GOVERNMENT FUNDING & NEWS

Trump imposes 25-percent tariffs on imported Canadian auto parts, cars and trucks

Liberal Leader Mark Carney promised a $2-billion fund as part of a broader pledge to protect Canada’s auto sector in the face of tariff threats from U.S. President Donald Trump.

During an election campaign stop in Windsor, Ont., a major hub for Canada’s auto industry, Carney said that if his party were to form a government, it would build an “all-in-Canada” manufacturing network to produce more car parts domestically. Trump’s conduct has placed Canada-U.S. trade in jeopardy, Carney said.

Trump has imposed 25-per-cent tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminum and has threatened reciprocal tariffs to come into effect on April 2.

Carney said he would use the government to “prioritize and procure Canadian-built vehicles, catalyzing domestic investment to grow the Canadian auto industry.”

His pledged $2-billion fund is to boost the domestic auto sector’s competitiveness, “protect manufacturing jobs, support workers to upskill their expertise in the industry, and build a fortified Canadian supply chain – from raw materials to finished vehicles.”

The proposed all-in-Canada network would see Ottawa work with industry “to build more car parts in Canada, limit those parts crossing the border during production, and attract investment into our own industry,” the Liberal Party said in a statement.

On March 26, Trump announced tariffs of up to 25 percent on automotive imports, including auto parts and all finished cars and trucks not made in the U.S.

Tariffs could drive costs of cars higher for consumers by thousands of dollars, hitting new vehicle sales and resulting in job losses, since the U.S. automotive industry relies heavily on imported parts, according to the Center for Automotive Research, CTV reported.

In 2023, Canada exported approximately $35 billion worth of cars to the U.S., representing 93 percent of Canada’s vehicle exports.

Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre has promised income replacements for auto workers who lost shifts and liquidity support for affected businesses.

NDP leader Jagmeet Singh said an NDP government would take the federal sales tax off Canadian-made cars, mandate Canadian content in vehicles sold in Canada by U.S. carmakers, require the federal fleet to be Canadian-made, and stop factory equipment bought with the help of public subsidies from being taken to plants outside the country.

The Canadian Chamber of Commerce said in a statement that the auto tariffs would harm the U.S., as well as other countries.

About 22 percent of North American vehicles are produced by the interconnected automotive supply chain between Michigan and Ontario, the Chamber said.

“Throwing away tens of thousands of jobs on both sides of the border will mean giving up North America’s auto leadership role, instead encouraging companies to build and hire anywhere else but here. This tax hike puts plants and workers at risk for generations, if not forever,” said Candace Laing, president and CEO of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce.

Trump warned on his Truth Social Platform that he will impose additional tariffs, “far larger than currently planned,” on the European Union and Canada if they collaborate to “do economic harm” to the U.S. The Globe and Mail

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Trump’s trade war will hurt U.S. states that voted for him in the presidential election: Canadian Chamber of Commerce

The trade war launched by the Trump administration will impact communities across the U.S., closing the door on mutually beneficial trade and risking entire supply chains that count on Canada’s reliable market, according to a report by the Canadian Chamber of Commerce.

More than 60 percent of the products the U.S. imports from Canada are intermediate goods – things like lumber, oil, steel, nuts and bolts – that power the U.S. economy and its massive export capacity. “Simply, Canada’s economic partnership has added to America’s success, while tariffs subtract from both of us.”

The Canadian Chamber of Commerce’s Business Data Lab released new research on which U.S. cities are most export-dependent on Canada and therefore most vulnerable to the consequences of reduced Canadian demand as a result of tariffs.

The research evaluated the top 41 U.S. metropolitan areas based on their Canada dependence measure: a city’s share of exports to Canada and the export value as a share of their local economy (GDP), relative to U.S. averages. Key findings of the report include:

• San Antonio, Detroit and Kansas City have the highest Canadian dependence score. 

• Houston, Chicago and Detroit are the largest exporters to Canada by value, with Houston shipping $18 billion to Canada in 2023. 

• Laredo, Texas, and Detroit, Michigan – key trade gateways – have the highest export value as a share of their GDP.  

• Two-thirds of the 41 U.S. cities most dependent on Canadian demand are located in states that voted for Trump in the 2024 presidential election. 

“America’s most export-dependent cities on Canada are at significant risk in this trade war,” said Andrew DiCapua, principal economist at the Canadian Chamber of Commerce.

“San Antonio, Detroit, and Kansas City being the top three most vulnerable underscores that trade interdependence with Canada touches every corner of the U.S., affecting millions of local jobs and long-term relationships built over decades,” he said.

“Policymakers weighing next moves would do well to remember the livelihoods that hang in the balance and that our geography makes us stronger, together,” DiCapua said.

The Canadian dependence measure helps determine the relative exposure of each city compared to the U.S. average, so even those communities lower on the list will still feel the pain from fewer sales to Canada – fewer exports could lead to less economic activity (GDP) and job losses that would also impact other industries, the Chamber said.

Canadian sentiment toward purchasing American goods has already notably deteriorated. Weaker consumer and business confidence could also further slow the U.S. economy.

“Our supply chains were set up to benefit all of us because it makes sense economically. Americans facing challenges around affordability, durable businesses and creating well-paying jobs have counted on Canada for generations,” the Chamber said.

“This trade war has severely cracked the greatest partnership the world has ever seen.” Canadian Chamber of Commerce

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre said his government would defer capital gains tax on any income that’s reinvested in Canada. Currently there’s no added incentive to invest domestically, he said at a campaign stop in North York, Ont. The tax wouldn’t be paid until the investor cashed out or moved the money out of Canada, he said. The tax break would be available on any reinvestments done between July 1, 2025 to December 31, 2026. “Allowing reinvestments without tax will unlock billions to immediately begin building, hiring, investing and growing,” Poilievre said. He also promised an energy corridor through Canada to fast-track approvals for pipelines, electricity transmission lines, railways and other critical infrastructure in a “pre-approved transport corridor entirely within Canada,” bypassing the United States. First Nations will be involved from the outset in the pre-approved corridor, ensuring that economic benefits flow directly to them and that their approval is secured before any money is spent, Poilievre said. In St. John's, Nfld., he said a Conservative government would do five things requested by the oil and gas industry: repeal the Impact Assessment Act and West Coast oil tanker restrictions; speed project approvals; eliminate a cap on the industry's emissions; remove the industrial carbon tax; and offer more loan guarantees for Indigenous communities' participation in energy projects. Conservative Party of Canada (capital gains tax); Conservative Party of Canada (national energy corridor), Conservative Party of Canada (five things requested by the oil and gas industry)

The Liberals released a housing plan, pledging to create a new federal housing construction agency called Build Canada Homes. It would put $25 billion into financing prefabricated and modular housing, and provide $10 billion in low-cost financing and capital to affordable home builders. Build Canada would use federal funding to help municipal governments cut development charges in half for multi-unit buildings. The goal is to double construction rates to almost 500,000 new homes a year. Liberal Party of Canada

NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh promised to redirect subsidies and tax breaks for fossil-fuel companies (worth $18 billion over 10 years, he said) to home energy retrofits, with a bias toward Canadian-made products in those renovations. The plan would include free retrofits for 2.3 million low-income households and grants or low-interest loans for 1 million more households. Singh also promised to keep the industrial carbon price on large emitters, keep the emissions cap on oil and gas industry emissions, and introduce a border carbon adjustment – essentially a carbon tax on imports from countries with less stringent emissions policies, which the Liberal government had considered but not implemented. Singh also promised to ban American corporations from buying Canadian health facilities. NDP

The Government of Canada froze all rebate payments for Tesla – totalling $43 million – and banned the electric-vehicle maker from future EV rebate programs. No rebate payments will be made until each claim is individually investigated and determined to be valid, Transport Minister Chrystia Freeland said in a statement. Freeland also directed Transport Canada to revise eligibility requirements for future Incentives for Zero-Emission Vehicles programs to ensure that Tesla vehicles are not eligible as long as the "illegitimate and illegal U.S. tariffs are imposed against Canada." The Toronto Star reported that Tesla filed an extraordinary number of EV rebate claims in the final days of the program in January, with a single Tesla dealership in Quebec City claiming nearly $20 million in public subsidies by documenting more than 4,000 electric vehicle sales over a single weekend. Ontario in March stopped providing financial incentives for Teslas purchased as taxis or ride shares because of trade tensions with the U.S. Manitoba, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island have also banned EV rebates for Tesla. CBC News

Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada (HICC) announced a federal investment of more than $400 million in 11 infrastructure projects, including three in Montreal, to make public transit greener across Quebec. The funding is from the Zero Emission Transit Fund. More than $200 million will be used to electrify the St-Laurent ($106.7 million) and Anjou ($93.7 million) transport centres through the acquisition and installation of electrical equipment that will allow the installation of several dozen charging points. In total, 148 charging points will be installed at the St-Laurent transport centre and 132 will be installed at the Anjou transport centre. An investment of more than $83.2 million will go towards the partial electrification of the Legendre transport centre, allowing the installation of 72 charging positions for buses. This project includes technical studies, the acquisition and commissioning of equipment and infrastructure, as well as the expansion of premises for electrical equipment, the modernization of infrastructure such as the fire protection system and telecommunications rooms, reinforcement of the building structure, and the connection to the existing generator. The investments  will also be used to fund electrification projects at transit authority garages and operations centres across the province, notably in Longueuil, Lévis, Quebec City, Sherbrooke and Saguenay. HICC

The Government of Canada announced more than $203 million to fund the addition of 40,000 work-integrated learning opportunities across the country through its Student Work Placement Program (SWPP). The initiative aims to help students develop work-related skills to complement the technical knowledge they gain in their formal studies. Through SWPP, approved organizations will receive funding to offer postsecondary students in-person and virtual work placements and opportunities. Participating organizations include several postsecondary partners, such as Magnet at Toronto Metropolitan University and Experience Ventures at the University of Calgary, as well as the Co-operative Education and Work-Integrated Learning Canada and Colleges and Institutes Canada. In Budget 2024, the government committed $206.6 million to the SWPP for 2025-26. Employment and Social Development Canada

Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada announced a federal investment of more than $153.8 million, through the Green and Inclusive Community Buildings program, to support 70 projects across multiple regions in Canada. This investment will help create energy-efficient, climate-resilient and accessible community spaces that reduce greenhouse gas emissions and support the transition to net-zero building standards. HICC

The Government of Québec’s budget provided a larger, more focused share to the province’s innovation economy. The government announced it will abolish eight refundable tax credits related to research and development and replace them with the new refundable Research, Innovation and Commercialization Tax Credit (CRIC) to facilitate investment in innovation projects. This will provide additional financial support totalling $271.5 million over five years, Aéro Montréal said in a media release. The streamlining is meant to combat the lower rates of R&D investment in Quebec relative to Ontario and other G7 countries. CRIC covers 30 percent of the first $1 million in eligible R&D investments by Quebec companies. The budget also provided support for collaborative research and technology transfer and accelerating the adoption of cutting-edge technologies by businesses, notably in aerospace, with $15 million over three years, Aéro Montréal said. The tax credit CDAE, which covers information technology adoption for businesses, is pivoting to CDAE^IA, which specifically requires artificial intelligence to be part of any new tech integration companies claim through this tax credit. After months of no news on the fate of the popular early-stage investment-matching program Impulsion PME, the government announced a new $200-million investment vehicle using the money originally meant for Impulsion PME, including $50 million from the Stratégie d’innovation 2022-2027. The government is replacing the Plan québécois en entrepreneuriat (Québec Entrepreneurship Plan) 2022-2025 with Plan PME (Small Business Plan) 2025-2028. The budget also committed $400 million over two years in loans for businesses directly impacted by tariffs, and earmarked nearly $200 million for diversifying export markets and supply chains away from the U.S. Aéro Montréal noted that the government also committed $900 million in direct aid over three years to businesses through the Fonds du développement économique to encourage Quebec companies to adopt automation, robotics, digital transformation and AI. The budget also allocated $100 million toward Bromont, Que. innovation zone Technum Québec, $54 million to support the province’s life sciences sector over three years, and $22 million toward research activities at Montréal-based Mila – Quebec AI institute. The government also pledged $96 million to modernize government services, $73.4 million of which will go toward automation. BetaKit, Aéro Montréal, MNP

The Government of Québec said the $270 million it invested in the parent company of Northvolt is now worthless. “We estimate that the value of this amount is lost,” Economy Minister Christine Fréchette told reporters. The amount was part of a larger $2.9-billion investment made by Quebec and Ottawa in the Swedish company. The Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec, the province’s pension fund manager, also invested $200 million in the electric vehicle battery manufacturing firm. Northvolt declared bankruptcy in Sweden on March 12. Its North American subsidiary remains active, but its future now rests in the hands of the trustee appointed by a Swedish court to oversee the bankruptcy. Quebec also agreed to grant $240 million to Northvolt to purchase the 171-hectare site east of Montreal for its plant. Fréchette said that money is guaranteed by securities on the land and on the assets of Northvolt’s North American subsidiary. The Canadian Press

The Government of Canada announced $52 million, through the Foreign Credential Recognition Program, for 16 projects to strengthen Canada’s healthcare and construction sectors. McMaster University will receive up to $4.1 million to accelerate the integration of 500 newly licensed Internationally Educated Nurses into the labour market in five provinces and develop a resource tool for information sharing and training. The British Columbia Institute of Technology will receive up to $993,000 to support the labour market integration of internationally educated medical radiography technologists. Holland College will support a $1.2-million project led by the Construction Association of PEI to help skilled newcomers enter the labour market and obtain Red Seal certification. Employment and Social Development Canada

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) announced additional supports for Canada’s agricultural sector after China imposed 100-percent tariffs on Canadian canola oil, canola meal and peas, as well as 25-percent tariffs on certain pork, fish and seafood products. The additional supports include increasing the compensation rate from 80 percent to 90 percent and doubling the current payment cap to $6 million for the 2025 program year. To get money to producers faster, the Government of Canada has also provided provincial and territorial governments with the option to proactively enter into an agreement to issue interim payments at a higher payment rate and initiate targeted advance payments in the event of tariffs, or for the hog sector in the event of African Swine Fever. AAFC

Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED) announced that Canada will work with OmniaBio to expand its facility to manufacture cell and gene therapies and provide production services to companies around the world, strengthening Canada’s participation in global value chains. No amount of federal funding was specified. Cell and gene therapies have the potential to revolutionize the treatment of a broad range of life-threatening diseases. OmniaBio’s project will focus primarily on advanced treatments for chronic diseases, including cancer, autoimmune conditions, diabetes, and cardiovascular and neurological diseases. OmniaBio is seeking to expand its current space at the McMaster Innovation Park facility in Hamilton, Ont. and invest in AI- and robotics-enabled clinical and commercial-scale manufacturing. ISED

The Government of Saskatchewan introduced legislation creating a new Small and Medium Enterprise Tax Credit to bolster private investment and spur job creation The three-year pilot, which mirrors the successful Saskatchewan Technology Startup Incentive, targets food and beverage manufacturing, as well as machinery and transportation equipment sectors. The program will include a 45-percent non-refundable tax credit for individuals or corporations that invest in the equity of an eligible Saskatchewan SME. It will have an annual cap of $7 million on the total non-refundable tax credits awarded, processed on a first-come, first-served basis. An eligible SME is defined as a Saskatchewan-based business with five to 49 employees, at least half of whom reside in Saskatchewan. The new program will be effective from July 1, 2025, to June 30, 2028, and will begin accepting applications in late 2025. Since 2014, the number of small businesses in Saskatchewan has risen by 4.3 percent. Private capital investment in the province jumped 17.3 percent last year to $14.7 billion – leading the country in growth – and is projected to reach $16.2 billion by 2025, marking an anticipated 10.1-percent increase over 2024. Western Standard

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Trump administration imposes massive layoff and cuts to federal grants at U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

The Donald Trump administration announced a massive layoff of 10,000 employees at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), as part of a dramatic reorganization designed to bring communications and other functions directly under the purview of Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

The layoffs are a significant reduction in personnel for the health department, which now employs about 82,000 people. Together with previous layoffs, the move will bring the department down to about 62,000, the agency said.

The restructuring will include creating a new division called the Administration for a Healthy America. “We’re going to do more with less,” Kennedy said, even as he acknowledged it would be “a painful period for HHS.”

The 28 divisions of the health agency will be consolidated into 15 new divisions, according to a statement issued by the department. Kennedy announced the changes in a YouTube video.

Health and Human Services also abruptly cancelled more than US$12 billion in federal grants to states that were being used for tracking infectious diseases, mental health services, addiction treatment and other urgent health issues.

The cuts are likely to further hamstring state health departments, which are already underfunded and struggling with competing demands from chronic diseases, resurgent infections like syphilis and emerging threats like bird flu.

State health departments received notices that the funds, which were allocated during the COVID-19 pandemic, were being terminated, effective immediately.

In Lubbock, Texas, public health officials received orders to stop work supported by three grants that helped fund the response to the widening measles outbreak there, according to Katherine Wells, the city’s director of public health. Some state health departments were preparing to lay off dozens of epidemiologists and data scientists.

In interviews, state health officials predicted that thousands of health department employees and contract workers could lose their jobs nationwide. Some predicted the loss of as much as 90 percent of staff from some infectious disease teams.

The discontinued grants include about US$11.4 billion from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as well as around US$1 billion from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. The New York Times (federal grants cut), The New York Times (layoffs).

RESEARCH, INNOVATION & COLLABORATION

 Ontario CEOs call on Premier Doug Ford to implement eight major innovation and economic policy ideas

Seventy-five Ontario-based CEOs have signed an open letter saying Ontario’s current economic strategy isn’t working and asking Premier Doug Ford to implement several innovation and economic policy ideas.

The letter was coordinated by the Council of Canadian Innovators.

Ontario is experiencing a trade war with its biggest trading partner, declining GDP per capita, high unemployment rates, and an increasingly precarious investment climate, the CEOs say.

Billions in public funds have been allocated to foreign branch plants with little consideration for economic spillover effects, they say.

In agriculture, healthcare, critical minerals, high-IP manufacturing and cyber technologies, there is no cohesive strategy to turn Ontario’s raw materials, ideas and data into sustained economic strength, according to the CEOs. “Without a deliberate shift in economic strategy, the province risks further erosion of its competitiveness, sovereignty and long-term prosperity.”

The signatories include the leaders of many notable Ontario tech companies, including Meti Basiri at ApplyBoard, Andrew Graham at Borrowell, Gennady Pekhimenko at CentML, Cato Pastoll at Loop Financial, Dave Wessinger at PointClickCare, John Bianchini at Hatch, Adam Belsher at Magnet Forensic, Niraj Bhargava at NuEnergyai, David Ross at Ross Video, and Baylis Medical Technologies executive chairman Frank Baylis, who recently lost out on his leadership bid for the federal Liberal party. 

The CEOs call for these actions within Ford’s first 100 days after being sworn into office:

• Strengthen capital support for Ontario firms. This includes reducing regulatory barriers and prioritizing Venture Ontario and Invest Ontario funding for high-growth domestic firms rather than continuing to subsidize foreign companies.
• Build domestic capacity in key sectors, including developing value-added strategies for Ontario’s critical industries such as agriculture, healthcare, critical minerals, cybersecurity and manufacturing. Also, implement a domestic-first procurement strategy that prioritizes Ontario-made solutions in cybersecurity, AI and public sector technology adoption. And review the mandates of regional granting agencies and programs to ensure public funding delivers measurable returns for Ontario’s economy.
• End the era of low-value foreign direct investment and mandate a comprehensive spillover analysis for all foreign investment deals and subsidies and assess long-term economic impact before public funds are committed. Also, shift investment attraction strategies to focus on Canadian-owned firms that create enduring prosperity. And establish clear benchmarks for economic benefit when negotiating technology and manufacturing investments, to ensure they directly strengthen Ontario’s innovation economy.
• Strengthen Ontario’s cybersecurity and innovation ecosystem. This includes immediately implementing the Defence Security Investment Tax Credit committed to during the provincial election campaign to help meet Canada’s two percent of GDP NATO commitment. Also, develop an inter-ministerial Cybersecurity Innovation Council to align government and private sector security needs, with a mandate established within six weeks.
• Overhaul procurement to prioritize domestic innovators. This includes: expanding Supply Ontario’s mandate to prioritize homegrown technology solutions and ensure public sector procurement strengthens domestic firms; prohibiting requests for proposals that name foreign-owned technology vendors or products; and launching a full review of non-Canadian technology contracts to assess their economic impact and determine where domestic alternatives should be prioritized.
• Lower healthcare costs by accelerating innovation adoption. This includes accelerating the implementation of the Health Innovation Pathway within six weeks; prioritizing Ontario-based health technology solutions for integration into the public healthcare system within six weeks; and developing ‍a cross-ministry working group with Ontario Healthto enhance the procurement of local healthtech innovations.
• Rebuild economic resilience in the face of global instability. This includes creating an Economic Resilience Task Force within four weeks to develop a long-term strategy for mitigating Ontario’s vulnerability to foreign economic shocks, including renewed U.S. trade hostility; revamping Ontario’s trade strategy to diversify products, reducing reliance on U.S. markets and aggressively expanding economic alliances in Europe, Asia, and Latin America; and investing in strategic R&D programs that anchor intellectual property ownership within Ontario rather than allowing Canadian-born innovation to be offshored.
• Address Ontario’s talent crisis with an industry-driven approach. This includes enhancing funding for the Ontario Skills Development Fund with a focus on high-growth innovation sectors within six weeks; expanding corporate-led training initiatives within three weeks, modeled after successful programs like Montreal’s CloudCampus and Calgary’s Applied AI Lab; and strengthening work-integrated learning programs in partnership with post-secondary institutions and domestic industry leaders.

“We need a strategy that positions Ontario as a sovereign economic force – one where local companies scale, innovation stays here and prosperity is built to last,” the CEOs say. (CCI)

Canada’s greenhouse gas emissions fell by 65 megatonnes (Mt), or 8.5 percent, from 2005 levels, according to the Government of Canada’s 2005 National Inventory Report. The report tracks GHG emissions data between 1990 and 2023. In 2023, Canada’s total GHG emissions were 694 Mt. Ottawa said this year’s National Inventory Report shows that even as Canada’s economy has become stronger and more sustainable, the emissions intensity (amount of GHG emissions per unit of production) of Canada’s economic growth has decreased by 34 percent. Canada’s emissions are now the lowest they have been in 27 years, excluding the pandemic years, and significantly lower than pre-pandemic levels, the government said. The report shows that fugitive GHG emissions from oil and natural gas have decreased by 33 percent between 2013–2023, driven in part by Canada’s 2020 oil and gas methane regulations, which have reduced methane venting and leaks while supporting production growth and the development of new clean technologies. Similarly, greenhouse gas emissions from Canada’s electrical grids decreased by 34 percent over the same period, thanks to federal and provincial efforts to phase out coal-fired electricity generation and the shift to cleaner power generation. Environment and Climate Change Canada

The Government of Alberta introduced legislation aimed at supporting more biodigesters and biogas plants in the province. Updates to the Agricultural Operation Practices Act, if passed, would help reduce waste, allow farmers to supplement fertilizer with organic materials and help the province attract job-creating investment, the government said. Farmers, ranchers and agri-processors produce 3.4 million tonnes of organic waste annually, mainly from livestock manure and food processing. The act currently lacks clarity on how organic material can be managed, the government said. This has led to regulatory uncertainty for agricultural operations regarding storing and using digestate generated from manure. Additions to the Agricultural Operation Practices Act would allow organic waste from the agricultural sector to be diverted from landfills to biogas plants, which would use the waste to generate heat and electricity or refine it into renewable natural gas and help support a circular economy. Producers also would be allowed to store and use digestate on their farms as supplements to synthetic fertilizers. Biodigesters are already operating in the province, and this change will provide certainty for those who store and use biogas production byproducts as a nutrient source to grow crops and encourage investment in biodigester facilities, the government said. Govt. of Alberta

The Terry Fox Research Institute (TFRI) launched a $25-million Digital Health Innovation Fund to fuel private and public sector breakthroughs focused, initially, on precision medicine for neuroscience, cancer and other diseases through big data, machine learning and artificial intelligence-based approaches and solutions. The program is being established through the Digital Health and Discovery Platform (DHDP), led by TFRI, with funding provided by Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada under its Strategic Innovation Fund. A total of up to $25 million will be available until March 2027 through the fund, which will operate under a reimbursement model. The DHDP is a pan-Canadian initiative focused on improving health outcomes for Canadians by bringing together health researchers, AI and data scientists and industry partners to advance precision medicine. For details on the new fund, check the DHDP website. TFRI

The Canadian Cancer Society (CCS), with support from Brain Canada, announced $17.9 million in CCS Breakthrough Team Grants to fund new and innovative approaches to cancer understanding, treatment and symptom support. Each of the three grants focuses on priorities identified by people with lived experience of cancer, who are also key participants in the research. This is the second round of these unique grants, which previously funded studies into six low-survival cancers. One project, co-led by Dr. Linda Carlson at the University of Calgary and Dr. Ronald Shore and Dr. Harriet Richardson, both at Queen’s University, will study the role that psychedelic-assisted therapy can have for people with advanced cancer. Their team will work with people from all walks of life to determine research priorities, train healthcare providers and eventually conduct a large-scale clinical trial of psychedelic-assisted therapy for people with advanced cancer that could influence policy. Another project, led by a team that includes Dr. Francis Rodier at the Centre de recherche du CHUM, Philippe Roux at the Université de Montréal, David Cook at the University of Ottawa, and Jeanette Boudreau at Dalhousie University, will focus on preventing dormancy and recurrence of ovarian cancer. The third project, co-led by Dr. James Downar at the Bruyère Health Research Institute and Dr. Kieran Quinn at Sinai Health, Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, involves building a platform that connects patients with clinical trials for palliative treatments. Brain Canada Foundation

Finland-based Nokia and U.S.-based Honeywell Aerospace Technologies announced a strategic partnership with Quebec-based non-profit Numana tech accelerator to advance quantum-safe networks in Montreal and worldwide. This collaboration will drive innovation, foster collaboration and accelerate the adoption of next-generation secure networking technologies for enterprises and service providers, the partners said. The partnership will benefit from Numana’s Kirq Quantum Communication Testbed, a world-class facility that provides a real-world environment for testing and validating new quantum-resistant and quantum communication technologies. Nokia will leverage its expertise in post-quantum networking, incorporating advanced IP routers, high-capacity optical transport nodes and state-of-the-art quantum-safe cryptographic technologies, all backed by its extensive practical experience and proven success in real-world deployments. Additionally, Nokia intends to utilize this environment to foster collaborative-based innovations, enabling the development of solutions within the broader quantum technology ecosystem. Honeywell Aerospace Technologies will introduce quantum-secure encryption keys from space to terrestrial data centres, applications and networks. Nokia Oyj

Toronto-based AI developer Cohere has urged the U.S. government to buy from and support smaller companies with AI technologies and focus on enabling AI models rather than the “highly speculative hazards of superintelligent machines.” The government should lead in adopting AI technologies from innovative startups and invest in public compute resources, A.J. Bhadelia, Cohere’s head of North America government affairs and policy, wrote in a submission to the U.S. National Science Foundation and the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy’s consultation on a National AI Action Plan. The federal government should set clear goals and funding for government AI adoption and modernization programs, such as pilot projects in each agency to solve specific operational challenges with AI, he said. Give equal weight to smaller AI companies in advisory boards and legislative discussions when public policy is considered, Bhadelia advised. Businesses and governments increasingly require that AI models – and how we assess their performance – be customized to their specific needs over general-purpose solutions, Bhadelia said. “Focusing on practical value with tailored solutions – not theoretical milestones like artificial general intelligence measured by notional benchmarks – will win the day.” A balanced and thoughtful approach to AI regulation is essential for America and allied nations to win the global AI race, he said. “Overregulating the industry with unnecessary burdens risks slowing technological advancement and potentially conceding further ground to China, undermining America’s position in the global tech arena.” In fact U.S. President Donald Trump swiftly repealed protections introduced under Joe Biden to ensure the safe, secure and trustworthy development and use of AI. Cohere

Toronto-based photonic quantum computing company Xanadu and New York-based Corning Incorporated announced a collaboration to develop customized fibre and fibre-array solutions to enable low-loss networking of photonic quantum computing chips. This collaboration will bring together Xanadu's expertise in developing ultra-low-loss photonic chip components using customized fabrication and design techniques, and Corning's innovations in low-loss optical fibre and high-precision fibre arrays. The combination of expertise will help enable the development of fault-tolerant, universal photonic quantum computers at scale, the companies said. Building a utility-scale photonic quantum computer will require thousands of integrated photonic chips to be interconnected and networked using low-loss optical fibre. In a groundbreaking demonstration recently published in Nature, Xanadu demonstrated the world's first fibre-networked photonic quantum computer, named Aurora, consisting of 35 packaged photonic chips and a combined 13 kilometres of optical fibre. In its current form, Aurora can in principle be scaled from its current 12-qubits to the coveted one-million-qubit benchmark that is estimated to be needed for a fault-resistant quantum computer. However, the fibre interconnects require specialty fibre and fibre arrays to enable the low-loss chip-to-fibre coupling needed to meet the stringent loss requirements necessary to scale up the architecture laid out by Aurora. Xanadu

St. John’s, Nfld.-based cloud-based platform CoLab received $5.6 million in financial support from an industry partnership with Exxon Mobil, to expedite the development of CoLab’s AI tool for its engineering design collaboration and communications platform. The funding comes from a partnership between CoLab and the Hibernia and Hebron projects, oil rigs off the coast of St. John’s that are jointly owned by major oil companies. ExxonMobil operates Hebron and holds the largest stake in the company operating Hibernia. The funding supports around 60,000 hours of additional local software development to accelerate the development of CoLab’s new ReviewAI product, a new tool for its platform that aims to help inform engineers' decisions and automate routine tasks and administrative work. CoLab said the R&D funding from the partnership will allow it to accelerate development in the machine learning algorithms that automatically identify similar design files, generative AI to help surface lessons learned or highlights from past reviews, new ways to view 3D engineering data, and enterprise security and compliance controls. CoLab

Siemens announced it will invest $150 million over five years to establish a Global AI Manufacturing Technologies Research and Development Center for Battery Production in Canada. The Government of Ontario is contributing $7.2 million through the Invest Ontario Fund. The new R&D center, located initially at Siemens Canada's head office in Oakville, as well as in Toronto and Kitchener-Waterloo, Ontario, will focus on developing cutting-edge AI manufacturing technologies with an initial emphasis on battery and electric vehicle production. It will leverage Siemens' expertise in AI, edge computing, machine vision, digital twins and cybersecurity to drive innovation and efficiency in battery production, while fostering collaboration with higher education institutions and battery manufacturers. Expected outcomes of the work to be conducted at the R&D centre include higher, consistent quality in battery production, increased workforce productivity and capacity, reduction of battery scrap, and improved recycling and circularity. Siemens Canada

Via Rail’s subsidiary Alto finalized terms with the Cadence consortium to co-develop plans for a dedicated high-speed rail passenger network between Toronto and Quebec City, estimated to cost $60 billion to $90 billion. The Cadence group, which also includes CDPQ, Air Canada, and affiliates of the French national railway, was announced as the favoured bidder in February. The phase now beginning will confirm the route, obtain the necessary environmental permits and acquire the necessary land. This phase will also be used to pursue more concrete discussions with First Nations representatives and host communities. This work will enable the cost, financial structure and timetable for the project to be established. Alto

The Canadian Space Agency (CSA) announced the four finalists of the Aqualunar Challenge, a collaboration between Canada and the U.K. The goal is to develop technologies that can be used on the Moon to purify lunar water to grow food and provide propellant and drinking water. The four finalists will demonstrate their systems and have their outputs tested. The finalists are:

• Canadian Space Mining Corporation (Toronto), with LunaPure, an entirely self-sustained system that relies on the controlled application of natural elements of the lunar environment to convert dirty lunar ice into drinkable water.
• Sixpenny Architecture Fabrication (Toronto), with Lunarwell, which turns dirty lunar ice into clean water with the help of sunlight and the Moon's vacuum.
• 778 Labs (Vancouver), with VDO Lunar Water Purification System, a reliable, efficient and highly integrated process for turning lunar ice into clean, drinkable water.
• Lotic Technologies Inc. (Leduc, Alberta), with its Electro-Catalytic Advanced Oxidation Process for Lunar Water Purification.

The Grand Prize Winner of the Aqualunar Challenge will be selected by a jury and receive $400,000 in the spring of 2026. CSA

The first X-ray machine to be used on astronauts in space features advanced detector technology developed in Canada. The SpaceXray research project is a collaboration between leading academic institutions, private companies and technology innovators across North America, including KA Imaging, a Waterloo, Ont.-based X-ray manufacturer. KA Imaging’s innovative Reveal 35C X-ray detector was selected for the Fram2 mission private spaceflight, the first polar-orbit human spaceflight mission aimed at exploring Earth’s polar regions and advancing research critical to long-range space exploration. The mission could launch as soon as March 31. The Health Canada- and U.S. Food and Drug Administration-cleared Reveal 35C features SpectralDR technology, enabling dual-energy subtraction: with a single X-ray exposure, it provides three distinct images – soft tissue, bones and a traditional digital radiograph. The SpaceXray project aims to validate, for the first time, a protocol for safely and efficiently acquiring diagnostic radiographs in the microgravity and radiation environment of orbital flight. Researchers will assess image quality, contrast and spatial resolution while focusing on bone mineral density measurements to monitor the effects of microgravity on astronauts’ bones. KA Imaging

The U.S. Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security added 80 foreign organizations across a number of sectors to its “Entity List,” which prevents U.S. firms from selling chips and other technologies to them. The entities are in China, United Arab Emirates, South Africa, Iran, Taiwan and other countries “for activities contrary to U.S. national security and foreign policy.” The measures are aimed at:

• Restricting the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) ability to acquire and develop high-performance and exascale computing capabilities, as well as quantum technologies, for military applications.
• Impeding China’s development of its hypersonic weapons program.
• Preventing entities associated with the Test Flying Academy of South Africa from using U.S. items to train Chinese military forces.
• Disrupting Iran’s procurement of unmanned aerial vehicles and related defence items.
• Impairing the development of unsafeguarded nuclear activities and ballistic missile programs. Bureau of Industry & Security

EU governments and universities working to welcome U.S. researchers threatened by Trump’s funding cuts and restrictions on U.S. science

EU science ministers are calling on the European Commission to stand ready to welcome U.S. researchers threatened by Donald Trump’s ongoing tightening of restrictions on U.S. science and provide them with concrete opportunities to pursue their work.

In a letter addressed to research commissioner Ekaterina Zaharieva and seen by Science|Business, 12 governments asked the EU to show solidarity and welcome “brilliant talents from abroad who might suffer from research interference and ill-motivated and brutal funding cuts.”

“The current international context reminds us that freedom of science can be put at risk anywhere and at any time,” they wrote.

Since his return to the White House, Trump has been looking to limit support to academia. From ordering massive layoffs within federal science agencies, to terminating grants in certain research areas, to taking unprecedented control over university affairs, he has sparked outrage and distress within the U.S. research community.

The letter, signed by France, the Czech Republic, Austria, Bulgaria, Romania, Slovakia, Estonia, Latvia, Spain, Slovenia, Germany and Greece, calls on the EU to secure dedicated funding through existing tools such as the European Research Council and Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions, “together with a dedicated immigration framework.”

Meanwhile, European universities and research institutions have already started to mobilize.

With its Safe Place For Science programme launched earlier this month, France’s Aix-Marseille University hopes to raise up to €15 million and offer an employment contract to some 15 researchers over three years. While all nationalities are eligible to apply, the candidates must have been based in the U.S. for a minimum of two years.

According to university president Éric Berton, the call has so far been answered by more than 100 scientists, mainly American.

Each selected scientist will receive a research budget of between €600,000 and €800,000, Berton said. The university, which in the past accommodated 25 researchers from Ukraine, Yemen, Afghanistan and Palestine, has begun to work with local institutions to assist potential newcomers with relocation and issues such as visas and employment for spouses and partners.

“We want to be a small beacon of hope for [American researchers] in the name of a Europe of knowledge, and to tell them that science cannot be censored,” Berton explained.

The Université Paris-Saclay has also joined the effort with the announcement that it will deploy PhD contracts and fund stays of various durations for American researchers. Other options for hosting them include the Alembert research chairs for highly qualified international scientists and the Chateaubriand fellowship, which is open to PhD candidates enrolled in higher education in the US.

In neighbouring Belgium, the Vrije Universiteit Brussel has just opened 12 postdoctoral positions for international researchers, and more particularly U.S. scholars. It is also collaborating with its francophone sister university, the Université Libre de Bruxelles, to attract American professors.

Ruben Puylaert, the spokesperson for Universities of the Netherlands, said that Germany, Sweden and the U.K. had also launched programmes to support U.S. scientists. He now wishes to see his country follow suit, “both out of solidarity with scientists for whom academic freedom is under pressure and for reasons of an enlightened self-interest.”

Researchers funded by federal American grant providers at Dutch universities are now being asked to fill in a 36-question poll sent by the United States Geological Survey to disclose their institution’s compliance with the new U.S. federal policy. 

Seen by Science|Business, the questionnaire asks about the nature, funding source and impacts of their research projects. It aims at ensuring that these don’t violate any of Trump’s taboos, like climate change and diversity, all the while measuring their contribution, for example, to making the U.S. independent from global organizations such as the United Nations, combatting the persecution of Christians or countering “malign influence, including China.” Science|Business

VC, PRIVATE INVESTMENT & ACQUISITIONS

Calgary-based Waterous Energy Fund (WEF) announced the final closing of its third-party equity fund, Waterous Energy Fund III, at the stated target of $1.4 billion. For Fund III, WEF said it will continue to pursue its value-based investment strategy in the Canadian oil and gas sector. WEF plans to use the funding for acquisitions in Alberta’s oilsands, to consolidate oil and gas properties in the Athabasca region just south of Fort McMurray. To date, WEF has invested approximately one-third of the fund’s capital in Greenfire Resources Ltd., as well as in Strathcona Resources. BusinessWire

Vancouver-headquartered Lululemon founder Chip Wilson contributed through his charitable organization Solve FSHD to a US$68-million Series B round, led by Ally Bridge Group, for San Francisco-based Epicrispr Biotechnologies. The company is developing gene-editing technology that would prevent facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD), a genetic neuromuscular disease. Wilson, a 69-year-old billionaire, was diagnosed with FSHD at age 32. He launched his philanthropy fund in 2022 with $100 million to back research and ideally find a cure for the disease. The treatment Epicrispr is developing aims to target the disease’s genetic trigger, which leads muscles to waste away. The company plans to use the financing to support Epicrispr’s clinical trial set to begin this year in New Zealand. BusinessWire

Edmonton-based Nanoprecise Sci Corp. raised US$38 million in Series C equity and debt financing led by Yaletown Partners and co-led by BDC's Industrial Innovation Venture Fund, with participation from Export Development Canada, BMO Capital Partners, and a credit facility from CIBC Innovation Banking. Nanoprecise’s maintenance and condition monitoring software uses internet-connected sensors to help clients in industries like mining, oil, and gas anticipate equipment failure and reduce downtime using artificial intelligence. The company plans to use this capital to enhance its technology, invest in research and development, and support its expansion into Southeast Asia, Latin America, Africa and Australia. Nanoprecise Sci Corp.

RBC was among the backers of a US$30-million Series C funding round for Capital Markets Gateway (CMG), a New York-based fintech company. The round was led by StageDotO with participation from existing investors including Bank of America, Barclays, Citi, Fidelity Investments, Franklin Templeton, Goldman Sachs, J.P. Morgan, Morgan Stanley, RBC, Shea Ventures and UBS. CMG’s products include an end-to-end platform that provides equity capital markets industry participants across buy-side and sell-side firms with real-time bookbuilding workflows, as well as a data intelligence solution that provides actionable insights through real-time offering information and historical data. CMG

Toronto-based Radical Ventures led a US$15 million seed funding round for San Franciso-based Yutori, a company building personal AI assistants that can automate everyday digital tasks. The round included participation from Felicis and over a dozen angel investors. Yutori’s AI assistants will handle tasks and actions ranging from scheduling and communications to authentication and transactions. Yutori said it will use the funding to accelerate the development of its agent-first approach, grow its engineering and design teams and prepare for its product launch. Yutori

Toronto-based Lumi AI raised US$3.7 million in a seed funding round led by AgFunder with participation from Forum Ventures, Abu Dhabi sovereign wealth fund ADQ, Qora71 syndicate, and private investors. Lumi AI is a self-service data analytics and insights platform. The platform features a chat module that serves as a personal data analyst, enabling users to explore data, generate visuals and extract tailored insights using plain language – no coding needed. Lumi AI said it will use the funds to grow its engineering and customer success teams, accelerate feature development and support a growing roster of global customers with complex supply chain datasets. Private Capital Journal

Vancouver-based cybersecurity startup Styx Intelligence raised $2.7 million in a seed funding round led by BDC's Seed Venture Fund, with participation from FRAMEWORK Venture Partners, Top Down Ventures, and Sprout Fund. Styx's platform leverages an AI-first architecture to protect organizations from the ever-evolving landscape of digital threats in the age of generative AI. Styx plans to use this funding to expand its team and invest in product development, sales and marketing. Styx Intelligence

Sherbrooke, Que.-based BioAlert Solutions raised a $2.5-million seed round to expand the reach of its automated water quality monitoring technology. Two cleantech-focused firms, Cycle H20 and GreenSky Ventures, co-led the round, with participation from Fondaction and British Columbia-based angel investing network Spring Impact Capital. BioAlert has developed a device that can detect water-borne pathogens in cooling systems in buildings such as hospitals, data centres and manufacturing plants. It also provides a remote software platform for managers to monitor contamination levels off-site. BioAlert’s focus is on detecting Legionella bacteria, responsible for a severe form of pneumonia called Legionnaires’ disease. The company said its technology is up to five times more sensitive than the current industry standard of pathogen detection, allowing its clients to take preventive measures to avoid harmful contamination. BetaKit

Waterloo, Ont.-based logistics software company Descartes Systems Group acquired Columbus, Ohio-based 3GTMS, a provider of transportation management solutions, for US$115 million. 3G’s transportation management solutions combine modern cloud architecture, an expansive carrier network and planning-driven automation to help customers improve costs, customer satisfaction and efficiency. Descartes has acquired 11 companies in three years. Descartes

Seed funding and Series A funding accounted for 76.5 percent of the 148 total venture financings for startups in 2024, up from 73.3 percent in 2022 and 70 percent in 2023, according to a report by law firm Torys LLP. “This reflects a robust early-stage venture environment which, ideally, will create a strong pipeline of companies seeking future rounds of financing,” the report said. However, this hasn’t been the case since Tory’s 2022 report, “and highlights a continuing challenge for the Canadian ecosystem as early-stage companies get purchased, move to the U.S. or go out of business.” There remains a large opportunity in the Canadian market for the development of later-stage startups, the report noted. Consistent with past years, startups based in Ontario, Quebec, and Alberta continue to represent most financings across Canada. However, there was a notable decrease in the total number and relative percentage of financings in Alberta, which were down from 2023, diverging from what had otherwise historically reflected an increasing trend. Torys LLP  

Vancouver-based e-health company UniDoc Health Corp. announced an agreement to acquire AGNES Connect software from AMD Telemedicine for US$175,000 in cash plus a revenue share. This software forms the foundation of UniDoc’s previously announced NEIL Connect software platform. UniDoc Health sells cube-shaped kiosks to enable remote medical appointments and examinations with physicians. AGNES Connect is a secure, encrypted, cloud-based clinical examination platform that enables healthcare providers to capture and securely exchange medical data, documents and images in real time alongside high-quality video conferencing. AGNES Connect seamlessly integrates into healthcare facilities’ electronic health record systems, simplifying clinical workflows and documentation. Upon closing of the acquisition, UniDoc intends to continue to support and expand the existing AGNES Connect customer base, delivering improved software updates and enhanced customer service. UniDoc

Paris, France-based ad giant Publicis Groupe announced an agreement to acquire Montreal-based Moov AI, which helps brands optimize their business through data and AI, providing services such as strategic consulting, generative AI training, business intelligence and delivery of concrete AI solutions. Moov AI will be folded into Publicis Group’s Canadian division. Publicis didn’t disclose the terms of the deal or how many Moov AI employees will make the switch. Publicis Groupe Canada

Toronto-headquartered broadcasting and media firm Blue Ant Media Inc. announced an agreement to go public via a reverse takeover of Toronto-based Boat Rocker Media Inc. Blue Ant Media, founded by Michael MacMillan, the former CEO of Alliance Atlantis, will sell its shares to Boat Rocker Media, at a ratio of 1.25 Boat Rocker shares per Blue Ant share. As part of the reverse takeover deal, Blue Ant will assume control of three production companies – Insight Productions, Jam Filled Entertainment, and Proper Television – and begin trading on the Toronto Stock Exchange. Blue Ant Media

REPORTS & POLICIES

Canada’s “fragmented” policy approach to AI needs fixing as the country falls behind in the global AI race: CIGI study

Three considerations are critical in the intensifying global race for advantage in artificial intelligence, according to a study from the Waterloo-based Centre for International Governance Innovation’s Digital Policy Hub.

First, there needs to be consistent and clear priority setting over time, according to the working paper by Shirley Anne Scharf, visiting researcher with the CN-Paul M. Tellier Chair on Business and Public Policy at the University of Ottawa.

Second, AI policy needs to be embedded in a larger ensemble of industrial priorities that include a focus on digitalization and information and communication technology.

Third, AI priorities need to also exist within a larger governmental focus on innovation that is targeted and focused on demonstrable results.

The Republic of Korea has forged successful policies in these domains, Scharf said. AI has become one of Korea’s 12 national “strategic” technologies aimed at carving out technological sovereignty for the country in the face of growing global autarkic tendencies.

Korea’s AI strategy is centred on three pillars that not only reach into economic and societal spheres but also have legal ramifications, Scharf said.

The first of these pillars aims to establish a “global-leading AI ecosystem” that will build out high-capacity computational infrastructure; wed private and public data that can feed AI; leverage existing industrial strengths to enhance competitiveness (as with semiconductors); and enable AI startups to globally scale.

The second pillar focuses on the “Best Use of AI,” which means attracting and curating the talent that will drive AI innovation forward while also ensuring that Korean citizens learn the necessary AI skills.

The third pillar’s priority is on “People-Centred AI” with attention to systems that provide for job security in the face of industrial transformation, as well as an AI code of ethics to mitigate risks.

Sweden, while having a somewhat later start in AI, has also moved forward quickly, Scharf said. The national AI strategy set out by the Swedish government identified four areas of focus.

First, academic institutions would need to adopt a more comprehensive and less siloed approach, crossing disciplinary boundaries and providing upskilling for experts as much as for the general population.

Second, applied research and its practical applications would need to be strengthened as much as fundamental science, with both resting on collaboration networks among industry, the public sector and academia.

Third, there was to be a focus on innovation and commercialization, particularly with respect to the creation of AI testbeds and incubators that could accelerate AI deployment.

Fourth, all of these areas of focus rested not only on the upkeep of IT infrastructure, but on a framework of governance attuned to the responsible and ethical use of AI – and essential to democracy.

Digitalization and IT provide the ecosystem in which AI development can thrive, and while Sweden’s focus on AI specifically may have started later than in other countries, its foundation in ICT was set much earlier, Scharf said. “As in the Korean example, policy durability around ICT has provided an important foundation for AI progress in Sweden.”

In Canada, the federal government has financially supported AI development for the last 40 years. However, unlike the Korean and Swedish cases, AI priority setting, in the Canadian context, has not been accompanied by a similar focus on ICT, Scharf noted.

The “fragmentary nature” of Canada’s policy endeavours on AI is noteworthy, “with no one fulsome strategy document incorporating its various pieces,” she said.

For example, the Quebec-based Scale AI global innovation cluster is not an integrated piece of the Pan-Canadian AI Strategy, although it is intended to operate in parallel, she pointed out.

While it is true that Canada was among the first nations to introduce an AI strategy, the country’s subsequent AI policy endeavours, unlike that of Korea and Sweden, are not embedded in larger visionary thinking, be it heralding technological leadership that benefits society writ large or embracing a governance approach to AI that engages “all sectors of society,” Scharf said.

“This speaks to a background in which AI has stood somewhat apart from the more shifting nature of innovation priorities in Canadian federal public policy over the years.”

AI, in the Canadian context, is not linked to policy priorities or support for ICT, as with the cases of Korea and Sweden, nor is it part of a consistent undertaking to analyze the specific vulnerabilities in the Canadian innovation ecosystem, Scharf said.

Policy initiatives in AI have developed in the Canadian environs in unique circumstances, with ground-breaking science as a critical part of its foundation, she said. “But AI has also been framed within a public policy landscape that is more fractured with respect to innovation.”

As for AI innovation indicators, Korea has seen an increase in AI patents of 8,966 percent between 2000 and 2020. Canada’s growth was only 19 percent of Korea’s, “in a field that is supposed to be the country’s strong suit.”

Sweden, despite its late start in AI, also remains strongly competitive with Canada in AI patents.

As for investments in AI, by 2023, Korea had overtaken Canada with US$2.2 billion in AI venture capital. Canada stood at US$1.85 billion, which is also below Sweden at US$2 billion, with the Scandinavian country having caught up quickly.

“Canada, with a long and illustrious history in AI, is beginning to lose its competitive edge. Innovation indicators show worrying trends of deceleration,” Scharf said.

“Whatever competitive edge Canada may have initially had is in fact decreasing,” she said, adding that there are three important policy lessons for Canada.

First, the country’s attention needs to be centred on policy consistency and clear priority setting, wedded to effective implementation and with a focus on ensuring that ecosystems absorb AI learning and techniques.

Second, attention needs to be focused on integrated initiatives such as digitalization, ICT, advanced manufacturing and digital infrastructure that leverage AI success.

“In short, Canada needs an effective industrial strategy and one with a realistic assessment of sectoral advantage, such as in manufacturing or energy,” Scharf said.

Finally, she said, the Korean and Swedish cases illustrate the significance of a broader vision, with AI forming part of a holistic innovation agenda and not operating in an isolated and fragmented manner. “Canada must work to achieve something similar.”

Scharf makes four recommendations in her working paper:

• Canada is at a critical crossroads in AI: it needs a “hard reboot” to retain its competitive edge.
• AI policy in Canada requires a focused effort, swifter implementation and a laser focus on diffusing AI through not only large firms but also small and medium-sized enterprises. Policy needs to achieve this through meaningful incentives and targeted criteria.
• AI policy also requires targeted efforts – namely, on digitalization and digital infrastructure, attention to ICT and the evaluation of opportunities in areas such as manufacturing and energy – in order to create the conditions in which AI may thrive. AI priorities need to be linked with a broader industrial strategy that assesses and leverages Canada’s sectoral strengths.
• AI in Canada must be embedded within a larger innovation strategy that has endurance and shows demonstrable results.

“As the case studies of Korea and Sweden both show, AI best thrives in the crucible of robust ecosystems and enabling public policy, not in isolation,” Scharf said.

“AI policy priorities need to be tightened and focused, if Canada is to have more enduring comparative advantage.” CIGI

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National strategy and a new funding model required to support lifelong learning: CAUCE

Canada needs a national strategy and a new, flexible funding model to support lifelong learning, not just as an educational initiative but as a societal commitment to equity and opportunity, according to a report from the Canadian Association for University Continuing Education (CAUCE).

In today's knowledge-based economy, the pragmatics of lifelong learning involve addressing practical challenges such as accessibility, affordability and relevance of educational programs, said the report, by Rod Lastra, associate dean (academic) of Extended Education at the University of Manitoba.

The semantics have also shifted to emphasize lifelong learning as a means of fostering innovation, competitiveness and professional development.

The integration of micro-credentials, recognition of prior learning, and competency-based education reflects a pragmatic approach to meet diverse learner needs and labour market demands, according to the report.

These developments underscore the necessity of flexible learning pathways and the validation of skills acquired outside traditional educational settings.

“Understanding the pragmatics and semantics of lifelong learning is essential for crafting policies that ensure inclusive and equitable access to education across all life stages,” Lastra said.

“With Canada’s aging population, it is particularly crucial for policymakers to focus on the learning needs of adults, who represent the majority of lifelong learners.”

While everyone engaged in formal education is, in essence, a lifelong learner, those following “traditional” higher education pathways (e.g., degree programs) typically receive extensive support and financial aid, the report noted.

By contrast, adult learners in non-traditional pathways often lack access to similar resources, highlighting the need for targeted policy efforts.

According to the report, effective policy development should prioritize:

• Holistic frameworks: Building integrated strategies that encompass formal, non-formal and informal learning opportunities tailored to adult learners, particularly those outside traditional higher education systems.
• Collaborative approaches: Fostering partnerships among government agencies, educational institutions, industry and community organizations to address skill gaps and meet the specific needs of adult learners, thereby enhancing workforce adaptability and social cohesion.
• Lifelong learning culture: Promoting a societal ethos that values continuous learning and personal development, positioning adult education as essential for individual fulfillment and community well-being.

University continuing and extension education units have been central to reshaping educational opportunities for adults, driving advancements in distance and online learning, and expanding qualifications through innovative credentials and digital platforms, the report said.

The 2023 bi-annual survey by CAUCE and Academica revealed a consistent, strong demand for lifelong education among Canadians, with more than 450,000 course enrollments recorded across 28 Canadian universities.

Career and workforce development programs, comprising more than half of these enrollments, highlight the units' dedication to upskilling and reskilling within a dynamic job market.

University continuing and extension education units often develop custom programs in collaboration with local businesses and community organizations, thereby addressing specific local and regional educational needs.

Despite this strong uptake, however, challenges persist in offering affordable programming at a time when universities and units must balance their expenses, the report said. “The escalating costs of higher education, coupled with insufficient funding to support continuous learning initiatives, risk creating a significant divide.”

Since the mid-1990s, Canadian universities have faced ongoing reductions in government funding, leading to substantial budget deficits and a pressing need to find alternative revenue sources. To address these shortfalls, institutions have increasingly turned to tuition revenue, shifting much of the financial burden to learners themselves.

This reliance on learner fees marks a significant departure from the 1970s, when nearly 80 percent of university funding came from government support. By the early 2000s, government contributions had fallen to less than 45 percent, requiring institutions to fill this gap largely through tuition.

Recent federal changes affecting international enrollment introduce further financial uncertainty, with significant consequences anticipated across Canada in 2025, the report said. “These funding constraints critically impact the ability of post-secondary institutions to provide affordable lifelong learning opportunities.”

This scenario underscores the need for a reimagined funding approach that prioritizes equitable access to education at all stages of life, according to the report.

“With domestic tuition fees largely unchanged since the early 2010s, the heavy dependence on learner contributions reveals an unsustainable model for the future of Canadian higher education.”

The current funding landscape for adult learners pursuing non-credit continuing education in Canada shows critical gaps that hinder the capacity for continuous upskilling and reskilling, the report noted.

Adult learners are increasingly expected to adapt to a global labour market in flux, driven by rapid technological advancements and economic shifts.

However, existing funding models remain predominantly employment-focused, often requiring that non-credit programs lead directly to immediate job outcomes to qualify for support. “This approach overlooks the broader benefits of lifelong education, including personal growth, long-term skill development, and adaptability.”

A radical shift in strategy is essential to ensure sustainable funding models that maintain affordability and access to lifelong learning, the report said.

“Only through such systemic changes can Canada safeguard equitable, quality education for all, positioning lifelong learning as an accessible pathway for personal and professional growth in a knowledge-driven, AI-transformed economy.”

Integrating a cognitive science-based understanding of skills and competencies into a national lifelong learning strategy is essential for creating inclusive and responsive education systems, the report said.

According to the report, Canada urgently needs a national qualifications framework (NQF) similar to those implemented in the European Union and Southeast Asia, where structured standards ensure clarity, consistency and quality across educational and training programs.

By establishing consistent benchmarks, an NQF would create a reliable foundation for program development that is responsive to emerging skill needs, fostering trust and transparency in credentialing.

This standardization could further pave the way for expanded financial support structures for learners, as clear, validated credentials would make it easier for funding bodies to assess program value and impact.

Such a framework would enhance mobility and credential recognition for learners across provinces, supporting both domestic and international workforce readiness.

“This unified approach would not only strengthen educational pathways and workforce alignment but also ensure that learners across Canada can access well-supported, high-quality programs that lead to meaningful employment opportunities, reinforcing Canada’s ability to meet evolving economic and technological demands with a resilient and adaptable workforce,” Lastra said.

Canada could benefit from policies that provide equitable funding access for lifelong learning, irrespective of program type, the report said. This approach would not only support continuous skill development but also foster economic resilience by empowering individuals to navigate an evolving job market.

The report’s recommendations are:

• Affordability and accessibility: Develop flexible, inclusive funding models that support diverse learning pathways, including non-credit programs. Policies should provide direct subsidies and financial assistance for adult learners, alleviating the financial burden associated with continuing education. This includes covering the living expenses necessary for adult learners to participate in short-term, intensive training programs.
• Investment in flexibility and responsiveness: Expand federal and provincial investments in post-secondary institutions to create and sustain skilling programs, as well as civic and culturally appropriate learning options. Institutions should be funded to innovate and maintain course delivery, avoiding the need to pass development and operational costs onto learners.
• Inclusivity: Remove systemic barriers to adult education, particularly for marginalized and underserved groups. Ensuring equitable access across socioeconomic lines will require dedicated funding to establish community-based learning programs and create accessible opportunities in remote and Indigenous communities.
• Recognition of diverse learning: Implement a system for validating and recognizing skills and competencies acquired outside traditional education settings. This includes formalizing processes to recognize prior learning and experience, which is essential to acknowledge the knowledge and abilities of workers transitioning between industries and those entering Canada with international qualifications.
• Enhanced access to labour market information and analytics: Labour market information must be readily accessible to the public, not just institutions and private companies. This open access will allow individuals, educators, and policymakers to make informed decisions about which skills are in demand and where employment gaps exist. It will also facilitate timely curriculum development aligned with emerging industry needs.
• Creation of a learning network: Establish a national framework to support greater mobility and seamless recognition of qualifications, with special provisions for foreign-trained professionals. By enabling professionals to move more easily between industries or regions and fast-tracking qualification recognition, Canada can more effectively respond to demands in emerging digital, AI, and green technology fields, as well as other critical areas like business, agriculture, and healthcare.

“Investing in a robust, national strategy for lifelong learning, including a flexible funding model, is essential for building a workforce that is adaptive, resilient, and equipped to meet the challenges of the 21st- century economy,” the report said. CAUCE

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One in five Canadian households experience “energy poverty:” Fraser Institute study

More than 20 per cent of households in Canada earning less than $55,000 experience energy poverty, meaning they spend 10 percent or more of their household budget on electricity, home heating fuel and gasoline, according to a study by the Fraser Institute policy think tank.

"Many Canadian households are spending a significant portion of their budgets on energy, when Canada should have among the most affordable energy in the world," Elmira Aliakbari, director of energy policy studies at the Fraser Institute and co-author of Energy Costs and Canadian Households: How Much Are We Spending, 2025 edition, said in a statement. The other co-author is Kevin Chan, policy analyst and researcher.

Their study found that nationwide, Atlantic Canadians have the highest rates of energy poverty at 24.6 percent in 2021 (the most recent year of available data). The national average is 11 percent for all households.

The lowest rate of energy poverty is in British Columbia at 8.1 per cent, followed by Ontario (nine percent), Alberta (9.8), Manitoba (11.2), Quebec (11.9) and Saskatchewan (13.9).

Energy poverty disproportionately affects lower-income Canadians. Among households with an income less than $31,200, 22.1 percent are classified as energy poor, spending 10 percent or more of their household budget on electricity, home heating fuel and gasoline.

For households with incomes between $31,200 and $55,000, it's 20.7 percent.

By contrast, just 1.6 percent of households earning over $124,100 are considered energy poor.

“The significant prevalence of energy poverty in Canada, particularly among low-income families, must be a key consideration in energy policy development,” the study says.

"Policies that increase the price of oil, gas and electricity will force more Canadian households into energy poverty, and intensify the financial strain on already vulnerable households," Aliakbari said.

The study points to various federal and provincial policies that the authors say have contributed to energy prices in Canada rising faster over the past two decades than both general inflation and nominal household income, making energy less affordable. These policies include:

• the federal consumer carbon tax (which Prime Minister Mark Carney eliminated as of April 1, 2025)
• the carbon pricing system for large industrial emitters.
• the proposed federal cap on the oil and gas industry’s greenhouse gas emissions (which hasn’t yet been implemented).
• the expansion of renewable energy sources and the investment required.
• the banning of hydraulic fracturing, used to extract oil and gas from shale formations, by several provinces: Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia (which is lifting the fracking ban) and Newfoundland.

The study’s other findings include:

• Between 2019 and 2021, Canadian households spent approximately two percent of their total expenditures on within-the-home energy goods (electricity, natural gas and other heating fuels) and around five percent when gasoline is included. When only energy used within the home was included in the calculations, 6.2 percent of households were classified as energy poor in 2021, up from 4.7 percent in 2019. When the gasoline expenses of Canadian households are also included, 11 percent of households were classified as energy poor in 2021, down slightly from 12.3 percent in 2019.
• One factor contributing to the variation across provinces is energy pricing. British Columbia and Quebec, which benefit from abundant hydroelectric power, have among the lowest electricity costs in North America. 
• Alberta, Canada’s most energy-rich province, is seeing the fastest rise in energy poverty. Between 2019 and 2021, the share of Albertans experiencing energy poverty increased by more than 80 percent, to seven per cent in 2021 compared with 3.9 percent in 2019.
• British Columbia has the lowest incidence of energy poverty despite a 55.8-percent increase from a 2.5-percent share of the energy poverty population in 2019 to 3.8 percent in 2021.
• Energy poverty disproportionately affects lower-income households. In 2021, 22.1 percent of households in the lowest income quintile (earning $31,200 or less) and 20.7 percent in the second-lowest quintile (earning $31,200 to $55,000) experienced energy poverty when gasoline expenses were included.
• Montreal ranks first among 22 Canadian and U.S. cities for the having lowest cost of electricity, while Edmonton and Calgary have higher-than-average energy costs.
• For the cost of gasoline, in 2023 a litre of gasoline cost Canadian consumers approximately 157.2 cents versus 129.4 cents in the U.S. During 2022 and 2023, Canadian consumers paid on average 25.7 cents more per litre of gasoline than Americans.
• Canada’s electricity prices are significantly lower than in most OECD countries in the European Union. Heating oil prices in Canada ae among the lowest within 20 selected OECD countries. The research “suggests the price differences between Canada and other OECD countries could be due to the high taxes levied on oil, gas and electricity in many European countries, which are used to subsidize the renewable energy industry,” the study’s co-authors say. Fraser Institute

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Trump administration causing “chaos and confusion” at the National Institutes of Health

Rules and restrictions imposed by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DODGE) risk hampering and undermining American medical science, seven senior scientists working at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) told The New York Times.

The rules and restrictions include a communications ban, a prohibition on researchers submitting papers to journals for publication, and a 30-day travel ban put in place on February 26.

One scientist said that DOGE had begun a reign of “chaos and confusion.” The scientists – who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they feared for their jobs for speaking publicly – warned that DODGE had the potential to seriously weaken the NIH.

The NIH is considered the “crown jewel” of American science, with a network of thousands of researchers in 27 centres dedicated to treating disease, improving health and funding medical research.

“It really is quite chilling,” one of the scientists said. “They are controlling information, causing chaos, disrupting everyone, keeping us off-balance.”

An NIH spokeswoman said that the agency was complying with an executive order from U.S. President Donald Trump, but that some activities were continuing, including payments for supplies for clinical research studies or ongoing research experiments. 

The NIH is where the human genetic code was deciphered, where hepatitis C was discovered, where the AIDS virus was isolated, where the first drug to treat AIDS was discovered and where basic research that helped lead to the COVID vaccines was done.

The NIH pays for large clinical trials in fields like cancer, heart disease and diabetes that have changed medical practice and saved lives.

The agency also supports research by an additional 300,000 scientists at more than 2,500 universities and medical centres – research that is also being threatened.

Hundreds of highly competitive grants that support research at universities and medical schools across the country have been cut. Many of the eliminated grants had descriptions that included terms like “minorities,” “transgender,” “AIDS” and “vaccine hesitancy.” 

A program that supported training scientists from minority groups, those who had disabilities and those from disadvantaged backgrounds has also disappeared.

And research grants that helped pay to train doctoral and postdoctoral students have been slashed. Now universities are rescinding offers to young scientists.

Every NIH employee, no matter how senior, has to send a weekly email to a human resources address with five bullet points stating what was accomplished in the past week. The employees never hear anything back, said one senior scientist who has been at the NIH for decades.

One of the senior scientists said that when DOGE recently put a $1 spending limit on government credit cards, it was apparently with no knowledge of how essential the cards were to basic operations. There was no mechanism, for example, to pay for gas for vehicles used to transport patients’ blood samples.

Tenured staff members at the NIH can no longer take for granted the automatic renewal of their contracts, a senior scientist said. Now some scientists are being put on leave without pay when their contracts run out, and then they wait anxiously to learn if they still have a job.

Last week, Dr. Peter Marks, director of the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, resigned from the FDA.

Marks said in his resignation letter that he was willing to work with U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. about concerns regarding vaccine safety and transparency by hearing from the public.

“However, it has become clear that truth and transparency are not desired by the Secretary, but rather he wishes subservient confirmation of his misinformation and lies,” Marks wrote.

“My hope is that during the coming years, the unprecedented assault of scientific truth that has adversely impacted public health in our nation comes to an end so that the citizens of our country can fully benefit from the breadth of advances in medical science,” he said.

Dr. Jeremy Levin, chairman and CEO of New York-based pharmaceutical firm Ovid Therapeutics Inc., said in a LinkedIn post that Marks’ resignation “is far more than the departure of a highly respected figure” and should serve as a “stark and unequivocal warning.”

Marks “makes clear that the FDA, long held as the gold standard in global regulatory science, is now under threat from political interference and the systematic distortion of scientific truth,” Levin said.

“It signals that the very infrastructure we rely on to evaluate, approve and monitor life-saving medicines – and to protect patients from harm – is at risk of collapse. The implications are vast.” The New York Times

THE GRAPEVINE – News about people, institutions and communities

Scholar who studies fascism is leaving America for Canada because the U.S. risks becoming a “fascist dictatorship”

A Yale University philosophy professor who studies fascism is leaving the U.S. to work at a Canadian university because of the current U.S. political climate, which he worries is putting the U.S. at risk of becoming a “fascist dictatorship.”

Jason Stanley, who wrote the 2018 book How Fascism Works: The Politics of Us and Them, has accepted a position at the University of Toronto’s Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy.

Stanley told the Daily Nous, a philosophy profession website, that he made the decision “to raise my kids in a country that is not tilting towards a fascist dictatorship.”

He said in an interview that Columbia University’s recent actions moved him to accept the offer. Columbia gave in to the Trump administration by agreeing to a series of demands in order to restore $400 million in federal funding. These changes include crackdowns on protests, increased security power and “internal reviews” of some academic programs, like the Middle Eastern Studies department.

Dr. Katrina Armstrong, interim president of Columbia University, subsequently resigned and was replaced by Claire Shipman, who had been the co-chair of the university’s board of trustees.

“When I saw Columbia completely capitulate, and I saw this vocabulary of, well, we’re going to work behind the scenes because we’re not going to get targeted – that whole way of thinking pre-supposes that some universities will get targeted, and you don’t want to be one of those universities, and that’s just a losing strategy,” Stanley said.

“You’ve got to just band together and say an attack on one university is an attack on all universities. And maybe you lose that fight, but you’re certainly going to lose this one if you give up before you fight,” he said.

Stanley said he wasn’t concerned about his ability to continue his scholarship at Yale, but the broader climate against universities played a role. He praised other faculty at Yale for standing up against the attacks on their profession and said he wished he could stay and fight with them.

Social media posts noted the alarm sounded by a scholar of fascism leaving the country over its political climate.

Nikole Hannah-Jones, the journalist and creator of the 1619 Project, wrote on the social media platform Bluesky: “When scholars of authoritarianism and fascism leave U.S. universities because of the deteriorating political situation here, we should really worry.”

Two other Yale professors, Marci Shore and Timothy Snyder, who specialize in Eastern European history and are married, have also decided to stay in Canada after a sabbatical from Yale rather than return to the U.S. under the Trump presidency. The Guardian

Dr. Marc Ruel, one of Canada’s most renowned heart surgeons, had already hired movers and was about to make an offer on a new home when he turned down a new job at the University of California San Francisco Medical Center after U.S. President Donald Trump’s threats of widespread tariffs and making Canada the 51^st state. Ruel is a veteran cardiac surgeon at the University of Ottawa Heart Institute and past president of the Canadian Cardiovascular Society. He is world-renowned for having pioneered a minimally invasive way of performing heart bypass surgery through a small incision between the ribs, rather than by splitting the breastbone. “When it directly affects Canada and our sovereignty and our identity, that changes everything,” Ruel told The Globe and Mail. “I can’t go to a jurisdiction that belittles our country.” The Globe and Mail

Arash Abizadeh, R.B. Angus Professor of Political Science at McGill University, has cancelled three work-related trips to the U.S., citing a “breakdown of rule of law.” Abizadeh withdrew from his planned visits after learning about a Canadian woman who was detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents and a French researcher who was deported by U.S. border agents, CTV News reported. Canadian entrepreneur Jasmine Mooney returned to Vancouver after she said she spent about a dozen days being bounced around multiple detention centres in the U.S. after she was detained when she applied for a visa at the U.S.-Mexico border on March 3. Abizadeh said the U.S. threats to annex Canada had already given him pause, but the recent immigration crackdown solidified his decision. “Political scientists, a lot of my colleagues are seeing the signs of a kind of breakdown into a form of competitive authoritarianism, so a kind of departure from democratic norms, which makes people unsafe if they travel, particularly when you’re not a U.S. citizen,” he said. CTV News

Renowned Canadian AI researcher Yoshua Bengio will hold a newly created position of founder and scientific advisor at Mila – Quebec AI Institute. These new responsibilities will allow Bengio to devote more time to his research on AI safety and his international AI governance initiatives. In addition to his new duties, he remains at the heart of Mila's activities as a core academic member, a member of Mila’s scientific council and a Canada CIFAR AI Chair. Professor Laurent Charlin, associate professor in the Department of Decision Sciences at HEC Montréal, a Canada CIFAR AI Chair, a core academic member of Mila, and a member of its scientific council, was appointed Mila’s interim scientific director. The transition marks the launch of the recruitment process for Mila’s next permanent scientific director. Mila

Melanie Woodin, an internationally recognized neuroscientist who studies the mechanism underlying learning and memory in the brain, was named the first female president of the University of Toronto for a five-year term, effective July 1, 2025. She will succeed current U of T president Merci Gertler, who has served in the role since 2013. Woodin is a professor in the Department of Cell and Systems Biology and has been dean of the university’s Faculty of Arts & Science – Canada’s largest and most comprehensive faculty – since 2019. The author or co-author of over 50 academic papers, books and chapters, her research explores how neurons communicate and process information, how the strength of that activity (called plasticity) affects brain function and how changes to these mechanisms lead to neurological disorders and diseases. Woodin is the president of the Canadian Association for Neuroscience and serves on the board of directors at the Vector Institute. U of T

Dr. Roberta Piovesana of the Université de Montréal is the recipient of the 2024 ALS Canada-Brain Canada Career Transition Award and will receive $250,000 over three years to support her research and career development. This award aims to foster the next generation of ALS researchers by providing crucial funding for both salary and research costs. It is designed to assist awardees as they transition into an independent academic position and establish their own research program focused on ALS. By supporting researchers at this pivotal stage, the program helps accelerate discoveries in both basic and clinical sciences, strengthening Canada’s ALS research landscape. Brain Canada

Katherine Homuth, the founder of Sheertex Inc., is stepping down as CEO of the innovative but financially challenged Montreal-based textile manufacturing startup. “As part of a funding round that SRTX is working to close, Katherine has decided to resign when the round closes,” chief financial officer Tim Leyne said in a text message to The Globe and Mail. “She remains CEO until then.” SRTX has been attempting to raise fresh financing needed to fund its near-term working capital requirements and stretch its available cash. The company has also faced the uncertainty of potential tariffs and added duties on shipments to the U.S. Last month, the company temporarily laid off about 40 percent of its nearly 350 employees and full-time equivalent contractors for up to six months. SRTX’s mission is to replace run-prone nylon tights with a rip-resistant alternative made from ultrahigh-molecular-weight polyethylene. The Globe and Mail

Charles Lespérance joined Silicon-Valley based venture capital firm Celesta Capital as a partner, bringing more than 15 years of experience in technology investment, structured finance and strategy. Prior to Celesta, Lespérance co-founded and served as a partner in BDC’s Deep Tech Venture Fund, a $200-million venture capital fund focused on early-stage deep tech investments. In previous roles, he worked at PSP Investments and McKinsey & Company. He is based in Montreal and will help Celesta source deals, make investments and raise money. Celesta

Calgary-based Movement51 (M51) the not-for-profit sister organization of women-led investment firm The51, appointed Emily Smiley as its new executive director. Smiley joins M51 following her eight-year tenure at Toronto-based incubator DMZ, most recently acting as its director of partnerships and investor relations. Smiley helped scale entrepreneurship programs, secure corporate partnerships and launch national initiatives to support women founders while at DMZ, M51 said in a statement. Smiley succeeds previous executive director Danielle Gifford, who joined in September 2022 to head the organization’s early growth and departed in December 2023. BetaKit

The MiluEM program was awarded the Shield of Volunteering Award from Israel’s Ministry of Health for saving lives during a period of unprecedented emergency. Toronto emergency physician Dr. Ari Greenwald, director of MiluEM, accepted the award on behalf of the organization. MiluEM is a network of 250+ experienced volunteer medicine specialists from around the world that helps Israel’s emergency medicine community during times of crisis. MiluEM was one of the medical missions of the Auschwitz Jewish Centre Foundation’s (AJCF) Emergency Medical Assistance Program for Victims of Mass Atrocities, made possible through a grant from the Musk Foundation. Following the brutal and indiscriminate violence against civilian lives in Israel on October 7, 2023, Israel’s Ministry of Health reached out to the AJCF for assistance in supporting the country’s healthcare system. The AJCF coordinated the deployment of physician volunteers from around the world to reinforce medical centres in Israel. Over the ensuing months, more than 250 volunteer doctors participated in over 400 medical missions, providing crucial medical care across various specialties such as emergency medicine, ICU, trauma, anesthesia and reconstructive surgery. PR Newswire

U.S. President Donald Trump pardoned Nikola founder Trevor Milton, who was convicted of fraud in 2022 for lying to investors about the company’s zero-emissions trucks, according to prosecutors. A federal jury in Manhattan convicted Milton of one count of securities fraud and two counts of wire fraud. He was sentenced to four years in prison. During the trial, prosecutors portrayed Milton as a con man who duped investors, including in podcasts and on social media, about the company’s sales and the capabilities of its vehicles. Trump said Milton had been persecuted and had done nothing wrong. Campaign finance records show that Milton and his wife donated more than $1.8 million to a Trump fundraising committee in October. Trump also commuted the sentence of Carlos Watson, a co-founder of the now-defunct digital media company Ozy Media, on the day he was set to surrender to prison, The New York Times reported. Watson was sentenced in December to almost 10 years in prison for trying to defraud investors and lenders by lying about the company’s finances. Wall Street Journal

Huron University in London, Ont. received $5 million from the Schulich Foundation to support the creation of the Nation Builder Program, a flagship enrichment program for students who are high-achieving, aspiring leaders with an interest in what drives Canada’s economy. Students will have access to special workshops and lectures, international learning experiences and corporate internships in addition to their regular academic programming. The Nation Builder Program will start in the 2025-26 academic year. Huron University

The University of Prince Edward Island (UPEI) unveiled a new Master of Cleantech Leadership and Transformation program, set to begin in September 2025. This 16-month professional master’s degree combines environmental science and technology, focusing on cleantech policy, business, equity and Indigenous ways of knowing. The program is part of the Cleantech Academy – a partnership between UPEI, Holland College, and the Government of Prince Edward Island that aims to train future leaders in the cleantech sector. At the program’s launch event, UPEI announced a new pathway that enables Holland College students with post-graduate certificates to transition into UPEI’s undergraduate programs or the new master’s program. UPEI

The Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM) launched four new graduate programs to help learners meet today’s changing workforce demands. Three programs focus on digital marketing and AI: a specialized diploma in digital marketing and AI; a graduate micro-program in digital marketing; and a graduate micro-program in AI-integrated marketing. The fourth is a graduate micro-program in health and social services organization management, designed to help managers with less than five years of experience enhance their problem-solving, monitoring/measuring and interpersonal skills. Each of the four programs can be laddered into a master’s degree and are offered in a hybrid format to support students’ work-life balance. UQAM (1), UQAM (2)

Saskatchewan Polytechnic (Sask Polytech) received $800,000 from the RBC Foundation to train the next generation of sustainable energy workers. This donation will allow Sask Polytech to enhance its programming and course materials to equip students to support the transition to a net-zero economy. The institution will focus on developing additional electives, new micro-credentials and customized training in areas such as solar, wind and geothermal energy, biomass and biofuels. The funding will leverage Sask Polytech's existing infrastructure and equipment, such as the Energy and Resources Lab at the Moose Jaw campus. Sask Polytech

The College of the North Atlantic (CNA), Simon Fraser University (SFU), the University of Toronto (U of T) and York University (YorkU) each signed agreements with industry organizations to bolster research and training efforts. CNA and cybersecurity company Sophos renewed a partnership focused on providing students with hands-on experience, networking opportunities and career placements. U of T and Japanese digital print, imaging and IT company Konica Minolta, Inc. renewed a five-year research partnership focused on AI and the Internet of Things. SFU partnered with the low-carbon energy infrastructure business Corix on a four-year, $360,000 research project focused on wood waste and emission reductions. YorkU and the innovation hub ventureLAB renewed a memorandum of understanding to expand their collaboration in research, innovation and talent development. CNA, SFU, U of T, YorkU

Organizations across Canada are calling on provincial governments to increase post-secondary funding. In Newfoundland and Labrador, the Canadian Union of Public Employees Local 1615 is urging the province to boost funding for Memorial University to address the projected $8.9-million deficit in its upcoming budget. Colleges Ontario, the Council of Ontario Universities, and the Ontario Chamber of Commerce wrote an open letter to the Government of Ontario requesting increased operating funding. “Without immediate and effective investments, institutions will be forced to make decisions that compromise the quality of education and limit accessibility,” they wrote. According to the Winnipeg Free Press, the University of Winnipeg is projecting a significant deficit and has asked the Government of Manitoba to update its postsecondary funding model. The Canadian Press, Financial Post, Winnipeg Free Press

Langara College in Vancouver laid off 21 permanent faculty members earlier this year following a significant decline in international student enrolment, CTV News reported. The college has not provided official numbers, but Pauline Greaves Aylward, Langara Faculty Association president, told City News there will be 200 fewer instructors at the start of next semester compared with 2023. McGill University is reportedly laying off 99 employees as part of its efforts to address a $45-million operating budget deficit. The affected workers will be notified by the end of April. In a memo to staff, the university attributed the deficit, in part, to the Government of Québec’s tuition policy. City News (Langara), City News (McGill)

The Federation of Post-Secondary Educators of BC (FPSE) is demanding that the Government of British Columbia take action given the ongoing announcements of layoffs from B.C. postsecondary institutions. They include Kwantlen Polytechnic University, Vancouver Island University, Camosun College, the College of New Caledonia, North Island College and Langara College. The FPSE said Premier David Eby and B.C’s Ministry of Post-Secondary Education and Future Skills “have been silent on the plight of our institutions.” The provincial budget did not mention postsecondary institutions, the FPSE said. “Our members are losing patience with obfuscation and political games,” said FPSE president Brent Calvert. In January 2024, the federal government abruptly announced a 35-percent cut in new international student permits. In addition, Ottawa subsequently changed regulations around post-graduation work permits and dramatically reduced the ability of international students to access pathways to permanent residency. “These combined changes have had a devastating impact on BC’s colleges and universities,” the FPSE said. FPSE

Confederation College in Thunder Bay, Ont. announced the suspension of 11 academic programs indefinitely in the Fall 2025 semester. The suspended programs are within the School of Business, Hospitality & Media Arts; School of Engineering Technology, Trades & Aviation; and School of Health, Negahneewin & Community Services. While students currently in these programs will be able to complete their studies, the suspensions will impact roughly four percent of projected incoming domestic students in the Fall semester. Confederation College

Low-orbit satellites may soon be able to dodge space debris, thanks to a collaboration between scientists from the University of Calgary (UCalgary) and the University of Alaska Fairbanks. Using data from CASSIOPE – a UCalgary-operated satellite – the scientists have discovered that debris floating through the near-Earth ionosphere produces plasma waves that can be detected with a radio receiver instrument onboard the satellite. The CASSIOPE satellite is the only satellite in low orbit that can measure this data due to its radio receiver and the elliptical orbit it travels on, allowing it to interact with the orbits of space objects at different altitudes. The ultimate goal is to build an automated detection system on satellites that would detect space debris and move the satellite out of a collision course. Space debris has become increasingly problematic over the years, with some satellites blowing apart to create even more debris. Combine this with the ever-increasing number of satellites – nearly 8,000 in low-Earth orbit – and the potential for collisions increases exponentially. Travelling at speeds up to 27,000 kilometres an hour, this debris can have an impact energy equivalent to a small hand grenade. Damage from space debris has already been observed on the Canadarm and other satellites. UCalgary

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