Good morning! This is Queen Street Analytics' weekly roundup of regulatory developments, legislative discussions, political announcements and other government-related news concerning healthcare providers, doctors, physicians, clinicians, pharmacies and pharmacists, dentists, and old-age care providers. Every Monday, we break down the most important updates in this space in under five minutes.

Dates: 2025-07-06 to 2025-07-12

📋 In This Week's Newsletter

• 🇨🇦 Canadian Federal GR News
• 🗺️ Canadian Provincial GR News
• 💬 Government Consultations
• 📱 Public Officials' Social Media
• 📚 What We're Reading This Week

Canadian Federal GR News

Federal Government Commits $1.3 Billion to Research and Healthcare Innovation

On July 9, 2025, Ministers Mélanie Joly and Marjorie Michel announced more than $1.3 billion in funding to support over 9,700 researchers and projects across the country. The allocation spans major granting agencies, including $365.6 million for 4,761 scholarship and fellowship holders through the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), NSERC, and SSHRC. The NSERC Discovery Research Program receives $589 million for nearly 3,000 awardees, while college and community innovation programs are earmarked $29.8 million. SSHRC Insight Grants and Insight Development Grants collectively total $182 million supporting over 1,500 researchers. Additional funding covers Vanier scholarships, Banting fellowships, and partnership grants. The government indicated that supported projects will advance areas such as public health and clinical treatment development. This sum is positioned to fuel clinical research, inform health policy, and may lead to expanded collaboration between institutions and the healthcare sector.

Sources: Announcements: www.canada.ca

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BMO Life Insurance Company Plans Amalgamation

BMO Life Insurance Company and BMO Life Assurance Company intend to file a joint application with the Minister of Finance for letters patent of amalgamation, as disclosed in the July 12 issue of the Canada Gazette. The proposal would see the entities continue as one company under the name 'BMO Life Assurance Company,' headquartered in Toronto. The amalgamation is projected for November 1, 2025, pending regulatory review under the Insurance Companies Act. The notice states that the issuance of the letters patent remains subject to ministerial discretion and standard application review processes. The consolidated firm would operate under new corporate governance, which is expected to impact group benefits administration and insurance services in the healthcare sector.

Sources: Gazette, Part I: www.gazette.gc.ca

New Report on Unmet Needs for Disability Supports Released

Statistics Canada published a study on July 9, 2025, examining factors associated with unmet needs for disability supports based on the 2022 Canadian Survey on Disability. The study documents disparities in access to various types of support services for Canadians with disabilities and highlights demographic and regional characteristics linked to service gaps. Personal support workers, care providers, and policymakers may use these findings to align future service delivery and eligibility frameworks.

Sources: Open Government Data Set: www.statcan.gc.ca

Provisional Data Update: Mortality Trends in Canada

On July 10, 2025, Statistics Canada released updated provisional death counts covering January 2023 to May 2025, derived from the Canadian Vital Statistics Death Database. The report includes interactive dashboards for tracking mortality trends nationally and by province. This resource provides healthcare planners and emergency response coordinators with recent mortality insights for workforce and capacity planning.

Sources: Open Government Data Set: www.statcan.gc.ca

Mental and Physical Health Linked to Social Support Networks

A July 9, 2025 release from Statistics Canada reports that 45% of racialized Canadians experienced discrimination in the last five years (2023/2024). The study concludes that negative health outcomes associated with discrimination are less severe among individuals with strong personal support networks. Mental health professionals and care providers may reference this analysis in community care and patient engagement models.

Sources: Open Government Data Set: www.statcan.gc.ca

Canadian Provincial GR News

Alberta Establishes Regional Health Advisory Councils

Alberta has launched 14 regional health advisory councils, comprising 150 members, to provide feedback on healthcare planning and delivery to provincial ministries and agencies.

Sources: Provincial Announcement: www.alberta.ca

Alberta Appoints First Compassionate Intervention Commissioner

The Alberta government named Jonathan Carlzon as the inaugural commissioner for the Compassionate Intervention Commission, supporting implementation of recent addiction and mental health legislation.

Sources: Provincial Announcement: www.alberta.ca

Saskatchewan Responds to Regina Hospital Physician Culture Report

Saskatchewan’s Ministry of Health, the Saskatchewan Health Authority, and the Saskatchewan Medical Association are collaborating on an external review’s recommendations to improve Regina hospital physician work environments.

Sources: Provincial Announcement: www.saskatchewan.ca

Nova Scotia Expands Health Homes in Halifax

Three new health homes opening in Halifax are set to connect over 20,000 people from the Need a Family Practice Registry with multidisciplinary primary care teams.

Sources: Provincial Announcement: news.novascotia.ca

Manitoba Renews Emergency Air Transport Contract with STARS

Manitoba signed a new agreement with STARS to deliver emergency rotary-wing care and patient transport across the province, reinforcing critical care access for rural communities.

Sources: Provincial Announcement: news.gov.mb.ca

Government Consultations

Stakeholder Feedback Sought for ICH M11 CeSHarP Technical Specification

Health Canada invites responses through July 15, 2025, on the draft guideline regarding the Clinical Electronic Structured Harmonized Protocol, impacting clinical research submissions.

Sources: Canadian Government Consultations: www.canada.ca

Public Input on Gene-Edited Pig Risk Assessment

Environment and Climate Change Canada, in partnership with Health Canada, is accepting submissions until July 20, 2025, on the risk assessment of four gene-edited pig lines as part of a renewed federal chemicals management program.

Sources: Canadian Government Consultations: www.canada.ca

Public Officials' Social Media

Senator Stan Kutcher posted on July 10, referencing the advice of public health experts for measles vaccination, tagging several colleagues and physicians.

Sources: Social Media: x.com

On July 10, Senator Stan Kutcher addressed the importance of relying on credible experts and reliable data in public health discourse via his social media account.

Sources: Social Media: x.com

Senator Kristopher Wells posted on July 7 regarding Alberta Premier Smith, echoing a message from Canadian doctors advocating for evidence-based healthcare decisions.

Sources: Social Media: x.com

What We're Reading This Week

• How a UHN program is changing lives by fostering independence for those with complex needs and disabilities: An overview of a University Health Network initiative targeted at persons with complex medical needs.
• Chamberlain University and SSM Health Launch Landmark Partnership to Address Nursing Shortage: The piece explores collaborative efforts to mitigate nursing shortages.
• Multi-Billion Virtual Healthcare Industry Witnessing Substantial Growth with Rapid Expansion Expected: Analysis of the expanding market for virtual healthcare services.
• ED+PCL Healthcare Partners Reach Financial Close on The Peter Gilgan Mississauga Hospital and Shah Family Hospital for Women and Children: Financial closure reported for two major hospital projects in Mississauga.
• Cycurion, Inc. Announces Diamond Level Partnership with the National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO) to Strengthen Cybersecurity for Local Health Departments: Coverage of a strategic cybersecurity alliance to support health agencies.
• A Life Rewritten: KFSHRC Treats Rare Disease After 22 Years of Specialized Care: Feature on long-term specialized care culminating in rare disease treatment.
• ED+PCL Healthcare Partners Reach Financial Close on The Peter Gilgan Mississauga Hospital and Shah Family Hospital for Women and Children: Repeat financial close report in a separate national outlet.
• ED+PCL Healthcare Partners Reach Financial Close on The Peter Gilgan Mississauga Hospital and Shah Family Hospital for Women and Children: Project financial closure again highlighted in business media.
• Multi-Billion Virtual Healthcare Industry Witnessing Substantial Growth with Rapid Expansion Expected: Another perspective on the virtual healthcare sector’s anticipated expansion.
• Multi-Billion Virtual Healthcare Industry Witnessing Substantial Growth with Rapid Expansion Expected: Further industry coverage on trends in virtual healthcare growth.