GOVERNMENT FUNDING & NEWS

Trump pauses “reciprocal” tariffs; buying Canadian could add $10 billion annually to Canada’s economy

U.S. President Donald Trump authorized a 90-day pause on “reciprocal” tariffs, implementing a “baseline” 10-percent tariff on dozens of countries while raising tariffs against China to 125 percent.

China retaliated by raising its tariffs on U.S. products to 125 percent from 84 percent.

Canada is exempt from the 10-percent baseline tariff, the White House said. However, U.S. tariffs remain on Canadian steel, aluminum, auto parts and vehicles that aren’t compliant with the non-American vehicle components of Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA) products.

Also, 25-percent tariffs on all Canadian imports and 10 percent on Canadian energy apply to all non-CUSMA compliant goods.

Stocks surged to one of their biggest gains since World War II after Trump paused his tariffs against most other nations.

However, the S&P/TSX composite index is still below where it was when Trump announced his sweeping set of tariffs last week.

Meanwhile, a shift towards buying Canadian-made goods in protest of U.S. tariffs could add about $10 billion to the Canadian economy annually, lifting growth by an estimated 0.3 percentage points, according to a report by BMO senior economist Robert Kavcic.

The challenge is that Canada is a significant net importer of household products, cars and consumer electronics, Kavcic said.

Statistics Canada data shows that more than 20 percent of final household consumption is dependent on imports, either directly (finished products) or indirectly (inputs that are used to create a final good in Canada).

More specifically, 35 percent of household consumer goods are reliant on direct and indirect imports, and that share would rise above 40 percent for goods that Kavcic’s report deems to be realistically substitutable.

Phones and other consumer tech are also highly import-dependent. More than 40 percent of the value added in clothing is imported, predominantly from outside the U.S. 

“Avoiding imports altogether is almost impossible and doing so partially could come at a higher price,” Kavic’s report says. “The availability of close substitutes is arguably the biggest challenge and, if [substitutes are] found, Canadians could have to pay up.”

Canada spends a significant amount on procurement through all levels of government. According to the Organisation for Economic Development and Co-operation (OECD), procurement spending topped 13 percent of GDP in Canada as of 2021, slightly above the OECD average.

Some jurisdictions are directing public spending toward domestic businesses and goods, Kavcic’s report notes.

“The challenges again are that there aren’t always ideal substitutes for procured goods/services, the shift might come at a higher cost, and companies could have domestic operations that ultimately see profits flow outside Canada,” the report says.

Based on data from CanadaBuys, 91 percent of procurement contracts signed since mid-2023 were to businesses that already had a Canadian address. “That suggests a somewhat limited scope for a shift.”

Canadians invested a net $26 billion abroad in equities and $87 billion in bonds, the report says.

Some of the federal political conversation has been around favourable tax treatment of investment dollars reinvested back into Canada.

Canada’s largest pension funds hold more than $2 trillion in assets, and there has been ongoing discussion about their role in investing in Canada. In some cases (such as Quebec’s CDPQ), there is already a mandate to focus some investment locally.

“The cost, however, is that any immediate economic benefit could come with a sacrifice of optimal asset allocation for long-term returns,” Kavcic’s report says.

Canadian investors already have a significant home allocation bias. While the Canada Pension Plan has roughly 11 percent of assets allocated in Canada, individual investors already hold about 50 percent of their equity exposure domestically – a massive overweight versus a less than three percent weight in the MSCI global index.

“There are tax advantages of course, but it doesn’t leave a lot of room for a further shift into Canada,” the report says.

Kavcic said a key takeaway from his report is that “Patriotism doesn’t come without a cost – in this case, less selection and most likely higher prices.”

Canada’s counter-tariffs on the U.S. will increase the inflation rate by 0.6 percentage points this year than it would be without Canada’s response, because some of the tariffed products can’t be easily replaced and will cost more for Canadian businesses and households, according to a report by Desjardins economists.

Canadian tariffs on selected U.S products also would weaken the economy and shave 0.3 percentage points off Canada’s GDP, they said.

Philip Cross, former Statistics Canada chief economist, said the wiser response would be to “play dead” and let American tariffs on Canada, Europe and Asia raise prices in the U.S. until American businesses and consumers pressure Trump to eliminate them.

In a letter to La Presse, Cross said “there is no chance” that car production will move from Canada to the U.S. before the end of Trump’s term, meaning car prices will increase dramatically for Americans. CTV News, BMO, La Presse

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The Government of Ontario announced approximately $11 billion in relief and support for workers and businesses to protect the province’s economy from economic uncertainty and the impact of U.S. tariffs. “We can’t control President Trump, but we’re in full control of the kind of future we build for ourselves. The best way to protect Ontario is to build the most competitive economy in the G7, breaking down internal trade barriers and diversifying our trade so we can build a more resilient, prosperous and secure province,” Premier Doug Ford said in a statement. As a first step to support workers and businesses, the province is:

• Deferring select provincially administered taxes for six months from April 1, 2025 to October 1, 2025, giving businesses and job creators approximately $9 billion worth of cash flow they need to keep workers employed and weather the economic turmoil.
• Through the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board, issuing a further $2-billion rebate for safe employers to support businesses and help keep workers on the job, in addition to the previous $2-billion rebate distributed in March.

To protect Ontario’s economy, the government said will deliver on its mandate to break down internal trade barriers and make the province’s economy the most competitive in the G7, including by speeding up timelines and approvals for development, diversifying trading partners and helping businesses if they need to retool and retrain workers for new customers in new markets. Govt. of Ontario

The Government of British Columbia updated its direction to ministries, health authorities and core Crown corporations to critically review all contracts with U.S. companies to decrease the province’s dependence on goods and services from U.S. suppliers. The new directives order the B.C. government, where viable, to:

• exclude goods and services from U.S. suppliers under existing contracts with U.S. suppliers.
• exclude goods and services from U.S. suppliers under the B.C. government’s goods and services catalogue and other corporate supply arrangements.
• cancel subscriptions to U.S. publications and non-essential software.
• avoid non-essential travel to the U.S.
• avoid renewal of, and pause participation in, U.S. industry and related associations.
• develop mid- and long-term strategies to reduce dependence on goods and services from U.S. suppliers.
• exclude goods and services from U.S. suppliers pursuant to opportunities created by core government transfers.

The B.C. government continues to be directed to exclude goods and services from U.S. suppliers in new procurement activities, wherever possible. Govt. of B.C.

Municipal politicians across Canada have written a letter to the five main federal party leaders calling for climate-related actions they say would improve the country's resilience to environmental calamities. The group includes Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante; Jasper, Alta.,  Mayor Richard Ireland; Banff, Alta., Mayor Corrie DiManno, former Toronto mayor David Miller; Princeton, B.C., Mayor Spencer Coyne;  Ben Hendriksen, deputy mayor of Yellowknife; and Sheilagh O’Leary, deputy mayor of St. John’s, Nfld. A total of 128 mayors, deputy mayors, city councillors and area directors signed on. Conspicuous by her absence is Calgary Mayor Jyoti Gondek, who in 2021 was criticized early in her job for declaring a climate emergency in the city, whose economy has largely been built on fossil fuels. In the letter, the mayors and councillors said their ideas would create jobs and use Canadian steel, aluminum and lumber – sectors of the economy hit by American tariffs – and they appear to take aim at the Liberals' and Conservatives' focus on resource extraction projects to make the economy less dependent on the U.S. The group wants the next federal government to build a national East-West-North clean electric grid; move ahead with a high-speed rail network; build two million non-market energy-efficient homes; and fund a "national resilience, response and recovery strategy” to prepare for climate-related disasters. The letter suggests paying for the projects by redirecting billions of dollars in fossil fuel subsidies and increasing taxes on big polluters. "Let's be honest: new pipelines require massive public handouts, trample on Indigenous sovereignty and mean more climate disasters hitting our cities and towns in years to come," the letter says. Elbows Up for Climate Action

The U.S. Department of Commerce said it plans to more than double the combined anti-dumping and countervailing duties against most Canadian softwood lumber producers to 34.45 per cent. The preliminary plans for higher duty rates, which are set to take effect by September, are a prelude to a new investigation into lumber that could hit Canada hard. Last month, U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order that launched the probe, which could result in introducing tariffs globally on imports of softwood and other wood products. The investigation is scheduled to be completed by the end of this year. Most forests in Canada are on Crown land, where buyers pay “stumpage fees” to provincial governments for the right to log. The U.S. has alleged that these fees are too low and that they amount to subsidies. The Americans have levied countervailing duties in retaliation, including against various government programs in Canada that are viewed as subsidies. The Green Party of Canada called for the immediate development of a federal strategic reserve of softwood lumber and other essential resources to protect Canadian interests, stabilize prices and revitalize domestic industries. The Green Party also urged a stop to raw log exports and prioritize domestic milling and processing, and use Canadian lumber to build climate-resilient, culturally appropriate public housing – particularly on First Nations reserves where housing needs are acute. The Globe and Mail, Green Party of Canada

Liberal Leader Mark Carney said a re-elected Liberal government would cut years off the review process for major resource projects to help make Canada an "energy superpower" in clean energy and oil and natural gas. Carney pledged to create a Major Federal Project Office mandated to make decisions on projects within two years rather than five and to consolidate various governmental processes into a "single window." Carney also confirmed he'll keep the controversial federal Impact Assessment Act, which the Alberta government and petroleum sector have derided as the "no pipelines act." However, under revisions to the Act made last year, Carney said he’ll urge supportive premiers and Indigenous governments to make co-operation agreements with Ottawa by this fall, to allow provincial or territorial assessments to "substitute" for federal reviews. Currently, only British Columbia has a substitution deal. Carney said his government would also:

• create a new First and Last Mile Fund to connect critical mineral projects to supply chains.
• double the Indigenous Loan Guarantee Program to $10 billion and expand it to support more Indigenous-led infrastructure, transportation and trade projects across the country.
• work with provinces and territories to build out an East-West electricity grid.
• develop a trade and energy corridor, along with provinces, territories and Indigenous partners, for transport, energy, critical minerals and digital connectivity. CBC News, Liberal Party of Canada

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre announced he will create a new “One and Done” rule for resource projects – a one-stop “Rapid Resource Project Office” to handle regulatory approvals across all levels of government, with one simple application and one environmental review. There will be a target goal of decisions on applications in six months, with an upper time limit of one year, giving businesses certainty, cutting delays and getting shovels in the ground faster, he said. Poilievre also said he’ll rapidly approve 10 projects that have been stuck for years in the slow federal approval process. They will include Phase II of LNG Canada, a massive natural gas liquefaction project in northern British Columbia. A Conservative government will also establish the Canadian Indigenous Opportunities Corporation to offer loan guarantees for local Indigenous-led resource projects. The other nine projects that Poilievre said his government would rapidly approve are:

• Suncor Base Mine Extension (Alberta): Expansion of an existing mine anticipated to produce 225,000 barrels per day of bitumen froth. Under assessment with the federal Impact Assessment Agency of Canada (IAAC) since 2020.
• Rook 1 Uranium Mine (Saskatchewan): A development-stage uranium project expected to be a major source of low-cost uranium. Approval process started in 2019 with the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission.
• Springpole Lake Gold (Ontario): A proposed gold and silver mine with an on-site metal mill. Under assessment with the IAAC since 2018.
• Upper Beaver Gold Mine (Ontario): A proposed underground gold and copper mine. Under assessment with the IAAC since 2021.
• Northern Road Link (Ontario): A proposed all-season, multi-use road in northern Ontario. Under assessment with the IAAC since 2023.
• Crawford Nickel Project (Ontario): A proposed nickel-cobalt mine with an on-site metal mill. Under assessment with the IAAC since 2022.
• Troilus Gold and Copper Mine (Quebec): A proposed gold and copper mine. Under assessment with the IAAC since 2022.
• Sorel-Tracy Port Terminal (Quebec): A proposed new port terminal in the industrial-port area of Sorel-Tracy. Under assessment with the IAAC since 2022.
• Cape Ray Gold and Silver Mine (Newfoundland): A proposed gold and silver mine with a milling complex. Under assessment with the IAAC since 2017. Conservative Party of Canada

More than 150 CEOs of Canadian scale-up companies signed an open letter to the leaders of the major federal political parties calling for a strategy for Canadian prosperity. Coordinated by the Council of Canadian Innovators, the letter calls for reforms to government procurement to prioritize Canadian companies. “Why is the federal government’s Strategic Innovation Fund still writing cheques to multibillion-dollar foreign nationals, when it was created as a signature ‘Canadian innovation program?’” the CEOs ask. “Why are Canadian tax dollars funding academic research that ends up commercialized by U.S. tech giants? What is the government doing to ensure that Canadian university grads are looking for exciting careers in Canada?” Along with government procurement reform, Canada needs a bold industrial strategy, domestic capacity building and economic sovereignty, the CEOs said. Signatories include Dax Dasilva at Lightspeed, Adrian Schauer at Alaya Care, Nicole Janssen at AltaML, Frank Baylis at Baylis Medical Technologies, Andrew Graham at Borrowell, Sana Remekie at Conscia, Lori Weir at Four Eyes Financial, Nicolas Beique at Helcim, Sam Pillar at Jobber, Adam Belsher at Magnet Forensics, David Ross at Ross Video, Dr. Allen Eaves at Stemcell Technologies, Craig McLellan at ThinkOn, and many others. CCI

Some Canadian tech leaders joined a number of business leaders and bankers in formally endorsing Conservative Party leader Pierre Poilievre in the upcoming federal election. The endorsements were signed in a letter authored by the Friends of Free Enterprise in Canada, a group of 33 current and former presidents and CEOs, which ran as a full-page ad in several Canadian newspapers this past weekend. Maverix Private Equity founder John Ruffolo, serial tech entrepreneur Amar Varma, Impression Ventures founder Christian Lassonde, and Leaders Fund co-founder David Stein represented tech on the endorsement letter. Other signatories included Fairfax Financial CEO Prem Watsa, Toronto Blue Jays CEO Paul Godfrey, who is also a past president and CEO of the historically conservative Postmedia Network, mining magnate Pierre Lassonde (father of Christian Lassonde), Sleep Country Canada CEO Stewart Schaefer, and Midland Group of Companies president Leslie Gales, the lone woman on the list. The letter says that economic growth and productivity in Canada have slowed in recent years, and that the country’s Gross Domestic Product is shrinking, but that the decline is not inevitable. The signatories say Canada needs to support free enterprise, reduce regulations that “hinder investment,” “restore” fiscal discipline, lower taxes, and develop Canada’s natural resources by building oil pipelines and expanding mining.“ We have spent our careers investing in this country because we believe in it,” the letter says. “[Pierre Poilievre and the Conservative Party of Canada] have a clear plan to address these issues and get Canada back on track.” At least one-third of signatories are also connected to Fairfax Financial in some way, including the billionaire Fairfax founder Prem Watsa and his son Ben Watsa, who chairs Fairfax India, and company president and chief operating officer Peter Clarke. BetaKit, Toronto Sun

The Canadian Venture Capital and Private Equity Association (CVCA) is calling on Canada’s next federal government to temporarily slash the capital gains tax inclusion rate from 50 percent to 25 percent for investments in Canadian startups and scaleups, and double the Lifetime Capital Gains Exemption limit from $1.25 million to $2.5 million. In a new policy paper, the CVCA also called for the introduction of a new federal tax credit for investments in Canadian small businesses, modelled on existing provincial incentives. The association believes these measures will help ensure “Canada remains competitive in an increasingly challenging global landscape” and help address some of the country’s productivity challenges. The CVCA’s other asks include for the new government to follow through on recapitalizing the Venture Capital Catalyst Initiative; reform the Scientific Research and Experimental Development (SR&ED) tax credit program; explore encouraging Canadian pension funds to invest more domestically; and fully reinstate the Accelerated Investment Incentive, which is currently being phased out. The CVCA is calling for the next government to modernize SR&ED’s delivery, raise the annual expenditure limit for the enhanced 35 percent SR&ED investment tax credit from $3 million to $5 million, and increase the taxable capital phase-out thresholds from a current $10 million-$50 million to $25 million-$100 million. CVCA

The Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation (ACFN) in northeast Alberta filed a lawsuit against the Government of Alberta over its approach to ensuring oilsands companies pay to clean up their operations. The ACFN filed an application for a judicial review of the government’s 2024 decision to renew the rules for the Mine Financial Security Program (MFSP), saying the government failed to meaningfully consult and is ignoring ACFN's concerns about infringement on Treaty rights. The MFSP collects deposits from energy companies to make sure they cover the cost of remediating oilsands and coal mine sites after they're decommissioned. About one-third of ACFN members live in the community of Fort Chipewyan, Alta., downstream from oilsands operations. The ACFN's legal application argues the MFSP is "grossly inadequate for achieving its intended purpose," and the province hasn't addressed recommendations and concerns raised during a recent review. The MFSP was criticized in 2021 by provincial auditor general Doug Wylie, who found that the government holds just $1.5 billion in security on mining liabilities of $31.5 billion. A subsequent report from researchers at the University of Calgary's School of Public Policy in 2023 estimated liabilities at anywhere between $45 billion to $130 billion, with just $2 billion in reserve. The ACFN’s legal application asks for action including a declaration that the province breached its duty to consult ACFN, an order to amend the MFSP within six months, and a judge's order requiring the province to provide ACFN "an independently verified estimate of total oilsands liabilities and supporting analysis." The judicial review is scheduled to be heard in the Fort McMurray Court of King's Bench on May 21. CBC News

RESEARCH, INNOVATION & COLLABORATION

The Ontario-based University Health Network (UHN) announced its Canada Leads 100 Challenge to recruit 100 world-leading early-career scientists to the network. As part of the strategy, UHN will focus on the recruitment of scientists whose research has the potential to fuel economic development, Canadian-based manufacturing and high-quality jobs. UHN, with the support of the UHN Foundation, has secured an initial investment of $15 million to recruit the first 50 scientists. As part of the challenge, UHN Foundation and The Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation will now work to secure the matching investment to reach the goal of 100 new recruits. Along with a two-year research funding commitment, Canada Leads awardees at UHN will also benefit from coaching and mentorship by leading entrepreneurs. UHN will also be introducing a global mobility expert to their team to help support the seamless transition of the new scientists to Canada. UHN consists of Toronto General Hospital, Toronto Western Hospital, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, Toronto Rehabilitation Institute, The Michener Institute of Education and West Park Healthcare Centre. UHN

The Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy in the Faculty of Arts & Science at the University of Toronto (U of T), in collaboration with the Wolf Cooper Foundation, launched the Wolf Scholars Program. The program is a new undergraduate scholarship program designed to empower a small cohort of 16 exceptional Canadian students each year to fully explore their academic passions and interests while participating in an unparalleled set of opportunities outside the classroom. Wolf Scholars is the only undergraduate scholarship program in Canada where the entire cohort is based at the same university, benefiting from meaningful financial support, joint academic seminars, and dedicated and carefully curated experiential learning opportunities.

Wolf Scholars will benefit from:

• A full tuition scholarship, covering four years of study within the U of T’s Faculty of Arts & Science, and an annual stipend to provide support for other student expenses.
• Cutting-edge academic seminars at the Munk School designed specifically for Wolf Scholars, focused on history, leadership, problem solving and understanding the forces shaping the modern world.
• World-class internships at leading businesses and organizations, and practical training in financial analysis and strategic thinking.
• International and domestic cohort travel to deepen global understanding through exposure to different cultures, political and economic systems, and perspectives.
• Leadership development opportunities and a speaker series designed to expose Wolf Scholars to the ideas and experiences of global and national thought leaders in business, politics, and beyond.
• A tight-knit community of friends and mentors.

The family foundation of entrepreneur Andrew Sheiner, co-founder and CEO of private equity firm Atlas Partners, partnered with the U of T to fund the Wolf Scholars Program. Applications for the program will open in the fall of 2025 for the 2026-2027 academic year. Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy

Concordia University’s Volt-Age research program announced a $40-million investment in 14 research projects focused on topics related to electrification, the energy transition and sustainability. Eleven of these projects are Impact Projects focused on large-scale technological innovation. These are led by researchers from Concordia, Dalhousie University, and Toronto Metropolitan University. The Impact funding will support projects addressing a broad spectrum of challenges, from advancing battery storage technology to improving building envelopes using modular panels. These projects will also look at the social aspects of building a cleaner future, such as how to integrate Indigenous Knowledge into sustainable energy systems, empowering local, community-led and equitable energy transitions, and understanding what contributions immigrant populations can make to transforming Quebec’s energy systems. Three of the projects are Living Labs initiatives that will foster collaboration between researchers and societal partners. These will be led by researchers from Concordia and the University of Calgary. Concordia University

Maclean’s magazine released its 2025 University Rankings, which rank Canada’s top primarily undergraduate universities, comprehensive universities and medical doctoral universities. In each category, Maclean’s ranks institutions in five broad areas (students, faculty, resources, student support, and reputation) based on 12 performance indicators, allocating a weight to each indicator. Figures for the ranked universities include data from their federated and affiliated institutions. The top three universities in the primarily undergraduate category were Mount Allison University, the University of Northern British Columbia, and Saint Mary’s University. For comprehensive universities, Simon Fraser University received first place, followed by the University of Victoria and the University of Waterloo. In the medical doctoral university category, the top three institutions were McGill University, the University of Toronto, and the University of British Columbia. Macleans (Undergraduate), Macleans (Comprehensive), Macleans (Medical Doctoral)

A Canadian cancer research group is scrubbing gender-inclusive language from documents associated with U.S.-funded trials to comply with an executive order signed by President Donald Trump, in a move critics say acquiesces to political overreach and undermines scientific integrity. The Canadian Cancer Trials Group (CCTG), based at Queen’s University, works with academic groups around the world and is the only non-American partner of the U.S. National Clinical Trials Network. Six trials out of 170 will be affected. In an April 7 memo obtained by The Globe and Mail and addressed to Canadian research ethics boards, research associates, investigators and other representatives, CCTG director of compliance Jessica Sleeth said the organization would be making changes to the group’s U.S.-funded trial protocols within the next two months because of Trump’s January 20 order. “To comply with the U.S. Executive Order Defending Women from Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government, the U.S. National Cancer Institute (NCI) is requiring all Groups within the U.S. Clinical Trials Network (NCTN), including CCTG, to modify the language in their protocol and informed consent documents,” Sleeth wrote. “Some examples of these changes are the replacement of the word ‘gender’ with the word ‘sex,’ the removal of the terms ‘intersex’ and ‘gender if different than birth,’ and other similar changes.” Participants in the U.S.-funded trials will only have the option of self-identifying as male or female. According to its website, the CCTG is made up of more than 85 member institutions, comprising more than 2,100 Canadian investigators, and it has facilitated more than 600 trials. The Canadian Institutes of Health Research has underscored the difference between sex and gender and explicitly advises research applicants to integrate both into research design and practice where appropriate. Françoise Baylis, a bioethicist and distinguished research professor emerita at Dalhousie University, called the NCI’s directive deeply offensive and factually incorrect. Baylis said “bowing to political masters” will ultimately destroy knowledge production. The Globe and Mail

The Trump administration froze more than $1 billion in federal funding for Cornell University and about $790 million for Northwestern University while his government investigates alleged civil rights violations at the schools, the White House said. It’s part of a broader push of using taxpayer dollars to pressure major academic institutions to comply with President Donald Trump’s political agenda and to influence campus policy. The Republican administration previously cut off money to Columbia University, the University of Pennsylvania and others, creating uncertainty for universities at a time of reduced grants for research institutions. Last month, the U.S. Education Department sent letters to more than 60 universities, including Cornell in New York and Northwestern in Illinois warning of “potential enforcement actions if they do not fulfill their obligations” under federal law to “protect Jewish students on campus, including uninterrupted access to campus facilities and educational opportunities.” Associated Press

GM will shut down its CAMI assembly plant in Ingersoll, Ont. with hundreds of layoffs to come, according to Unifor Local 88, which represents the workers. In a statement, GM said: “This adjustment is directly related to responding to market demand and re-balancing inventory.” The company said the move is due to slow demand for its BrightDrop electric vehicle vans, used by companies like Walmart and FedEx to deliver packages to consumers. Unifor said the layoffs will start April 14 with workers returning in May for limited production. After that, production will temporarily cease with operations idling until October. During the downtime, the union said GM plans to complete retooling work to prepare the facility for production of the 2026 model year of commercial electric vehicles. According to the union, when production resumes in October, the plant will operate on a single shift for the foreseeable future – a reduction that is expected to result in the indefinite layoff of nearly 500 workers. CTV News

Canada needs a new approach to delivering electricity that’s built on interprovincial planning, says Bruce Lourie, president of the Ivey Foundation and chair of the Transition Accelerator. “By co-coordinating and connecting grids currently stranded behind jurisdictional boundaries, we can create a resilient, more affordable energy system for all Canadians,” Lourie wrote in an op-ed in The Globe and Mail. Different regions possess varying sources of generation, from hydropower to wind, solar and thermal energy. When connected through robust transmission networks, the integrated system optimizes generation across a broader geographic footprint, he said. A regional system also addresses issues of renewable energy variability, as wind patterns and cloud cover affecting generation in one area often differ elsewhere. By linking these areas, aggregate variability decreases significantly, reducing the need for expensive backup generation, Lourie said. “There is no role for the federal government in electricity planning," he said. Regional co-ordination must be driven by the regions themselves, he added. The United States, for example, has six “reliability councils,” each of them planning the electricity needs for 30 million to 50 million Americans across state boundaries – except for Texas, the only state with a self-contained grid. The economic benefits of cooperation extend beyond managing variability and crises, Lourie noted. Larger markets create competition among generators, driving down wholesale electricity prices. He recommended these steps to dismantle interprovincial barriers:

• Create regional planning (reliability) councils.
• Harmonize provincial market and regulatory frameworks.
• Co-ordinate long-term planning for transmission infrastructure.
• Ensure transparent mechanisms for sharing the costs and benefits of interprovincial projects.

The Transition Accelerator launched its “Electrifying Canada” initiative aimed at accelerating regional electricity collaboration, including supporting implementation roadmaps. The Globe and Mail

Toronto-based Northland Power Inc. announced its $120-million Jurassic Battery Energy Storage System (Jurassic BESS) project in Cypress County in southern Alberta has achieved financial close, securing all necessary financing as it prepares to begin construction. Jurassic BESS is an 80-megawatt, two-hour (160 megawatt-hours) battery storage system that’s part of Northland’s growth pipeline in Alberta. The project recently signed construction contracts and will benefit from a 15-year fixed-price contract for capacity. The project is expected to reach commercial operation in late 2026. Construction costs will be funded by non-recourse project-level financing, existing cash and available liquidity. Once fully operational, Jurassic BESS is expected to contribute approximately $15 million of annual adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization. Northland Power

The Government of Alberta introduced Bill 52, the Energy and Utilities Statutes Amendment Act 2025, aimed at enabling hydrogen use in Alberta’s natural gas system. The proposed amendments would allow hydrogen blending in the natural gas distribution system for residential and commercial heating and support new technologies while ensuring the safety and reliability of the natural gas system. Only those who receive hydrogen-blended natural gas in their homes and businesses will pay for any additional system costs. Utility providers will also be required to ensure community support for hydrogen blending projects. Hydrogen is expected to be an $11-trillion industry worldwide by 2050, the government said. The proposed amendments also support the move to a day-ahead reliability market to ensure there is enough power available and reduce the risk of grid alerts in the future. Updates also will be made to Alberta’s transmission policies to protect ratepayers from rising transmission costs on their utility bills. This includes encouraging more efficient use of existing infrastructure by maximizing the use of existing lines and ensuring new power projects are built in optimal locations. Changes will also see costs assigned on a cost-causation basis, ensuring that Albertans are not burdened with the full cost of any new transmission lines that need to be built, the government said. Govt. of Alberta

A survey from Canada Powered by Women shows 73 percent support a vision of Canada “as a self-reliant, economically strong nation powered by increased oil and gas production and exports.” The survey, conducted by Leger, also showed 85 percent of respondents want to see increased pipeline and refining capacity in Canada. After learning about existing pipeline limitations (such as no east-to-west pipeline connecting Western and Eastern Canada, forcing Canadian oil to go through the U.S. for refining before returning to Canada), 90 percent of engaged women support strengthening energy independence. Eight-nine percent of engaged women support reducing reliance on U.S. trade, amidst the trade war. The survey represents the views of 6.7 million Canadians identified as engaged women. Canada Powered by Women

Vancouver-based CO280, a developer of large-scale carbon dioxide removal (CDR) projects, announced an agreement with Microsoft that will capture and permanently store biogenic carbon emissions from a U.S. pulp and paper mill. Financial terms weren’t disclosed. Under the agreement, Microsoft will purchase more than 3.68 million tonnes of CDR over 12 years. This agreement represents one of the largest engineered CDR purchases to date. The capture technology for this project will be supplied by CO280 partner, Norwegian startup SLB Capturi. Microsoft, whose emissions have increased by 29 percent over 2020 levels, will be able to use the reduced CO₂ emissions to claim carbon credits and offset emissions from its data centres. CO280 is developing more than 10 projects, with five high-priority projects poised to deliver CDR by 2030. CO280

The Canada nuclear industry-led Nuclear Waste Management Organization (NWMO) is looking for a second deep geological repository to store intermediate-level and high-level radioactive waste that isn’t spent nuclear fuel. This includes used components from nuclear reactors such as filters, resins and pumps, as well as waste from medical isotope production. Currently, the waste is stored in above-ground or in-ground storage silos, but that won’t be adequate for the hundreds of years or longer that it will take for the radioactivity to decay to naturally occurring levels, the NWMO said. The second repository is in the very early stages, with the start of a search in earnest for a location potentially years away. The NWMO last year selected two host communities – the Township of Ignace and Wabigoon Lake Ojibway Nation in northern Ontario – for the first deep geological repository for spent nuclear fuel waste. Some community-based groups have raised concerns with this repository and the process used to select it, including that Ignace should not have been able to agree to be a host community as the site is not within Ignace’s boundaries. The Canadian Press

See also: Selecting Canada’s nuclear waste disposal site: world-class public engagement process or flawed and manipulative?

Waterloo, Ont.-based KA Imaging announced it achieved the first X-ray done in space, aboard the Fram2 mission that successfully splashed down on April 4. The X-ray of a hand with a ring mirrors the first ever X-ray image accidentally captured over a century ago by Wilhelm Röentgen. The X-rays are part of the SpaceXray project, one of the 22 scientific studies selected to be part of Fram2, the first polar-orbit human spaceflight mission designed to explore the polar regions of Earth. The research initiative aims to validate the feasibility of acquiring high-quality diagnostic radiographs in microgravity, a crucial step toward ensuring astronauts’ bone health on deep-space missions. KA Imaging

Toronto-based Kepler Communications Inc. announced it will sell high-capacity on-orbit compute capabilities enabled by its optical data relay constellation, the Kepler Network.  Under Kepler’s on-orbit compute offering, customers may lease or purchase computing hardware onboard Kepler’s optical data relay satellites, enabling advanced on-orbit computing capabilities to support advanced processing, data storage, cloud compute, artificial intelligence, multi-sensor data fusion and other use cases in space. Entities purchasing or leasing edge compute payloads on Kepler’s satellites will have access to the company’s data relay services and can schedule optical inter-satellite links to drive incoming and outgoing data. Axiom Space, a company building a commercial space station and developing orbital data centre (ODC) infrastructure in low-Earth orbit, has entered into a strategic collaboration with Kepler to purchase two initial on-orbit computing payloads for Axiom Space’s ODC business. Kepler’s first tranche of optical data relay satellites is scheduled to launch in Q4 2025 and will include nine satellites and a spare in synchronous orbit with the Sun. Kepler

The British government’s UK Export Finance (UKEF) agency is looking to back investments in Canadian projects. UKEF helps firms secure financing providing 20 percent of their procurement comes from the U.K. UKEF, which provided £8.8 billion in financial support to British exporters in 2023-24, expanded its presence to Canada last fall. British policy prevents the UKEF from financing oil and gas overseas, but the agency is interested in “clean growth” projects in Canada, including nuclear power. Ozgur Kutay, who was appointed to represent UKEF in Toronto, said the procurement criteria is not limited to supplies and equipment, and includes services such as engineering, design or patents. Kutay on Instagram

The U.S. Copyright Office recently concluded that AI-generated work can be copyrighted when it embodies meaningful human authorship. This means those who develop expertise in working with AI can be rewarded with intellectual property. Over the last couple of years, the critical question of who owns the creative output of generative AI tools has been a confusing one. Can the individual who prompts a tool like ChatGPT claim copyright protection? The Copyright Office’s report maintains the fundamental principle that copyright protection is reserved for the work created by a human. The report notes that copyright does not extend to purely AI-generated material or material where there is insufficient human control over the expressive elements. When AI tools generate content independently, the work effectively falls into the public domain and is available for anyone to use without legal constraints. One of the most contentious issues in AI copyright law is whether detailed prompts can qualify a user as the author of the generated work. The Copyright Office provides clarity by explaining that based on the functioning of current generally available technology, prompts do not alone provide sufficient control. While a particularly creative prompt might itself be copyrightable, the output it generates is a separate matter. Forbes

The European Union will spend €200 billion supercharging its AI development and deployment capabilities, investing in a new generation of AI data centres and relaxing AI regulation. The massive investment is aimed at improving Europe’s competitive position in AI with the U.S., boosting the continent’s domestic AI capacity and capability. The AI Continent Action Plan sets out separate strategies for building large-scale AI computing infrastructure, improving access to high-quality data for AI ventures, boosting investment in AI skills, and streamlining AI regulation. The plan calls for the setting up of at least 13 “AI factories” across Europe to support startups, industry and researchers in developing AI models and leading applications. The EU will also fund up to five AI gigafactories, described as large-scale facilities with massive computing power and up to 100,000 of the most powerful AI processors. The gigafactories initiative requires both public and private investment, with the EU also outlining plans for a €20 billion InvestAI Facility to help mobilize private capital. A big part of the plan relates to streamlining and relaxing some European AI regulatory frameworks – some of which were introduced less than a year ago. The AI Continent Action Plan is seen as a response to the US$500 billion Stargate initiative announced in the U.S. in the first days of the Trump presidency, which signalled the start of a period of frenzied activity. InnovationAus.com

VC, PRIVATE INVESTMENT & ACQUISITIONS

The Terry Fox Foundation and life sciences venture capital firm Lumina Ventures partnered to launch The Cancer Breakthrough Fund. The fund will support cross-sector collaborations that can bridge the gap between research funded by governments and philanthropic organizations and private sector skills, expertise and connectivity. The fund pairs the Terry Fox Foundation’s extensive network of leading cancer researchers pioneering scientific breakthroughs with Lumira’s deep investor networks and proven track record of building companies that deliver innovative therapies to patients. The fund, which will be managed by Lumira Ventures, will invest in companies led by mission-driven entrepreneurs focused on the goal of delivering novel therapies to patients in the fight against cancer. While survival rates have improved across certain cancer types, cancer remains the leading cause of death in Canada where it is estimated that one in four Canadians will die from cancer. Terry Fox Foundation

Natural Products Canada (NPC), investors in Canada’s natural and bio-based economy, launched the NPC Deal Book – a curated collection of 12 Canadian companies solving real-world challenges with natural and bio-based solutions. From early-stage disruptors to scaling ventures, these companies are actively raising capital to bring their technologies to global markets. The investment opportunities are ideal for bioeconomy investors targeting rounds from seed to Series A, with raise amounts from $500,000 to $8 million. The NPC Deal Book features companies addressing high-growth sectors such as:

• Healthy Ageing and Human Nutrition
• Sustainable Manufacturing
• Agtech, Femtech, and Watertech
• Cosmetics, Fashion and Textiles.

Each company in the Deal Book has been hand-selected by NPC for its innovation, market readiness and investment potential. NPC has invested $9.1 million into 82 early-stage companies, which have gone on to attract an additional $479 million in capital ($391 million in equity and $88 million in non-dilutive). That means each $1 distributed by NPC has helped the companies raise roughly $43 in equity and $10 in non-dilutive capital. NPC will host five launch events across the country where investors can meet the companies and learn more about the increasing demand for natural and sustainable products that are fueling the growing bioeconomy. Details for each event will be provided to eligible investors upon receipt of the Deal Book. Investors can download the Deal Book here. NPC

Palo Alto, California-based Safe Superintelligence, a startup co-founded by OpenAI’s former Canadian chief scientist Ilya Sutskever, reportedly raised $2 billion in a round led by venture capital firm Greenoaks with participation from Andreessen Horowitz and Lightspeed Venture Partners, sources told the Financial Times. Alphabet and Nvidia have also invested in Safe Superintelligence, a source told Reuters. The startup did not provide comment to either outlet. Sources said Safe Superintelligence was recently valued at $32 billion; the company is one of the highest-profile startups working on AI model research. Reuters

Toronto-based Onex Corporation’s private equity platform ONCAP announced a final close for a new round with $1.3 billion in commitments for its new ONCAP V fund. ONCAP has already completed four investments in ONCAP V, and the fund is 40 percent deployed. ONCAP is the dedicated lower mid-market private equity platform of Onex Corporation, committed to investing in and partnering with North American-headquartered businesses and their management teams in Onex’s core sectors of emphasis. Onex

San Francisco-based venture capital firm SignalFire, which says its software lets it “identify high-potential founders even before they start companies,” has raised US$1 billion. SignalFire said its Beacon AI machine-learning platform is built on data from more than 650 million individuals and 80+ organizations, and can spot emerging talent and track market trends. The company intends to use the funds mainly for early-stage startups focused on AI-driven applications. SignalFire

Toronto-based Tailscale raised $230 million in a Series C funding round led by Accel with participation from CRV, Insight Partners, Heavybit, and Uncork Capital. Existing angel investor George Kurtz, CEO of Crowdstrike, also participated in this round, as well as new investor Anthony Casalena, CEO of Squarespace. Tailscale’s software connects workers’ devices to their corporate networks and software, and AI developers to their chips and cloud services as they train and deploy new AI models. The company said it will use the new funding to further develop its technology and to hire engineering, product and support staff. Tailscale

U.K.-based Osney Capital closed a £50-million first venture capital fund to back early-stage cybersecurity technology startups across the U.K. and Canada. Backed by the British Business Bank – an agency akin to Canada’s BDC – Osney is seeking to invest in 30 companies through pre-seed and seed funding rounds. Other limited partners in the fund include IronGate Capital Advisors, East X Ventures, and a number of exited U.K. cyber founders. Adam Cragg, a former executive director of Innovate Calgary and still in Calgary, is a partner in the new venture capital firm, along with two fellow Oxford MBA graduates based in the U.K. Osney Capital

Montreal-based medtech startup Puzzle Medical raised $43 million in a funding round led by KF Matheson and Desjardins Capital, with participation from Lumira Ventures, Longview Ventures, BDC Capital, and existing investors. Puzzle Medical is developing a percutaneous heart pump to support cardiac and renal function in patients with advanced heart failure. The company said the capital will be used to refine its percutaneous heart pump and its novel features, advance clinical studies to assess its safety and efficacy, and scale the team to support the company’s growth. Puzzle Medical

Vancouver-based Corinex raised $42 million to support the deployment of its power grid visibility offering in Europe. The all-equity round was solely backed by European investors, led by U.K.-based Energy Growth Momentum, with participation from Spanish investment firms Suma Capital and Adara Ventures. Energy Growth Momentum and Suma Capital are gaining seats on Corinex’s board as a result of the round. Corinex provides broadband over power lines-based electricity grid visibility and flexibility products, to help automate electricity infrastructure with real-time load balancing. The capital will support Corinex’s ongoing deployments, research and development, and employee costs in major European electricity markets, including Germany, Spain, and the U.K. Corinex

Ottawa-based Blumind, a developer of ultra-low-power analog AI chips for edge computing, raised $20 million in a Series A funding round, co-led by Cycle Capital and BDC Capital, with participation from existing investors including Fusion Fund, Two Small Fish Ventures and Real Ventures. Blumind said the investment will enable the company to accelerate the development and commercialization of its technology, designed to dramatically reduce power consumption and latency for always-on AI applications. Blumind said it will use the funding to expand its engineering and development teams, accelerate design and production of its next-generation analog AI chips, support existing customers and establish strategic industry partnerships. Blumind

The Investment Management Corporation of Ontario (IMCO) announced that the weighted average net return of its clients’ portfolios was 9.9 percent for the year that ended Dec. 31, 2024. This was IMCO's strongest performance since its inception in 2017. Assets under management rose to $86 billion, up from $77.4 billion in 2023. Except for real estate, IMCO delivered positive absolute returns across all asset classes in 2024, led by public equities and private equity. IMCO’s publicly traded stock portfolio gained 24.2 percent and private equity investments were up 16.4 percent. IMCO

The Canada Pension Plan Investment Board and Abu Dhabi Investment Authority acquired a €3-billion minority shareholder stake in Swedish enterprise software group IFS from private equity firm EQT. HG increased its stake to become a co-control shareholder alongside EQT, with TA Associates remaining as a minority shareholder. IFS, a provider of cloud enterprise software and industrial AI applications, had a total revenue of more than 1.2 billion euros in 2024. EQT

Toronto-based financial services firm Wealthsimple acquired Plenty, a San Francisco-based wealth management platform for couples. Wealthsimple said Plenty’s platform – designed to help couples navigate financial decisions together – from budgeting to long-term investing –complements Wealthsimple’s expansion of products for couples and families. The Plenty team, including its co-founders, Emily Luk and Channing Allen, will join Wealthsimple. Wealthsimple 

REPORTS & POLICIES

UN should establish independent international scientific panel to shape global governance of AI: Mila

The United Nations should establish an independent international scientific panel on artificial intelligence to support and shape evidence-informed global and inclusive governance of AI, according to a policy paper from Mila – Quebec’s AI Institute.

This panel should have very restricted industry participation and there should also be an advisory working group comprised of UN member states created to provide oversight on policy relevance, Mila’s report recommends.

The report’s authors include AI pioneer Yoshua Bengio, founder and scientific advisor at Mila.

The international scientific panel’s policy relevance hinges on the panel’s ability to articulate the scientific evidence on AI targeted at policymakers, the report notes.

“Scientists often prioritize rigour, whereas policymakers require timely, contextualized recommendations for action,” the report says.

“Achieving a level of actionable, policy relevance will require robust and standardized ways to convey scientific consensus and uncertainty, as well as comprehensive, multidisciplinary analyses that speak to the socio-technical implications of AI.”

The report recommends several governance elements for the international panel:

• An independent and multidisciplinary Scientific Steering Committee of 10 to12 leading scientists with multidisciplinary experience, with two co-chairs from both the Global North and South.
• An independent Peer Selection Committee to select the Scientific Steering Committee.
• A limited number of Working Groups focused on distinct AI-relevant subjects led by vice-chairs.
• A permanent Secretariat for operational, communication and continuity purposes.
• An advisory Working Group comprised of Member States to provide some oversight on policy relevance.
• Inclusive nominations through Member States and self-nominations.
• A focus on agile governance to allow the panel to follow and adapt to the fast pace of AI.

The report’s authors strongly recommend a working group focused specifically on AI safety. “This Working Group should address issues related to frontier and advanced AI models and capabilities, particularly in light of the insufficient industry transparency regarding the advancement of AI capabilities and the risks they pose.”

To ensure the panel’s impact through direct relevance to policymakers, the report recommends three strategies:

1. Provide a mechanism for Member States to communicate proposed areas of study.
2. Ensure reports are frequent and relevant, with a particular focus on quickly adapting to a changing AI landscape.
3. Provide clear policy options in a separate companion document to the annual report with applicability across UN membership.

For the secretariat that supports the international panel, the report recommends:

• Maintaining a live dashboard of key AI indicators with data ranging from investment by country, reported AI safety incidents by severity, data centre energy use, and other relevant data; leveraging existing trackers and key indicators by the global research network (for example, OECD’s incident reporting; African Responsible AI Observatory; Stanford HAI index; etc.).
• Proactively communicating across media to help all levels of government understand and engage with findings.

Scientific independence must be the foundation of the international panel’s credibility, the report says. Therefore, its authors recommend moderating the participation of industry through three main avenues:

1. Prohibit industry scientists from participating on the panel or in the writing process of the reports.
2. Develop a conflict of interest policy with clear guidelines on disclosure for industry-affiliated scientists.
3. Build transparent avenues for industry feedback that balances independence with the necessity for information from companies.

The report notes that following the advent of ChatGPT, industry has attracted a disproportionate amount of AI talent and vastly more capital and compute resources than academia – and this is growing.

Companies’ extensive funding opportunities also mean that even those who do not work directly for an AI company are likely to receive some type of industry funding for research, the report says.

AI companies also hold much of the data necessary to conduct timely AI safety research. These data include performance benchmarks for unreleased models, usage statistics and deployment of new methods like chain-of-thought reasoning.

“This means that the public information available to academics lags behind the true capabilities of cutting-edge models, reducing the time policymakers have to react to new developments and associated risks.”

To preserve scientific independence, the international panel must strike a balance between leveraging the talents of leading scientists and collecting timely data while insulating itself from misaligned industry incentives, the report says.

The report recommends prohibiting scientists with a direct financial relationship with an AI company from substantive participation in the panel and its related activities.

“The establishment of an Independent International Scientific Panel on Artificial Intelligence by the UN is a crucial step toward fostering an evidence-informed global and inclusive governance of AI,” the report concludes. Mila

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Little evidence so far that microcredentials have lived up to their promise: Future Skills Centre report

Despite investments from governments and post-secondary institutions, there is little evidence so far that microcredentials have lived up to their promise, according to a report by the Toronto-based Future Skills Centre.

The lack of employer engagement and evaluation frameworks has created inconsistencies in how microcredentials are designed, delivered and recognized, the report says.

“Our research shows that employers often struggle to interpret their value, and as a result, are reluctant to invest in them. Similarly, learners are also unsure of their effectiveness and how they translate into job opportunities.”

The report notes that several provincial governments have put dedicated resources into supporting microcredentials:

• The Government of British Columbiaprovided $5 million in support for 35 different microcredentials in 2021 that directly addressed government priorities and labour market shortages.
• In 2023, the Government of Ontario announced over $60 million in investments for the province’s microcredential strategy, prioritizing employment-focused training complementing existing knowledge. Changes to the Ontario Student Assistance program included funding for eligible students to take part in over 1,900 different microcredential programs. The province has also funded over 100 microcredential projects with 65 through the Challenge Fundand another 36 projects funded through eCampus Ontario pilots.
• Fédération des cégeps of Quebec (2016-17) and the Government of Alberta (2021) also piloted microcredential initiativesand partnerships with postsecondary institutions and industry.
• In 2023, the Government of Nova Scotia implemented a microcredential framework, working to align offerings across apprenticeships, colleges, universities, industry organizations and the government.
• The Government of Saskatchewan also published a Guide to Microcredentials, guiding learners to universities, polytechnics and colleges in the region.

Key insights of the report are:

• Microcredentials are designed to offer flexible and innovative approaches to changing needs in the labour market and across industries.
• Many industry partners and employers remain confused about and lack awareness of microcredentials. Employers highlight inconsistencies in what skills and learning are conveyed by microcredentials.
• There continue to be challenges in accurately measuring the value of microcredentials, including employment and promotion post-completion.
• Industry participation in designing, delivering and building awareness of microcredentials as well as employer buy-in are critical to ensuring their effectiveness in responding to skills gaps.
• When designing microcredential programming, wraparound supports need to be included to best address the needs of underrepresented groups. “When tailored to needs and delivered in tandem with wrap-around supports, microcredentials can generate high completion rates and responsive employment pathways in high-demand occupations for individuals, including those belonging to marginalized populations.”
• With strong industry engagement, microcredentials can successfully address emerging labour market needs.

To address challenges, targeted actions are needed to strengthen the effectiveness and impact of microcredentials, the report says.

“At the least, it is critical to know to what extent microcredentials lead to positive employment outcomes for individuals – whether a new job, a promotion, or relevant skills for their current workplace.”

Unpacking these complexities through rigorous evaluation is critical to advancing the understanding and appreciation of microcredentials’ crucial role in preparing the workforce and enhancing productivity, according to the report.

The report found that postsecondary institutions can succeed in identifying key competencies for microcredential delivery, including integration of employers in design and delivery.

However, delivery partners need to ensure that they are not only focused on signing up students for microcredential programs, but staying keenly attuned to the post-program trajectories of learners in their workplaces and the broader economy, the report says.

To do this, postsecondary institutions may require more support from funders, industry and potential partners in the broader adoption of this training type to different industries and in expanding impact. “This effort requires rigorous evaluation to carefully compare post-training outcomes across the ecosystem.”

The report cited as a positive project example a microcredential portal offered by eCampusOntario that has attracted more than 40,000 people to its short, industry-relevant programs since 2021.

The platform uses practical labour market information to identify key connections between skills, job requirements and microcredential programs, providing personalized recommendations to users. 
With support from the Future Skills Centre, eCampusOntario expanded the platform’s impact by integrating key labour market and job data from the Conference Board of Canada’s OpportuNext tool, further refining program recommendations to address workforce needs.

“This targeted approach helps close skills gaps in high-demand sectors such as manufacturing, healthcare, and information technology,” the report says.

Users can now enter a job title into the portal and get information about what jobs are in demand and what programs could lead to certain occupations. The portal’s success has inspired similar developments in British Columbia and Atlantic Canada. Future Skills Centre

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Ottawa provides billions of dollars every year in subsidies to Canada’s oil and gas industry: report

The Government of Canada in 2024 provided nearly $30 billion in direct subsidies and public financing to oil and natural gas companies, according to a report by Environmental Defence.

The government provided at least $29.6 billion to the fossil fuel and petrochemical industries alone – “a massive amount of taxpayer money that went towards making it cheaper to find, extract, process, transport, and export fossil fuels and their derivatives,” the report says.

The amount is more than the cost of building out interprovincial electricity grid connection infrastructure, which is estimated to cost $24 billion, the report notes.

“Oil and gas companies – emboldened by their influence over President Trump – are exploiting the current economic uncertainty to call on governments to double down on fossil fuels by expanding pipelines and other projects and finding new export markets,” report author Julia Levin, associate director, national climate at Environmental Defence, said in a statement.

“This push ignores the fact that fossil fuels come at a high price – not just at the pump, but through rising costs of groceries, worsening health outcomes, damage to property and huge government handouts. It also ignores the rapid energy transition towards renewable energy that is happening globally.”

Other key findings from Environmental Defence’s analysis include:

• The largest sources of federal support were $21 billion in financing for the TransMountain pipeline and $7.5 billion in public financing through the Crown corporation Export Development Canada, including $700 million for LNG infrastructure and at least $2.4 billion for carbon capture and hydrogen projects.
• Over the last five years, the estimated total amount of financial support to the oil and gas sector from the federal government was$74.6 billion.
• While oil and gas companies continue generating significant revenues, they are not investing these into addressing their ever-increasing pollution levels. In 2024, four of Canada’s largest oilsands producers (Cenovus, Imperial Oil, CNRL, and Suncor) earned more than $20 billion in profits. They reported nearly $30 billion in combined capital expenditures to continue growing oil and gas production, yet none of the companies reported investments in emissions reductions or climate initiatives as part of their capital spending.
• The climate pollution created by oil and gas companies has massive costs, including health costs, property damage from extreme weather events, and decreased agricultural productivity due to changing weather patterns. In 2024, the costs of pollution from oil and gas companies operating in Canada was an estimated $53 billion. 

“The government funding goes straight to the company’s shareholders and wealthy executives,” said Chief Na’Moks, Wet’suwet’en hereditary chief. “Meanwhile, it’s Canadians and the world who pay the high price of living with climate change and disasters funded by Canada.”

Many international organizations, including the United Nations Development Programme, the International Energy Agency and the International Monetary Fund have called for an end to fossil fuel subsidies.

In July 2023, then-environment minister Steven Guilbeault said the federal government would announce a plan to phase-out the public financing of the fossil fuel sector by the fall of 2024. 

The Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers’ position is that Canada's oil and gas producers "do not receive government production subsidies, nor is the industry requesting or expecting any such support." Environmental Defence

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Alberta government report recommends new industry-funded insurance fund to clean up old oil and gas wells but critics slam the report

A Government of Alberta-commissioned report proposing a new strategy to properly close and reclaim thousands of Alberta’s inactive oil and gas wells recommends the government manage a new industry-funded insurance fund, rather than backstop a cleanup plan with taxpayers’ dollars.

Critics and environmentalists had raised concerns last month after a draft of the report was leaked to media, saying the report’s recommendations would mean Alberta would let oil and gas companies off the hook for reclaiming old oil and gas wells and associated infrastructure – known as “mature assets.”

The Alberta government now says it has no plans to use taxpayer funds to clean up and reclaim mature assets on behalf of oil and gas companies.

Besides a new industry-funded insurance program, the report also recommends creating companies to take over inactive or waning oil and gas wells and use any resource extraction profits to fund cleanup efforts.

David Yager, author of the Mature Asset Strategy report and special advisor to Premier Danielle Smith, noted in his report that:

• Alberta has faced significant and opposing shifts in public opinion and energy policies regarding the future of oil and gas. Widely divergent public sentiments and policy directions have challenged Alberta’s ability to provide stable and predictable direction at the same time as stakeholders were forced to deal with volatile commodity prices, market access obstruction, and growing criticism and punitive policies from within Alberta, other provinces, the U.S., and Europe.
• Public confidence in managing closure liabilities for non-commercial or marginal producing assets is eroding. Concurrently, a growing share of Alberta’s oil and gas output is increasingly controlled by a smaller number of operators, while the number of independent and junior producers has significantly declined.
• Increased polarization and ineffective communication among key stakeholders have exacerbated tensions amidst major macroeconomic changes.
• The Alberta Energy Regulator (AER) is often viewed as the primary entity responsible for addressing these complex issues, “an expectation that is neither realistic nor sustainable.”
• “The trust has been broken” between the province, industry, landowners and municipalities. For decades, resource development in Alberta was built on a partnership between the public (as owners of most subsurface resources) and private landowners (who provide surface access as required by law), underpinned by mutual benefit and respect. However, in the 21st century, resource wealth has been taken for granted, individual rights increasingly rival or surpass the so-called “greater good,” and mature assets are now operated by underfunded licensees, making fixed costs – such as surface lease payments and property taxes – critical to sustaining operations. These shifts demand urgent attention and solutions.

The report makes 21 recommendations across six working groups. The recommendations include:

• Collaborate with the Rural Municipalities of Alberta and municipalities to establish a rapid and transparent process for addressing late or non-payment of municipal taxes by oil and gas companies.
• Establish a dedicated, industry-funded capital pool to replace licensees as long-term guarantors of environmental liabilities, ensuring greater confidence and security for surface rights holders post-reclamation certificates.
• Encourage Energy Safety Canada to host a joint industry initiative for developing cross-industry best practices and standards for accelerated mature asset closure, supported by trade associations, and funded through industry-mandated closure spend obligations, with government and Alberta Energy Regulator participation ensuring consideration and presumptive approval of resulting industry recommended practices.

Yager’s report says Alberta currently has 274,215 wellbores that are either marginal, inactive (non-producing), or decommissioned (wellbore decommissioned, reclamation incomplete, or not yet received a reclamation certificate).

This compares with almost 54,000 producing wells and almost 105,000 wells which have been successfully reclaimed.

In addition to wellbores, AER reports that industry has built 38,553 production facilities, such as batteries and separators.

As of the end of 2023, 7,525 (20 percent) of these production facilities had been decommissioned but not reclaimed, 15,434 (27 percent) were inactive, and 19,582 (51 percent) were still in operation, Yager’s report says.

To transport products to market, the industry has constructed 446,091 kilometres of flowlines and pipelines. By year-end 2023, 23 percent had been decommissioned, 16 percent were classified as “discontinued” or non-operating, and 60 per cent remained in service, according to Yager’s report.

According to the Alberta government, the Alberta Energy Regulator (AER) reports there are nearly 500,000 licensed oil and gas wells across the province, although only about 50,000 are active.

As of December 2024, there were 78,000 inactive wells in Alberta compared with 97,000 in 2020, according to the AER.

In 2023, total industry-funded spending on well-closure activities exceeded the $700-million requirement set by the AER by 10 percent.

The number of well sites the industry-funded Orphan Well Association has fully closed (reclaimed) increased 44 percent to 622 in 2023-24, compared with 431 the year before.

The Rural Municipalities of Alberta (RMA), which represents 69 counties and municipal districts, said in a statement that the Mature Asset Strategy (MAS) report lacks justification and clarity, “offering recommendations that prioritize reduced industry liability and regulatory requirements without addressing the critical issue of accountability for payment of taxes or surface leases, or liability obligations.”

“To us, it seems like the MAS was just an excuse to reduce regulatory burdens and liability away from the industry and on to the public under the guise of helping an undefined group of mature assets,” the RMA said.

The RMA said the MAS consultation process, which it described as “an industry echo chamber,” also lacked diverse perspectives.

While surface rights advocates had limited involvement, there was little to no presence from sectors outside of industry, including the environmental sector, gas co-ops, the agriculture sector, or organizations representing the broader public interest, the RMA said.

“This has led to a report filled with recommendations supported by industry but untested in terms of broader public risks or impacts.” The RMA said the report should be “restarted.”

Ecojustice, an environmental law charity, said the Alberta government’s Mature Asset Strategy “clearly advocates weakening environmental protections and reducing corporate payment obligations.”

The closed-door consultations for the report were largely made up of oil and gas companies, Ecojustice said in a statement. Of the 96 participants, 64 were private sector companies and six were oil and gas trade associations.

The consultations were led by David Yager, an oilfield industry consultant and AER board member whose website boasts “Helping oil and gas service companies achieve success,” Ecojustice said.

Ecojustice lawyers said the Mature Asset Strategy is unacceptable because it is eroding the polluter pays principle.

The basic expectation is that those who make the mess should clean it up. However, the report recommends an “integrated package” that removes economic and environmental risks to the oil and gas industry and places them on the public instead, Ecojustice said.

Ecojustice said the strategy protects industry at the public’s expense, including suggestions of: 

• New types of companies being used to offload liabilities, using questionable funding that may be supported by taxpayer dollars. 

• Government-run insurance funds may still be “backstopped” by Alberta taxpayers, putting the financial burden on the public. 

• Proposed cuts to environmental regulations and clean-up standards would make it cheaper for industry, at the expense of Albertans’ health and safety. 

• Risk-based clean-up policies mean not all wells and sites will be cleaned up, leaving landowners to deal with the mess. 

“Failing or delaying the clean-up and proper closure of oil and gas wells and infrastructure poses massive threats to the environment, economy and local communities with the cost for inactive well clean-up in Alberta alone estimated to be between $33.3 billion to $88 billion,” Ecojustice said.

The environmental law charity called on the Alberta government to go back to the drawing board and create a strategy that protects public interest over profit, and makes polluters clean up their own mess.

“Recommendations that prioritize growing industry and shifting responsibility to the public are both deeply concerning, and not the solution Albertans deserve,” Ecojustice said. Canadian Press, Govt. of Alberta

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Overwintering “zombie” fires are less destructive than anticipated: Wilfrid Laurier University

A new study from Wilfrid Laurier University offers a rare “good news story” concerning forest fires.

Jennifer Baltzer, Canada Research Chair in Forests and Global Change, published the first-ever field data on overwintering fires – also known as “zombie” fires – which continue to smoulder throughout the winter and reignite the following spring.

Despite fears that zombie fires would increase carbon release and hinder forest regrowth, Baltzer’s data suggests that they are less destructive than anticipated.

Between 2022 and 2023, Baltzer and her colleagues were the first in the world to collect samples at overwintering fire sites. They visited 20 locations in the boreal forests of Alaska and the Northwest Territories that had originally burned in 2009 or 2014.

Scientists had predicted that overwintering would happen primarily in deep, peaty soils that would allow fire to continue smouldering. Because boreal peatlands store vast quantities of carbon, that could mean huge amounts of additional carbon being released into the atmosphere. However, Baltzer’s research shows that more often than not, overwintering fires are actually happening in “upland” locations – productive forests on higher ground with good drainage and thinner layers of organic, carbon-rich soil.

“Our findings suggest that smouldering is happening more commonly in the roots and trunks of trees, as opposed to deep organic soils,” Baltzer said. “In some ways, this is a good news story because there doesn’t seem to be as big of an impact on the main carbon stocks of these high-latitude forests.”

Baltzer was also surprised to discover that zombie fires did not seem to impact a forest’s ability to recover.

“We thought there could be poor regeneration or even regeneration failure because you have two fires burning through the same forest in two years, potentially killing seeds before they can produce new trees,” she said. “Instead, we found very strong rates of regrowth. There were no differences between single season and overwintering fires.”

One notable impact Baltzer observed was a change in the type of trees growing back following overwintering fires. Her past research has shown single-season fires driving a shift from conifer to deciduous trees in boreal forests in western North America; the same trend was exaggerated with overwintering. Every single conifer-dominated overwintering site they sampled converted to deciduous dominance.

A shift in tree species is not inherently negative, Baltzer noted; it really depends on the ecosystem functions of concern.

“From a caribou habitat perspective, loss of spruce forests is a problem because deciduous trees don’t support the growth of caribou lichen, which they forage on in the winter,” she said. “From a fire perspective, aspen trees, which are deciduous, are less flammable than conifers and can slow or stop the progression of fire, serving as a natural fire break on the landscape.”

“So the impacts vary, but what is important is that we haven’t seen a species shift like this in these forests in thousands of years. More than anything, it’s an indicator of climate change rapidly affecting this biome.”

Baltzer continues to work closely with the Government of the Northwest Territories fire management team to re-evaluate post-fire changes in boreal forests and how to support the resilience of northern communities and the forests they rely on. She will return to the North this summer to resume her research. Wilfrid Laurier University

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Canadian psilocybin dispensaries make unsubstantiated health claims and omit risks of taking the psychedelic: study

Psilocybin dispensaries in Canada are making unsubstantiated health claims and omitting  relevant risks of taking the psychedelic, according to a study by Canadian researchers.

The research team included researchers from the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, the University of Toronto, Simon Fraser University and the University of the Fraser Valley. Their study was published in the journal JAMA Network Open.

Evidence from randomized clinical trials suggests that psychedelic-assisted therapy may have utility for treatment-resistant depression, posttraumatic stress disorder and alcohol use disorder. These findings have led to growing medical and societal interest and corresponding use of psychedelics.

While psilocybin in Canada is illegal outside of clinical trials or the federal Special Access Program, there are anecdotal reports of increasing access via unregulated online purchases and retail dispensaries.

The researchers identified 57 psilocybin dispensaries in Canada in 15, or 35.7 percent, of the country’s major urban centres.

Only four of 13 provinces and territories (Ontario, Quebec, British Columbia and Manitoba) had a dispensary, with most being in Ontario and B.C.

“This finding mirrors the distribution of illicit cannabis markets in Canada in the period prior to cannabis legalization and may be explained by regional variation in enforcement across the country, with anecdotal reports that many municipal police forces do not consider enforcement a priority,” according to the study.

Stores selling psilocybin displayed clustering in Toronto, with some neighbourhoods having up to four stores within one kilometre.

Of the 57 stores across Canada, 35 were part of a chain and 52 had an online presence.

Stores sold a wide variety of products, including dried mushrooms (100 percent), microdosing capsules (97.8 percent), psilocybin-infused chocolate (91.3 percent) and gummies (93.4 percent), and most stores (65.2 percent) sold products mimicking popular food brands.

Among stores with websites, 86.4 percent claimed mental health benefits of psilocybin (such as alleviating anxiety, depression and posttraumatic stress disorder).

Only 22.7 percent of websites specifically mentioned the mental health benefits of psilocybin in the context of psychedelic-assisted therapy.

Only two websites (9.1 percent) referenced academic studies as supportive evidence for a health claim.

“The promotion of health and wellness claims on psilocybin websites violates the standards set for prescription drugs where advertising of prescription drugs to the general public for the treatment, prevention or cure of serious disease is prohibited,” the study noted.

While 86.4 percent of websites provided health warnings, relevant warnings, such as those about use while driving (9.1 percent), during pregnancy (13.6 percent), or in individuals with a history of psychosis, schizophrenia or bipolar disorder (31.8 percent), were rare.

“Our study documents widespread retail and online access to psilocybin sales along with health benefit claims and/or product promotion,” the researchers said.

“Collectively, our findings highlight the need for policymakers and regulations to catch up with increasing access to the unregulated psilocybin market,” they said.
Of particular concern is the blurring between medical and nonmedical use of psilocybin, which are distinct types of use that would benefit from separate regulatory approaches and societal discussions.” JAMA Network Open

THE GRAPEVINE – News about people, institutions and communities

Kitchener-Waterloo-based Communitech appointed Sheldon McCormick as the tech hub’s new CEO, effective April 14. He is a seasoned entrepreneur and leader with extensive experience in scaling businesses, raising capital and navigating markets. McCormick co-founded and served as chief operating officer of Properly, one of Canada’s leading proptech companies, and helped grow Uber Canada during its early years. He will take over from interim CEO Jennifer Gruber, who resumes her position as chief financial officer. McCormick said that under his leadership, Communitech plans to “reorient” towards supporting founders in the Kitchener-Waterloo area. Former Communitech CEO Chris Albinson left the post in late 2024. Communitech

Patrick White, the cofounder and managing director of Ottawa-based startup accelerator L-Spark, is leaving his leadership role after 12 years. White will join Solink, an Ottawa-based video surveillance software company, as director of corporate programs. Under White’s leadership, L-Spark has mentored 130 companies, which collectively raised $388 million. Despite leaving his formal role, White plans to remain engaged with the tech community, particularly with SaaS North, the tech conference co-founded by L-Spark. Startup Ecosystem Canada

The Gairdner Foundation announced the winners of the prestigious 2025 Gairdner Awards, recognizing some of the world’s most significant biomedical and global health research and discoveries.

The five 2025 Canada Gairdner International Award laureates are recognized for seminal discoveries or contributions to biomedical science:

• Michael J. Welsh – Roy J. Carver Professor of Internal Medicine and Molecular Physiology and Biophysics; Director, Pappajohn Biomedical Institute; Roy J. and Lucille A. Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa.
• Paul Negulescu – Senior Vice President, Vertex Pharmaceuticals.

Awarded “For pioneering research into the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying the genetic disease cystic fibrosis, leading to the development of transformative drug therapies based on these mechanisms, thereby improving and saving countless lives.”

• Spyros Artavanis-Tsakonas – Professor Emeritus, Cell Biology, Harvard Medical School; Professor Emeritus, Collège de France.
• Iva Greenwald – Da Costa Professor of Biology, Dept of Biological Sciences, Columbia University; Professor of Biochemistry & Molecular Biophysics, Columbia University's Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons.
• Gary Struhl – Herbert and Florence Irving Professor at the Zuckerman Institute; Professor of Genetics and Development, Columbia University's Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons

Awarded “For pioneering work on the Notch signalling pathway, which has significantly contributed to our understanding of how cells communicate with each other during development, how these signals regulate cell fate determination and how disruption can lead to developmental defects and cancer.”

The 2025 John Dirks Canada Gairdner Global Health Award laureate is recognized for outstanding achievements in global health research: 

• André Briend – Former Senior Scientist, Institut de Recherche pour le Développement; Adjunct Professor, Tampere Center for Child, Adolescent and Maternal Health Research, University of Tampere, Tampere, Finland; Affiliated Professor, Department of Nutrition, Exercise and Sports, Faculty of Science, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Demark.

Awarded “For the invention of a ready-to-use therapeutic food, which has revolutionized management of severe acute malnutrition in children, allowing treatment to shift from inpatient care to community-based management and saving countless lives.”

The 2025 Peter Gilgan Canada Gairdner Momentum Award laureates are Canadian mid-career investigators recognized for exceptional scientific research contributions with continued potential for impact on human health.

• Daniel De Carvalho – Senior Scientist, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network; Professor, Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto; Allan Slaight Scientist and Senior Scientist, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre.

Awarded “For the ground-breaking discovery of the role of transposable elements in regulating anti-tumour immunity through viral mimicry, which holds transformative potential for cancer therapy, and for pioneering the development of a novel blood-based test for early cancer detection, classification, and therapy monitoring.”

• Jennifer Stinson – Senior Scientist, SickKids Research Institute; Nurse Practitioner, The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids); Co-Director, SickKids Centre for Pain Management, Research and Education; Professor, Lawrence S. Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing and Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, University of Toronto

Awarded “For international leadership in digital therapeutics and training initiatives focused on childhood illness-related pain assessment and self-management for conditions such as juvenile idiopathic arthritis, sickle cell disease, chronic pain and cancer.”

The laureates will formally accept their awards at a gala ceremony on October 23 during Gairdner Science Week, which runs from October 20-24, 2025. Gairdner Foundation

HEC Montréal, Polytechnique Montréal, and Université de Montréal partnered to create the Trottier Chair in Energy Transition, Governance and Participation, funded by $1.5 million over five years from the Trottier Family Foundation. This philanthropic chair aims to support a smoother transition to carbon neutrality by identifying, understanding and anticipating potential “sticking points” from a social, environmental, political, economic and technical perspective. The chair, which is structured around three research axes, is jointly held by three individuals who will each lead an axis. UMontréal professor Laurence Bherer will focus on developing proactive governance approaches; Polytech MTL professor Michaël Kummert will focus on energy modelling; and HEC professor Emmanuel Raufflet will focus on inclusive transition management. HEC Montréal

A team led by Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM) professor Stéphane De Souza of the Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences was awarded $1 million to research the extraction of critical and strategic minerals. De Souza will work with UQAM graduate students and postdoctoral researchers, Université du Québec à Chicoutimi professors, and industry partners. The team also has future collaboration plans with the Cégep de l’Abitibi-Témiscamingue, Cégep de Sept-Îles, Cégep de St-Félicien, and the Centre d’études collégiales de Chibougamau. Together, the team will conduct research at mining sites in James Bay, Nunavik, Gaspésie, and Abitibi-Témiscamingue, where they will investigate new techniques for exploring minerals such as lithium, copper, nickel and platinum, with the least possible impact on the environment. The funding comes from the Consortium for Research and Innovation in Metal Transformation and industry partners. UQAM

Dalhousie University’s new College of Digital Transformation – a collaboration between the Faculties of Management and Computer Science – received $1 million from Scotiabank to diversify the field of digital transformation. Using this gift, the college will work with equity-deserving groups, with a special focus on Indigenous and Black communities, by engaging them to enhance their representation in sectors related to rapid technological change. The college will also provide students with wraparound supports such as counselling, mentorship and career development. In Atlantic Canada, digital technologies are the third-largest export and employ more than 25,000 individuals. The sector is valued at $2.5 billion in Nova Scotia alone. Dalhousie University

The Saskatchewan Indian Institute of Technologies (SIIT) has officially broken ground on the expansion of its Saskatchewan Aviation Learning Centre. This project, just down the road from the Saskatoon International Airport, will double the size of the current facility to 28,000 square feet, adding more classroom space, a dedicated avionics lab, and increased hands-on training opportunities for students. Boeing Canada previously committed $17 million to help SIIT create a province-wide hub for aviation training and improve access for Indigenous learners. The Government of Saskatchewan is investing $500,000 in the program. The expansion project is expected to be completed in 2026. CTV News

The University of British Columbia (UBC) Okanagan’s Faculty of Forestry launched a new Bachelor of Indigenous Land Stewardship, co-developed with Indigenous communities. Developed in response to needs identified by Indigenous communities, the four-year degree blends Indigenous and ecological sciences with law, governance and business. Students will learn from Elders, Knowledge Keepers, and Indigenous scholars in culturally safe, multi-access settings. The Mastercard Foundation contributed $8.5 million through the EleV Program to support the program and help cover tuition, relocation costs and work supports for First Nations, Métis, and Inuit students. UBC said the program is the first of its kind in Canada. UBC

A group of University of British Columbia (UBC) faculty members and a graduate student have launched a lawsuit against the institution’s administration. In a petition filed in the B.C. Supreme Court, the group alleges that the university is breaching the University Act with the wording used in Indigenous land acknowledgements, requiring job applicants to agree with equity, diversity and inclusion principles, and taking positions on the conflict in Gaza. The petitioners are calling for the court to prohibit the university from these actions. Castanet reported that the Okanagan Nation Alliance has spoken out against the lawsuit, asserting that UBC’s use of land acknowledgements is aligned with the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s 94 Calls to Action and the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. In addition, Westbank First Nation Chief Robert Louie said the university has a duty to foster environments of truth and reconciliation. CBC

Lethbridge Polytechnic in southern Alberta announced it is facing an $8-million deficit this fiscal year due to the impact of the federal cap on international student visas. As a result, the institution will lay off five percent of its staff, or 53 permanent positions; 27 were involuntary layoffs, while the remaining 26 resulted from voluntary early retirements, redundancies or modified hours. The polytechnic has also suspended several programs, including its commercial greenhouse technician certificate, educational assistant diploma, agriculture science-animal sciences major, and health care aid certificate. In addition, it has closed the Aquaculture Centre of Excellence. Looking ahead, Brad Donaldson, president of Lethbridge Polytechnic, said the institution will focus on domestic recruitment, grant funding and alternative revenue sources. CTV News

Algonquin College in Ottawa and Centennial College in Toronto each announced additional program cuts. Algonquin College is facing a budget deficit of $60 million next year, rising to $93 million by the following year. Algonquin will phase out the academic upgrading courses offered at its Ottawa campus, which are funded through a contract with the Government of Ontario. Current students in the courses will be able to complete their courses during a six-month transition period. The college said in a statement that it is collaborating with other providers to help students continue their education. CBC reported that Centennial is suspending additional programs, in addition to 49 programs suspended earlier this year. The Toronto Star reported that Centennial has also informed staff that it is reducing its workforce “to reduce costs and increase efficiencies in non-school areas.” CTV News

Forestry waste can be turned into a high-value fatty acid, thanks to a bright red yeast engineered by University of Alberta (U of A) researchers. Using wood-derived sugar as a feedstock, the strain, developed from a yeast called Rhodosporidium toruloides, proved capable of producing punicic acid. The discovery – published in the journal Bioresource Technology – offers potential economic wins for the forestry and food industries, said study co-author Guanqun Chen, associate professor in U of A’s Faculty of Agricultural, Life & Environmental Sciences and Canada Research Chair in Plant Lipid Biotechnology. Derived mainly from the seed oil of pomegranate fruit, punicic acid offers healthy cholesterol-lowering, anti-inflammatory and anti-carcinogenic properties. However, with a very low seed-to-fruit ratio and oil yield, it’s currently not financially feasible to produce for large-scale use in the food industry. But being able to produce the fatty acid using sugar solution derived from low-value leftovers like wood chips provides both economic and environmental benefits, Chen said, noting that the yeast strain could also be used on agricultural byproducts like canola and wheat straw, after pre-treatment. The strain, which is now under a provisional patent application, could, for example, serve as an alternative to using baker’s yeast, the currently approved choice for animal feed supplements, said study co-author Juli Wang, who carried out the research as a part of his PhD thesis project in plant science. The research, conducted in collaboration with U of A professor David Bressler’s Biorefining Conversions and Fermentation Lab, marks the first time R. toruloides was engineered to produce punicic acid. The researchers plan to continue tweaking the yeast strain to boost its punicic acid content and explore the use of other renewable feedstocks from Alberta’s forestry and agricultural industries, such as sugar beet molasses. University of Alberta

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