Good morning! This is Queen Street Analytics' weekly roundup of regulatory developments, legislative discussions, political announcements and other government-related news concerning social advocacy issues. Every Monday, we break down the most important updates in this space in under five minutes.

Want to see GR activities in areas related to Social Issues? Don’t miss this week’s updates in Arts & Culture and Indigenous Affairs.

Dates: 2025-08-24 to 2025-08-30

📋 In This Week's Newsletter

• 🇨🇦 Canadian Federal GR News
• 🗺️ Canadian Provincial GR News
• 📚 What We're Reading This Week

Canadian Federal GR News

Ottawa Reaffirms 2SLGBTQI+ Action Plan and Details New Initiatives

The Honourable Rechie Valdez, Minister for Women and Gender Equality, announced new measures and marked achievements under the Federal 2SLGBTQI+ Action Plan in Vancouver. The government reported allocation of $25 million to support the 2SLGBTQI+ Entrepreneurship Program and an additional $75 million over several years to more than 160 projects that build capacity within 2SLGBTQI+ organizations. The federal Action Plan also includes Unity, a public awareness campaign aimed at disrupting stigma through practical engagement. Security for Pride festivals has gained targeted support via $3 million in new funding to Fierté Canada Pride, aiming to offset growing security and insurance costs as hate incidents rise. Notably, this support is part of broader efforts under Canada's Action Plan on Combatting Hate. Minister Valdez was joined by MPs Hedy Fry and Wade Chang to reiterate priorities on inclusion and public safety for 2SLGBTQI+ individuals at the event.

Sources: Announcements: www.canada.ca

Federal Funding Targets Youth Substance Use Prevention in Communities

Hon. Marjorie Michel, Minister of Health, announced a $2.9 million investment through the Youth Substance Use Prevention Program (YSUPP), supporting four projects in Alberta and Ontario. The initiative builds upon the $3.1 million previously committed in June 2024 for adopting the Icelandic Prevention Model, known internationally for its collaborative framework. Each supported community project will receive up to $750,000 over three years, with a focus on evaluating and adapting community-specific interventions to curb youth substance use. Program priorities involve strengthening local environments through multi-stakeholder collaboration, data-informed planning, and targeted youth engagement. The announcement addresses ongoing challenges in substance use and related harms among Canadian youth, particularly in settings already engaged with the IPM.

Sources: Announcements: www.canada.ca

Support Extended for Children and Youth Affected by Abuse in Saskatchewan

The Department of Justice Canada confirmed over $470,000 in federal investments to facilitate the Moose Jaw Little Oak Child and Youth Justice Centre and to expand the Victim Services Responder program for Saskatchewan. The initiative, announced by Hon. Buckley Belanger on behalf of Justice Minister Sean Fraser, incorporates trauma-informed services and safe spaces for young victims and their families. Both federal and provincial governments are collaborating to create environments that streamline access to support and oversight by multidisciplinary teams. The funding is sourced from Justice Canada’s Victims Fund, with a dual focus on increasing service provider capacity and raising awareness of available supports within the province.

Sources: Announcements: www.canada.ca

Diversity Disclosure on Federal Boards and Senior Management Marks Fifth Year

Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada, under Minister Mélanie Joly, released the fifth annual Corporations Canada diversity disclosure report, detailing the state of diversity on boards and in senior management among federal distributing corporations. The 2024 report shows measurable increases in representation on boards of directors and within senior leadership teams, continuing trends established over the past four years. The publication is part of ongoing requirements for Canadian public companies to disclose diversity data, in accordance with federal statutes. Minister Joly acknowledged the ongoing nature of these disclosures for business competitiveness but noted that improving meaningful diversity at senior levels still requires further action. The department provides additional resources for businesses to comply with corporate governance expectations.

Sources: Announcements: www.canada.ca

Federal and BC Governments Announce Increased Child Care Investments

Secretary of State Anna Gainey and BC Minister Lisa Beare announced creation of 640 new licensed child care spaces across 12 school communities in British Columbia, backed by $23.5 million in ChildCareBC and Canada-wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement funding. The expansion extends a 2021–2026 agreement to 2031, and forms part of broader efforts leading to over 166,000 new affordable spaces across Canada by August 2025. These measures are projected to benefit approximately 900,000 children nationwide, lowering family expenses and serving as on-site training environments for early childhood educators. Since 2018, British Columbia's share of new spaces funded by ChildCareBC has surpassed 41,500, with 26,200 currently operational.

Sources: Announcements: www.canada.ca

Saskatchewan Postsecondary Campuses Receive Child Care Infrastructure Boost

Government of Canada and Saskatchewan announced $10.8 million to expand on-campus early learning and child care, creating 540 new spaces at Saskatchewan Polytechnic campuses and Northlands College. Announced by Hon. Buckley Belanger and Hon. Anna Gainey, this initiative supports students, faculty, and staff and doubles as training grounds for new early childhood educators. The measure represents part of Canada’s nationwide target of 166,000 additional spaces since 2021, with Saskatchewan now at 84% of its provincial target of 28,000 by March 2026.

Sources: Announcements: www.canada.ca

StatCan Releases Data on Payroll Employment and Job Vacancies, June 2025

Latest Survey of Employment, Payrolls and Hours data from Statistics Canada show a net decrease of 32,900 payroll jobs (-0.2%) in June, following May’s increase of 18,500 (+0.1%). Overall, year-on-year payroll employment edged up by 41,000 (+0.2%). This data provides a national context for employment trends and is a relevant indicator for organizations tracking workforce composition and sector-specific labour market changes.

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

Canada Community-Building Fund Allocates $326M to British Columbia Infrastructure

The federal government is distributing more than $326 million in transfers to British Columbia via the Canada Community-Building Fund (CCBF) for the 2025-26 period, administered locally by the Union of B.C. Municipalities. Funds cover priority projects such as public transit, water systems, and recreation spaces. In Surrey, funding has facilitated construction of a new sports field and safety improvements at Tamanawis Park. CCBF, designed to give municipal governments flexibility in planning local infrastructure, is a central element of Ottawa's housing and community strategy.

Sources: Announcements: www.canada.ca

Federal Infrastructure Funding Announced for Prince Edward Island

Prince Edward Island will receive more than $18.75 million in federal infrastructure funding for 2025. The announcement, held in Stratford, pointed to investments such as the Stratford Waterfront Park, granted over $890,000 in CCBF allocations. The Community-Building Fund is intended to foster growth through local transit, water systems, and other foundational projects, targeting the dual objectives of housing readiness and community connectivity.

Sources: Announcements: www.canada.ca

StatsCan Business Survey: Cost and Labour Challenges Foremost for Q3 2025

Statistics Canada’s Q3 2025 Canadian Survey on Business Conditions identifies ongoing cost- and labour-related challenges as top obstacles reported by businesses, although the portion of respondents citing these concerns has dropped slightly from the second quarter. Optimism about business conditions remains comparable to previous periods. These trends are notable for industry groups tracking ongoing economic uncertainty, supply constraints, or workforce planning.

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

Canadian International Trade Tribunal Decision Favors Complaint on ESDC Training Bid

The Canadian International Trade Tribunal concluded that Resolution Alliance Inc.’s complaint regarding Employment and Social Development Canada’s procurement process for call centre training was valid, specifically on the technical evaluation of prior experience. The Tribunal’s findings indicate consistency requirements in the evaluation of technical proposals for federal contracts. Further information about the case is available from the CITT Registry.

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

Canadian Provincial GR News

Manitoba Targets Youth Sexual Exploitation with $150,000 Support

The Manitoba government approved $150,000 for Tracia’s Trust regional teams to address sexual exploitation and trafficking, supporting local education and events to protect children and youth.

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

Ontario Invests $16.5M in Black Youth Action Plan Programs

Ontario committed $16.5 million for over 65 Black-focused youth programs, building on the Black Youth Action Plan’s Economic Empowerment stream and supporting organizations such as YTF, YAAACE, and the OYA Black Arts Coalition.

Sources: Provincial Announcement: news.ontario.ca

Saskatchewan Provides $1.3M to Upgrade Disability Group Homes and Day Programs

Saskatchewan announced approximately $1.3 million in capital grants to improve safety and accessibility in group homes and day programs for adults with intellectual disabilities, supporting upgrades in 21 organizations.

Sources: Provincial Announcement: www.saskatchewan.ca

Ontario Increases Indigenous Energy Support Program Funding by $10M

The Ontario government added $10 million to the Indigenous Energy Support Program, raising its annual commitment to $25 million to expand Indigenous participation in electricity generation, transmission, and innovation.

Sources: Provincial Announcement: news.ontario.ca

Quebec Issues New Call for Cultural Projects to Enrich Education Pathways

Quebec’s Ministry of Culture and Communications launched a new call for arts and educational project proposals, open from August 25 to October 6, 2025, to broaden cultural activities from preschool to college.

Sources: Provincial Announcement: www.quebec.ca

What We're Reading This Week

• Advocates warn federal budget cuts could reduce diversity and inclusion initiatives: Advocacy groups caution that recent fiscal policies may impact ongoing diversity and inclusion efforts.
• B.C. organizations share concerns about women’s rights and equality with federal minister: Community groups discussed challenges related to women’s rights in meetings with federal officials.
• Saint John mayor calls homelessness ‘social emergency’ in open letter to premier: The mayor of Saint John described the local homelessness situation as a 'social emergency' in a public appeal.
• Voting Rights and Capital: New article examines ongoing debates over voting rights frameworks and their intersections with capital ownership.
• Where’s the Commitment? Provincial Silence on Big Tobacco Payouts Leaves Canadians Wondering if Lung Health Will be Left Behind, Says National Lung Health Alliance: The National Lung Health Alliance raises concerns about the future of lung health funding.
• With help from the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, Ontario kids learn about stopping gender-based violence: A sports outreach initiative addresses gender-based violence prevention education in Ontario.
• Quebec committee recommends extending religious symbol ban to public daycares: Policy recommendations could broaden Quebec’s restrictions on religious symbols to include public daycares.
• This P.E.I. non-profit has been helping Islanders with mobility issues get around for 50 years: Documentary covers a long-standing P.E.I. organization supporting mobility access.
• Advocates warn federal budget cuts could reduce diversity and inclusion initiatives: Additional reporting on potential reductions in federally funded diversity and inclusion projects.

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