received $40M from alumni Matthew and Natalie MacIsaac in support of nursing education, research, and practice. In honour of the gift, which UBC says is the largest donation ever made to a school of nursing in Canadian history, the institution has announced that it will name the school the MacIsaac School of Nursing and the facility the MacIsaac Health Building. “At a time when the need for care in our communities is great and growing, the MacIsaac School of Nursing will provide exceptional talent and new innovations and approaches to improve patient care,” said UBC President Dr Benoit-Antoine Bacon.

PitchBook has released its annual ranking of universities that have a track record for graduating entrepreneurs. This ranking compares universities according to metrics such as the number of alumni entrepreneurs and the capital they raised between 2015 and 2026. Separate rankings are created for founders with undergraduate, graduate (including MBA), or MBA degrees. At the undergraduate level, the top three performing Canadian universities were University of Waterloo (#7), the University of Toronto (#17), and McGill University (#23). At the graduate level, the top performing Canadian institutions were U of T (#26), the University of British Columbia (tied for #54), and UWaterloo (tied for #54). Among MBAs, the top Canadian institutions were U of T (#39), York University (#41), and Western University (#42). PitchBook notes that UWaterloo is the first Canadian university to be included in the top 10 for the undergraduate ranking.

Dalhousie University has received a more than $1M donation from the Isabel Bader Charitable Trust to create two annual scholarships for Indigenous nursing students. The Isabel Overton Bader Graduate Scholarships in Indigenous Nursing will provide approximately $21K annually to selected students, which Dal CIHR Chair in Indigenous Health Nursing Dr Margot Latimer said will help fill a gap in nursing. “Nursing practice, education and research have been missing the scholarly contributions of Indigenous nursing knowledge, and this exciting gift will engage Mi’kmaw and Indigenous nurses in Master’s and PhD career tracks, which will directly translate to necessary Indigenous-led nursing policy, education, and health system-level change,” concluded Latimer.

In a recent article for University Affairs, two sides of former postsecondary labour negotiations come together to share what made their relationship constructive. Tracey Jandrists (CAUBO) and Herb Junze (University of Guelph) explain that they “were never really on opposite sides.” Their disagreements came more as a result of the responsibilities they were required to meet in their respective roles rather than through differences in values. They describe how they built their relationship by prioritizing direct communication, moving from trying to convince the other party to trying to understand the most reasonable solution, and recognizing that each side is ultimately working to support the same university.

As students moved in to their residences at the University of Alberta, one student’s trip was more arduous than most others. First-year student Aven McKay spent a week canoeing the 500km from her home in Banff to her UAlberta residence in Edmonton. McKay, who made half of the journey with her father, said that she used the time to mentally prepare for her time at UAlberta. “I was really, really scared of moving into my dorms and just meeting all of my roommates […], but I decided that if I paddled to Edmonton first and I spent a week by myself in the wilderness, it might seem a little less scary.” In her interview with CBC Radio, McKay reflected on the difficulties faced in the journey, as well as the wildlife seen along the way.

The Waterloo Regional Police Service recently issued a warning to students about rental scams. “We’re creating a lot more public awareness this year just because of what we’ve seen in the past and because we’ve already started to receive reports about it,” said WRPS Public Information Officer Constable Chris Iden. WRPS provided several clues to look for when identifying scams: use of stolen images for legitimate rental websites, below-market rental prices, scammers creating a sense of urgency for payment, and landlords refusing to meet in person. Representatives from the student unions at the University of Waterloo and Wilfrid Laurier University encouraged students to also look to resources provided by their university for more information about their rights as tenants.

Sprott Shaw College’s Bastion and Bay Street campuses will be moving into one space—a new Victoria Campus—in October. The college will deliver all classes, student services, and administrative operations from the Victoria Campus. This move is intended to unify the campus community and maintain the college’s personalized supports. “This campus move marks an exciting milestone as we continue investing in student success, accessibility, and a connected learning experience,” states the college in a release.

A new residence building project at the University of Windsor has stalled. CTV News reports that the building was 3D-printed and was scheduled to be ready for move-in in Fall 2026. A UWindsor statement explained that “while [the residence’s] materials have been tested and exceed current safety standards, they have not yet been formally incorporated into the Building Code for a structure of this type. The University is working with project partners to advance that process.” The 3D-printed concrete at the site and the tower used to place the concrete have reportedly been removed, while the foundation is still at the site.

Teams from Dalhousie University and the University of Calgary have each launched apps to help students with common affordability concerns. In Atlantic Canada, over 100 users have used SubSwap, an app created by three Dal alumni to help students to find subleases and roommates. Verified students can set up profiles to find housing and roommates based on compatibility factors like budget and living preferences. Meanwhile, two UCalgary students have created an app to connect UCalgary students so that they can carpool to campus. UCalgary students who sign up as drivers will be able to locate students living near them with similar schedules, and have their costs split amongst the passengers that they carpool with. The founders hope to launch the app this fall.

Two campuses experienced evacuations earlier this week. Fanshawe College evacuated multiple buildings on Monday due to an electrical safety concern. CTV News reports that an electrical transformer began emitting smoke. The buildings were reopened on Tuesday. At the University of Victoria, the Ian Stewart Complex was evacuated due to an air quality concern. Victoria News reports that the evacuation happened after a carbon monoxide leak, and three staff members were assessed for carbon monoxide exposure. The building remained closed for the day.