September 13, 2026 to September 19, 2026

This is Queen Street Analytics' weekly digest of regulatory developments, legislative discussions and other government-related news concerning colleges, universities, campuses, international students, student housing, research initiatives, tri-council (CIHR, NSERC, SSHRC) agencies and funding opportunities. Once a week, we break down the most important updates in this space in under five minutes.

Want to see GR activities in areas of the economy related to the Higher Ed channel? Don't miss this week's updates in Social Issues. Also consider subscribing to our Higher Ed - Washington edition covering critical GR news south of the border.

📋 In This Week's Newsletter

• 🏛️ This Week's Parliamentary Calendar
• 🇨🇦 Federal Government News
• 🗺️ Provincial Government News
• 💬 Government Consultations
• 📚 What We're Reading This Week

This Week's Parliamentary Calendar

• Science and Research Committee (SRSR) to review the External Advisory Panel’s report on scientific information in French – September 22: On September 22, the Science and Research Committee will hear witnesses on the report of the External Advisory Panel concerning the creation and dissemination of scientific information in French, from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
• Science and Research Committee (SRSR) follows up on panel report regarding scientific information in French – September 24: The Committee reconvenes on September 24 from 3:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., with further testimony from academic leaders and federal research council representatives on practices in French-language scientific knowledge dissemination.
• Standing Senate Committee on Transport and Communications discusses Division 17 of Part 4 of Bill C-31 – September 22: On September 22, the Senate committee will consider Division 17 of Part 4 of Bill C-31, with scheduled witnesses from national airlines, airport associations, and academic experts in air and space law.

Federal Government News

Government of Canada launches Team Canada Strong to drive skilled trades recruitment and training

Employment and Social Development Canada has launched Team Canada Strong, an $8 billion initiative to recruit, train, and hire 80,000 to 100,000 new Red Seal skilled trades workers by 2030–31. Minister Patty Hajdu announced that the Team Canada Strong Youth Placements program is now open for Expressions of Interest from organizations connecting young Canadians to paid skilled trades opportunities, with placements of up to four months available beginning in early 2027. The initiative includes a $5,000 completion bonus for new Red Seal trades certification, a Build Canada Apprenticeship Service offering up to $10,000 for small and medium-sized employers to hire first-year apprentices, and plans for an Apprenticeship Training Grant providing a $400 weekly top-up to eligible apprentices beginning January 2027. A $2 billion federal investment is set aside for new bilateral agreements with provinces and territories to further expand pre-apprenticeship and technical training programs.

Sources: www.canada.ca, www.canada.ca

Federal government pledges $67M to dual-use life sciences sector through Life Sciences Fund

Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada will invest $67 million through the Life Sciences Fund for five projects, supporting both health and defence innovation. Beneficiaries include Applied Pharmaceutical Innovation (Alberta), Avivo Biomedical Inc. (British Columbia), Northern RNA (Alberta), Qidni Labs (Ontario), and STEMCELL Technologies (British Columbia), with funding directed towards antimicrobial drug supply, blood transfusion and organ transplant technologies, RNA manufacturing, hemodialysis systems, and biomanufacturing of cell culture media. The Fund also allocates grants to national research hubs—for example, University of Toronto's Drug Supply Observatory and Ottawa Hospital Research Institute's Canadian Biobank Alliance. Capacity-building and pandemic preparedness initiatives will be supported, enhancing Canada's resilience and innovation infrastructure.

Sources: www.canada.ca

Canada and Germany announce joint $150M investment in safe-by-design AI development via LawZero

Minister Evan Solomon and Germany’s Dr. Karsten Wildberger announced joint investments of CAD 150 million and EUR 100 million in LawZero, headquartered in Montréal, to develop a new paradigm of advanced AI that is inherently transparent and trustworthy. The initiative aims to reduce reliance on foreign AI platforms and is expected to create 360 full-time jobs in Canada. LawZero will receive support for research talent and computing capacity as part of Canada's National Artificial Intelligence Strategy, with infrastructure partnerships involving Hypertec and 5C. German funding is subject to European Commission notice and will facilitate regulatory integration. LawZero's initial focus is on tools for AI system assessment, progressing toward a new methodology for advanced, safe AI models.

Sources: www.canada.ca

Canada backs $52.5B private sector investment in sovereign AI infrastructure in Saskatchewan

The Government of Canada has welcomed Bell Canada's plan to boost AI computing capacity in Saskatchewan by up to 900 megawatts, aiming to build a 1.2-gigawatt AI infrastructure hub and add an estimated 4,500 jobs. The total anticipated private investment is up to $52.5 billion, noted as the largest such investment in Saskatchewan. The new data centre infrastructure is positioned to serve AI, education, research, and critical government needs. The project is guided by Responsible Data Centre Development Principles, and future announcements will follow further community engagement and consultations.

Sources: www.canada.ca

Canada hosts ALL IN 2026: AI leadership, open-source consortium, and Germany-Canada collaborations announced

ALL IN 2026, hosted by Scale AI, served as Canada’s main AI conference this year, with opening and closing keynotes from Minister Evan Solomon. During the event, a new Canadian-led open-source AI consortium between Mila, Mozilla, and Hypertec was announced, focused on democratizing access to advanced AI tools for small and medium-sized businesses. Additional announcements featured a new research partnership between Mila and Germany's DFKI, and activities related to the Sovereign Technology Alliance—co-chaired by Canada and Germany—to facilitate joint progress on AI, digital infrastructure, and critical technologies.

Sources: www.canada.ca

First operational meeting of the Sovereign Technology Alliance convenes Canada-Germany digital collaboration

On September 17, Minister Evan Solomon and Dr. Karsten Wildberger held the initial co-chairs’ meeting of the Sovereign Technology Alliance on the margins of ALL IN. The STA is intended as a platform for Canada, Germany, and additional partners to coordinate on strategies for sovereign digital infrastructure, fortified artificial intelligence, and enhanced technology supply chain resilience.

Sources: www.canada.ca

Minister Anand scheduled to address Carleton University’s NPSIA 60th anniversary

Minister Anita Anand is set to deliver remarks at Carleton University’s Norman Paterson School of International Affairs on its 60th anniversary, bringing together students, alumni, faculty, and international affairs stakeholders. The event will include a question and answer session with Director Dr. Yiagadeesen Samy and remarks by MP Yasir Naqvi. No scrum is planned after the event.

Sources: www.canada.ca

FedNor invests $835,777 in youth employment and Indigenous-led initiatives in Northern Ontario

Minister Patty Hajdu announced $835,777 for 15 projects under FedNor to bolster youth employment and accelerate Indigenous-led economic development in Northern Ontario. Fourteen paid internships will be created, and projects will support opportunities for young people in the region. Since 2015, the initiative has led to 283 internships, with most participants retaining employment in the region.

Sources: www.canada.ca

Statistics Canada posts 2026/2027 Tuition and Living Accommodation Costs data

Statistics Canada has released the 2026/2027 Tuition and Living Accommodation Costs Survey, presenting updated data on tuition and compulsory fees for undergraduate and graduate degree programs by field of study and student status. The dataset covers all provinces and territories, offering sector stakeholders current metrics for cost trends in post-secondary education.

Sources: www.statcan.gc.ca

Provincial Government News

Ontario allocates funding for 2,861 new seats at Ontario Tech and Durham College to expand workforce pipelines

Ontario is investing $79 million to add 2,861 seats at Ontario Tech University and Durham College, focusing on health, STEM, trades, and education programs as part of a province-wide expansion supporting 70,000 new postsecondary seats.

Sources: news.ontario.ca

Humber Polytechnic receives $32M for nearly 2,000 new postsecondary program seats

Ontario is dedicating $32 million to fund 1,971 new seats at Humber Polytechnic, with a concentration on health care, STEM, and skilled trades, available to students beginning fall 2026.

Sources: news.ontario.ca

Manitoba reports surge in apprenticeship training; certification highest in five years

Manitoba's government announced the certification of more journeypersons this year than in the previous five, with apprentices completing 21% of hours on key construction projects, surpassing prior targets. Budget 2026 included a $7.2 million increase for apprenticeship training and certification.

Sources: news.gov.mb.ca

Thompson Rivers University in B.C. to offer over 800 new skilled-trades seats

TRU will add more than 800 trades-training seats as part of B.C.'s Look West strategy, contributing to 5,000 new trades seats province-wide for 2026–27.

Sources: news.gov.bc.ca

Cape Breton University launches master's program in healthcare leadership and innovation

Cape Breton University has introduced a 16-month graduate program in healthcare leadership and innovation, with the first cohort of 26 students starting on September 9. The program is linked to Nova Scotia’s workforce development agreement.

Sources: news.novascotia.ca

Government Consultations

Consultation open on boosting transparency and trust in artificial intelligence systems

Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada is accepting input until September 23, 2026, on mechanisms to increase transparency for AI-generated content as part of the national AI strategy.

Sources: ised-isde.canada.ca

What We're Reading This Week

• Powering innovation, commercialization and data sovereignty across Canada: An overview of infrastructure and innovation investments shaping Canadian data sovereignty.
• Empowering girls to lead in a future with artificial intelligence: Examining initiatives aimed at improving AI engagement opportunities for female students.
• The hidden cost of going to university in Canada, and the one place still keeping it cheap: A look at university expenses nationwide and factors maintaining lower costs in Newfoundland and Labrador.
• Here’s why employers say university degrees are still worth it, but not on their own: Interview with hiring experts on the current value of university degrees in the workplace.
• Christopher Liew: The university expenses students and parents forget to save for: Discussion of overlooked costs in postsecondary education and financial planning for students.

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