Good morning! This is Queen Street Analytics' weekly roundup of regulatory developments, legislative discussions, political announcements and other government-related news concerning colleges, universities, campuses, research initiatives and funding, and the tri-council (CIHR, NSERC, SSHRC) agencies. Every Monday, we break down the most important updates in this space in under five minutes.

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Start Date: 2025-05-11
End Date: 2025-05-19

Top Headlines

Main Stories

Dataset Published on Military Education Levels Since 1997

A new dataset released by National Defence details the highest completed education levels of Canadian Armed Forces officers and non-commissioned members from 1997 to 2018. The Chief of Military Personnel supervises these records as part of broader personnel management, covering recruitment, training, career transition, and educational attainment. The dataset provides cross-sectional data for industry and academic analysis on historical education trends among CAF personnel.

Sources: Open Government Data Set: open.canada.ca

Provincial Announcements

Alberta Invests $15 Million in Mitacs Internship Program

Alberta committed $15 million over three years to the Mitacs Internship Program, enabling over 3,000 internships for post-secondary students and boosting industry collaboration in research and innovation.

Sources: Provincial Announcement: www.alberta.ca

Alberta Launches New North America Initiative at University of Calgary

A $6.5 million provincial investment will advance research on Canada-U.S. relations, partnering with academic institutions across North America and supporting policy development and student training.

Sources: Provincial Announcement: www.alberta.ca

Expanded CIC Indigenous Bursary Program in Saskatchewan

Saskatchewan's Crown Investments Corporation broadened its Indigenous Bursary Program to regional colleges and the Gabriel Dumont Institute, supporting 115 Indigenous students annually with $5,000 bursaries.

Sources: Provincial Announcement: www.saskatchewan.ca

Manitoba Supports Red River College’s New ASL-English Interpretation Program

Manitoba funded $225,000 in renovations and $190,000 for annual operations for RRC Polytech's revamped three-year diploma, aimed at preparing interpreters in ASL-English for school and community settings.

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

Nova Scotia Expands Employment and Education Support for Vulnerable Youth

Nova Scotia announced $415,500 in new funding for bursaries and opportunities supporting post-secondary access for low-income and at-risk youth, including full tuition coverage and targeted bursaries.

Sources: Provincial Announcement: news.novascotia.ca

Manitoba Commits $60 Million for Prairie Innovation Centre at Assiniboine College

The Manitoba government allocated $60 million in capital funding and $60 million in bridge financing to advance construction and training capacity at Assiniboine College’s Prairie Innovation Centre for agriculture.

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

Alberta Launches Online Catalogue of High School Courses

Alberta introduced a new searchable tool to help students, parents, and educators browse and select from thousands of high school courses, including technology, workplace, and locally developed programs.

Sources: Provincial Announcement: www.alberta.ca

Saskatchewan Expands Mental Health Program to More Schools

The Mental Health Capacity Building program receives an extra $1.6 million, extending support to five additional schools, with the initiative to reach all divisions by 2028.

Sources: Provincial Announcement: www.saskatchewan.ca

Saskatchewan Announces 2025–26 Budget Measures, Scholarship Increases

The latest provincial budget includes increasing the Graduate Retention Program to $24,000 and expanding the Saskatchewan Advantage Scholarship to support new post-secondary attendees.

Sources: Provincial Announcement: www.saskatchewan.ca

New Brunswick Invests $5 Million in Université de Moncton Facility Upgrades

Université de Moncton will receive $5 million from the province for upgrades and expansion planning of its physical education and sports centre, supporting both student and community needs.

Sources: Provincial Announcement: www2.gnb.ca

Public Officials' Social Media

MP Chi Nguyen offered congratulations to OCAD University for another successful GradEx and commended the achievements and growth of its students in Toronto.

Sources: Social Media: x.com

MP Ryan Turnbull described a recent discussion with representatives from the Institute for Sustainable Finance at Queen's University on collaboration and parliamentary education.

Sources: Social Media: x.com

MP Karim Bardeesy commented on his role in the development of the Dais public policy and leadership institute at Toronto Metropolitan University since 2017.

Sources: Social Media: x.com

MP Leslie Church attended celebrations for the 100th anniversary of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and the 77th Independence Day of Israel, commending ongoing academic ties.

Sources: Social Media: x.com

MP Brad Vis expressed appreciation for 3,800 Abbotsford students' involvement in Student Vote Canada and highlighted the importance of family conversations around civic education.

Sources: Social Media: x.com

Senator Tony Loffreda reported speaking at McGill on business, leadership, and public service in the Social Context of Business course at Desautels Faculty of Management.

Sources: Social Media: x.com

Senator Tony Loffreda acknowledged meetings with a parliamentary delegation from Ghana and his speaking engagement at McGill University's School of Continuing Studies.

Sources: Social Media: x.com

Senator René Cormier noted the launch of New Brunswick’s Strategy for Francophone Africa (2025–2030) and recognized diplomatic meetings with African ambassadors.

Sources: Social Media: x.com

Senator Paulette Senior shared her experience attending the launch of the Model Senate, an initiative designed to engage over 100 students in democratic participation.

Sources: Social Media: x.com

What We're Reading This Week

• Ontario budget leaves universities and colleges twisting in the wind: Opinion on the implications of the Ontario budget for higher education institutions.
• Ontario's Postsecondary Students and Faculty Have Been Let Down Once Again in the Provincial Budget: Further coverage of budgetary challenges faced by postsecondary institutions in Ontario.
• University of Calgary launches program to study new relationship with the U.S.: The University of Calgary debuts an academic initiative focused on Canada-U.S. relations.