GOVERNMENT FUNDING & NEWS

Federal government invests $127 million in two major life sciences projects in Vancouver

Industry Minister Mélanie Joly announced a combined $127 million in Strategic Response Fund contributions to support two major life sciences projects from Aspect Biosystems and Providence Health Care in Vancouver.

The Government of Canada is contributing $79 million to support Aspect Biosystems, a biotechnology company pioneering the development of bioprinted tissue therapeutics.

The Government of British Columbia is supporting Aspect Biosystems with $23.8 million to help them expand.

Aspect Biosystems is developing a new category of regenerative medicine designed to restore or supplement biological functions in the body and deliver functional cures for serious metabolic and endocrine diseases, including diabetes.

These advanced therapies are developed using Aspect’s industry-leading platform, which integrates proprietary AI-powered bioprinting technology, stem cells, hypoimmune cell engineering and advanced biomaterials.

The federal government is deepening its partnership with Aspect Biosystems through a new $280-million project that will strengthen the company’s clinical development and biomanufacturing capabilities, enhance its AI-powered platform and accelerate its path to commercialization.

Ottawa is also investing $48 million in Providence Health Care, a non-profit health care network that provides health services and operates 18 facilities, including St. Paul’s Hospital (PHC) a Vancouver-based acute care, teaching and research hospital.

“Aspect Biosystems and Providence Health Care are turning bold ideas into breakthrough health solutions. By investing strategically, we’re accelerating that growth – helping innovators scale up, commercialize their discoveries and manufacture cutting-edge technologies right here at home,” Jolie said in a statement.

PHC is currently undertaking the construction of a health care campus consisting of the new St. Paul’s Hospital and Clinical Support and Research Centre (CSRC). PHC’s project includes developing an innovation hub within the new CSRC, which will be directly connected via a skybridge to the new St. Paul’s Hospital on the Jim Pattison Medical Campus.

The CSRC’s innovation hub will include core components such as data platforms and services, a clinical trials unit, a simulation centre, wet labs and an innovation centre.

The hub is strategically designed to accelerate R&D and partnerships, as well as position PHC as a leader in data-driven health care innovation, equipped with AI-enabled clinical research environments for patient monitoring and data analysis.

PHC’s hub will create an incubator space for the development of new technologies and the scaling up of promising small and medium-sized companies. Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada

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The Government of Canada awarded a $187-million energy performance contract (EPC) to upgrade infrastructure at 5 Wing Goose Bay, Newfoundland and Labrador. The 5 Wing Goose Bay EPC, awarded to Toronto-headquartered MCW Custom Energy Solutions Ltd., will focus on modernizing the central heating plant by replacing diesel systems with electric boilers, leveraging Labrador’s clean hydroelectric grid for greener, more efficient energy. These upgrades are expected to reduce energy costs at 5 Wing Goose Bay by approximately $8.6 million annually, a 77-percent reduction, and lower greenhouse gas emissions by roughly 19,000 tonnes per year, a 94-percent  reduction from current levels. Construction will begin in May 2026, with completion anticipated by December 2030. Ottawa said the next three to five years will see an additional nine EPCs planned for award, representing over $650 million in new investments. The NORAD northern basing infrastructure plan (NNBI), valued at $32 billion, will include improvements to airfields, operational facilities and support infrastructure at key northern sites, including Inuvik, Iqaluit, Yellowknife, and Goose Bay. NNBI will enable rapid mobilization to the Arctic and the North in support of NORAD missions and will provide additional capacity to support CAF operations. National Defence

Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED) announced over $86 million in Government of Canada funding for a Northwestel project that will bring unlimited high-speed internet access to 11,650 households, reaching all 25 communities in Nunavut. This funding is being provided through the Universal Broadband Fund, a program designed to ensure that all Canadian households, including those in rural, remote and northern communities, have access to reliable high-speed internet. Northwestel will partner with Telesat to secure high-speed internet capacity through the company’s low-Earth orbit satellite constellation, Telesat Lightspeed. The federal government and Telesat entered into a $600-million agreement to secure high-speed Internet capacity through the constellation, which will use next-generation technology to significantly improve connectivity across the country. ISED

The Ontario-based federally funded Next Generation Manufacturing Canada global innovation cluster (NGen) announced at its N3 Summit conference in Toronto that it would support 20 AI projects for manufacturers through a more than $79-million envelope. More than $50 million of that comes directly from industry partners, while the remaining $29 million consists of new federal funding through the Pan-Canadian Artificial Intelligence Strategy. The 20 projects, which range from automotive assembly to defence and security tech, will help Canadian manufacturers make their processes more efficient and competitive with “cutting-edge AI solutions,” AI minister Evan Solomon said in a statement. Several Canadian tech companies are participating in the projects, all of which focus on building domestic capacity. Toronto-based e-Zinc is launching an AI-powered quality control project to inspect its water-based battery systems for clean energy, in partnership with Katalyze AI. Toronto physical AI startup Xaba is partnering with Martinrea International to deploy robotics with AI vision into powerpack manufacturing. Kanata, Ont.-based InPho (ElectroPhotonic-IC) plans to integrate AI into semiconductor manufacturing for use in advanced data centres. BetaKit

The federal government’s new AI strategy is ready but has been delayed by world events, said AI Minister Evan Solomon. He had previously said Ottawa would release a much-anticipated update to the national technology policy in the first quarter of 2026. But at the N3 Summit in Toronto, he told reporters that the launch had been pushed back by other issues and parliamentary business that the Liberal government has needed to address. The AI strategy is coming “very soon,” Solomon said, although he added that Ottawa is still open to updating it with new measures. The strategy will include measures to support AI in industrial settings like manufacturing facilities, Solomon said. Conservative MP Kelly DeRidder told Solomon that expert witnesses at the House of Commons Science and Research Committee studying AI have said “nothing” from the government’s original AI strategy in 2017 has been implemented, despite Ottawa spending over $2 billion on the sector and committing another $2.4 billion in last year’s budget. Global News

Shared Services Canada finalized a contract extension with BlackBerry to significantly increase the deployment of BlackBerry® SecuSUITE® - an encrypted communications solution used to support sensitive Government of Canada communications – through 2033. The value of the contract extension wasn’t made public. SecuSUITE secures access to encrypted voice, messaging and file-sharing services for authorized users across the federal government. Provinces and territories may also choose to adopt the terms of the agreement, supporting a consistent approach to secure communications across jurisdictions. Ottawa said the contract extension supports the government’s commitment to protecting sensitive information and strengthening Canada’s cyber security resilience. Data associated with the service is stored and managed in federal government data centres, helping ensure communications and information remain under Canadian control. Shared Services Canada

U.S. Trade representative Jamieson Greer listed Canada’s interest in a sovereign cloud that would bar foreign governments from accessing data without consent as a U.S. trade irritant, in the annual report on foreign trade barriers. Shared Services Canada asked suppliers last August for feedback about providing Ottawa with a “fully sovereign public cloud solution,” which the agency said it would consider in future procurement policy development. The U.S. CLOUD Act requires U.S.-based technology companies to provide stored data to U.S. law enforcement, subject to a warrant or court order under U.S. law, regardless of whether it is stored domestically or in foreign countries. Other trade irritants listed by Greer include Canada’s “Buy Canadian Policy,” the Online Streaming Act, and digital services taxation. The United States Trade Representative

The Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario) announced a combined investment of $14.5 million to accelerate the growth of two leading Canadian companies, strengthen their competitiveness in the defence sector and contribute to building Canadian sovereign capabilities in aerospace and space. This includes a $7-million investment for Kepler Communications Inc., a Toronto‑based satellite telecommunications company that designs and builds satellites to deliver secure, resilient and sovereign communications and data services between space and Earth. The investment will help Kepler to advance its Tranche 1 (T1) satellite engineering and accelerate the commercialization of these capabilities. In January 2026, Kepler launched Tranche 1 of its network, consisting of 10 optical communications satellites, with upcoming activities focused on demonstrating advanced network capabilities – such as Arctic communications, customer connectivity trials, and achieving full service‑ready operations. The investment will position Kepler to participate in Canada’s Defence Enhanced Surveillance from Space Project as well as position Canada as an early mover in next-generation space and defence technologies, supporting both national needs and allied missions while building sovereign space capabilities. Vaughan, Ont.-based Dishon Limited is receiving $7.5 million to support the company as it scales its production capabilities at its new 30,000- square-foot advanced manufacturing facility in Vaughan, through the adoption of state‑of‑the‑art machining and precision‑measurement equipment. This expansion will allow the company to scale production of complex, high-precision components and meet increased demand from key aerospace customers. FedDev Ontario

Pacific Economic Development Canada (PacifiCan) announced a federal investment of over $13.8 million in five B.C. projects through the Regional Defence Investment Initiative. These investments advance cutting-edge technologies in artificial intelligence and aerospace. The University of Victoria’s (UVic) Centre for Aerospace Research is receiving $4 million to establish a satellite ground station and expand testing facilities for the development and commercialization of aerospace and digital technologies. This shared infrastructure will allow businesses to test, validate and deploy new technologies, driving innovation in B.C.’s defence sector. A $1.4-million investment will see UVic’s Advanced Control and Intelligent Systems Lab develop an AI-powered drone system for autonomously mapping structures and terrain in high resolution. This innovative technology will provide critical support in both civilian and defence applications, like environmental monitoring, disaster response and surveillance. As part of this announcement, PacifiCan is also investing:

• Over $3 million in Arcane Aerospace to develop next-generation satellite technology for in-orbit operations.
• Over $2.4 million in Atreides to commercialize an AI-enabled software platform that improves how unmanned systems gather, share, and analyze data across air, land and water.
• Over $2.8 million in OSI Maritime Systems to improve the AI-augmented Collision Avoidance Decision Aid software that keeps vessels safe in challenging conditions. PacifiCan

Prairies Economic Development Canada (PrairiesCan) announced $1.93 million for the University of Saskatchewan (USask) to own and operate a full-stack quantum computer. This leap in computing power will expand research and development capacity for students, researchers and major science institutions across Saskatchewan. Direct access to this computer will also train the next generation to leverage quantum technology to address tomorrow’s challenges. Quantum computing can solve certain problems in minutes or hours that would take even the fastest traditional computers far longer to process. That opens new possibilities in areas like health, energy, agriculture and national security, where stronger computing capacity can unlock new discoveries, speed up innovation, and support better solutions. The Centre for Quantum Topology and Its Applications (quanTA Centre) at USask is earning international recognition for turning abstract quantum theory and practical applications and solutions. With direct access to this technology, researchers can adapt it directly to the unique needs of each project. PrairiesCan

The Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency (CanNor) announced a contribution of up to more than $1.75 million to improve food security in the Northwest Territories. The funds will support five projects that empower communities with the infrastructure and tools they need to grow, process and prepare local foods. This funding will create new opportunities for growers, harvesters, businesses and other professionals in the food sector while increasing access to fresh, locally produced foods. The largest amount of funding – up to $1.2 million – is for infrastructure development for the Black Spruce Education Centre in Norman Wells, N.W.T. Black Spruce Education, a youth-led organization, will run a four-year project to develop a space for training opportunities, small business incubation and cultural programming. The space will feature new and renovated facilities, including a workshop, commercial teaching kitchen, greenhouse and agricultural space, offices and a café. CanNor

Prairies Economic Development Canada (PrairiesCan) announced a combined federal investment of more than $7 million through the Regional Tariff Response Initiative for five Edmonton-based organizations. This includes $3.5 million for the Alberta Chambers of Commerce to deliver strategic trade missions as well as initiatives to support more efficient supply chains for tariff-impacted businesses, initially targeting the manufacturing and value-added agriculture sectors. Together, these investments will support projects focused on trade expansion, advanced manufacturing, production growth and digitization to help businesses strengthen supply chains, boost productivity, and pursue new opportunities in domestic and international markets. PrairiesCan

The Federal Economic Development Agency for Northern Ontario (FedNor) announced an investment of more than $1.96 million so the Northern Ontario School of Medicine University (NOSM University) can establish and expand training facilities in 87 municipalities and Indigenous communities across Northern Ontario. Provided through Northern Ontario Development Program, this investment will allow NOSM University teaching sites across to retrofit learner spaces and purchase specialized equipment to support in-community training. This includes modernizing the facilities with enhancements such as video conferencing and information and communications technology capabilities. Once fully established, the new training space will be well equipped to deliver the highest standard of education expected from modern medical schools. As a result of this expansion, NOSM University’s Doctor of Medicine (MD) program is expected to increase from 425 to 852 learners within the next four years. Of the 87 training facilities, five will be located at larger hospitals in Sudbury, North Bay, Sault Ste. Marie, Thunder Bay and Timmins. An additional 13 locations will be classified as Comprehensive Community Clerkship sites, with the remaining 69 residing in community-based clinical locations, 43 of which will be within Indigenous communities, with the balance serving rural and Francophone populations. FedNor

The Federal Economic Agency for Northern Ontario (FedNor) announced an investment of $1.5 million to help establish the Collaborative Doctor of Veterinary Medicine Program (CDVMP) at Lakehead University, one of Canada’s first veterinary programs designed for Northern and rural agricultural economies. Provided through the Northern Ontario Development Program, this investment will allow Lakehead University to purchase the specialized laboratory and research equipment required to launch the CDVMP. This partnership initiative with the University of Guelph will train future veterinarians with the goal of addressing the shortage of veterinary professionals living and working in Northern Ontario. Starting in 2027, students will begin their studies at Lakehead University in Thunder Bay as part of the CDVMP and complete their training at the Ontario Veterinary College at the University of Guelph. Graduates will receive a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from the University of Guelph. This joint venture will help anchor veterinary talent in the North, and will ensure sustained access to veterinary expertise to strengthen agribusiness, improve livestock health, and protect food production. FedNor

The Treasury Board of Canada launched a review of Canada’s Privacy Act. This review will examine the federal law that governs how more than 250 government institutions collect, use, disclose and protect the personal information of Canadians. To enhance service delivery, the proposed modernization includes allowing the secure sharing and reuse of data across government programs when it directly benefits individuals or the public. This includes establishing designated official sources of key data to reduce duplication and improve accuracy. Updates to the Act’s foundation would include recognizing privacy as a fundamental right, adding clear principles and definitions aligned with international standards, and harmonizing processes for requests for personal information. A modernized Act will ensure that privacy legislation meets the needs of Canadians and Indigenous peoples in the digital age, the government said. A policy paper providing detailed proposals is available online for review. Comments and feedback on the policy paper will be collected through the online submission form until July 10, 2026. Consultation meetings will also be held with federal institutions and subject matter experts over the coming months. A report consolidating the findings will be published in the winter of 2026-27. Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat

The Federal Court of Appeal has upheld a decision keeping Canada’s competition commissioner from getting access to Amazon data that the Competition Bureau hoped would help prove the company hosts fake reviews on its website. A decision issued by the court dismisses an appeal the competition watchdog argued last year in hopes of advancing an investigation into Amazon’s marketing practices. In issuing the dismissal, a trio of Appeal Court judges ruled that “the Federal Court did not make a reviewable error when it declined to order” Amazon to turn over data. The data the commissioner has wanted since June 2024 was transaction information for health, personal care, home and electronic items sold on Amazon’s platforms. The company fought the request, claiming the data sought was “exceedingly broad, excessive, and unnecessarily burdensome” because there are billions of products offered across all those categories. Eventually, the Federal Court found Amazon was likely to have the information the commissioner wants but ruled in the company’s favour because the watchdog had inadequately justified the scope of its request. The Canadian Press

The Government of Canada and the Government of Alberta announced the signing of the Co-operation Agreement between Alberta and Canada on Environmental and Impact Assessment. Canada and Alberta will implement a streamlined and flexible impact assessment process that minimizes duplication and delivers major projects faster while reinforcing strong environmental protections and upholding the rights of Indigenous Peoples. Building on the November 2025 Canada-Alberta Memorandum of Understanding, the co-operation agreement will ensure both governments can adopt the most effective assessment process on a case-by-case basis. The new agreement will enable the conditions necessary to get major infrastructure built faster. Impact Assessment Agency of Canada

The Committee on Internal Trade (CIT) committed to expand the pan-Canadian “mutual recognition agreement” for goods to include services by the end of the year. This means that if a service meets the regulatory requirements in one jurisdiction it would be deemed approved for all. As part of the commitment, businesses and industry will be engaged to inform this agreement. Federal, provincial and territorial ministers noted continued progress on the implementation of the Canadian Mutual Recognition Agreement on the sale of goods. A new User Guide is now available on the Canadian Free Trade Agreement website. The CIT is also working to:

• Align practices and promote greater consistency in the approval of new building materials and prefabricated housing by the end of 2026.
• Strengthening labour mobility provisions by June 2026 to support workers and address labour needs across Canada, with implementation subject to each jurisdiction’s legislative and regulatory processes. 
• Implement credential recognition for tradespersons through the use of digital verification by spring 2027.
• Recognize priority occupational health and safety training requirements in the construction sector by fall 2026. 
• Reduce trade barriers in food and agriculture within Canada.
• Strengthen coordination to help Canadian businesses identify and access new domestic market opportunities. CITA

Canada’s economy is feeling the pressures of increased energy prices resulting from the U.S.-Israel war on Iran, uncertainty about the Canada-U.S.-Mexico (CUSMA) trade agreement, and structural challenges from slowing population growth, according to the latest quarterly outlook from Deloitte. Deloitte now forecasts GDP to grow 1.2 percent in 2026 – lower than the 1.5 percent GDP growth Deloitte’s chief economist Dawn Desjardins had previously forecast for 2026. The new forecast assumes that most Canadian goods exports will continue to avoid tariffs, that the CUSMA review will pass without major alteration, and industry specific U.S. tariffs continue. Federal government program spending is not expected to add much to near-term growth, Deloitte said. The federal government is actively seeking to shrink the size of the public service, while provinces face deteriorating fiscal positions that will constrain spending capacity. Projects such as the Darlington New Nuclear Reactors, LNG Canada Phase 2, Ksi Lisims LNG, and the North Coast Transmission Line represent a meaningful uptick in capital spending, Deloitte noted. As these projects advance, they are expected to crowd in additional private investment across engineering, construction, manufacturing and professional services, supporting a broader recovery in business investment beyond the energy sector. Deloitte said its outlook hinges on the federal government’s ability to successfully accelerate resource and infrastructure development through its efforts to streamline and fast-track approvals via the Major Projects Office.  “While this year will be a critical test of that approach, there is limited evidence so far that this model is materially changing investment decisions. The pace at which projects move from planning to construction will be central to determining whether Canada’s growth potential can meaningfully improve.” Deloitte

With the official passage of the federal budget, a set of long-anticipated reforms to the $4-billion federal Scientific Research and Experimental Development (SR&ED) tax credit program are now in effect, including the introduction of a pre-claim approval process, streamlined administration and expanded eligibility. “Together, these changes represent one of the most significant updates to the program in over a decade,” the Council of Canadian Innovators (CCI) said. Historically, SR&ED has struggled to consistently translate public investment into Canadian economic growth, intellectual property retention and globally competitive firms, CCI said. “The reforms now being introduced begin to address some of those structural gaps.” Over several years, CCI has advanced a practical framework for improving the program. Expanded eligibility, including access for public companies, addresses a long-standing issue for firms as they scale, CCI said. The inclusion of capital expenditures better reflects the realities of sectors where innovation is tied to physical infrastructure and equipment. The introduction of a pre-claim approval pathway may prove particularly consequential, CCI said. For many firms, uncertainty in the claims process has been a persistent barrier, requiring significant investment without clarity on eligibility. “Providing earlier determinations should reduce that risk and allow companies to plan with greater confidence.” Questions remain around how effectively the program will support Canadian-controlled firms, how outcomes will be measured, and how closely R&D support will be linked to commercialization and long-term competitiveness, CCI said. CCI

With the official passage of the federal budget comes the introduction and legislation of the Clean Electricity Tax Credit and several practical fixes for the existing credits legislated and clarified, said Bryan Watson, managing director of CleanTech North. These include:

• Clean Technology ITC (investment tax credit):

• Waste Biomass: Expanded to include energy systems using waste biomass (retroactive to November 21, 2023).
• Small Nuclear: SMR and small nuclear definitions broadened (retroactive to March 28, 2023).

• Clean Technology Manufacturing ITC:

• Critical Minerals: Five added (antimony, indium, gallium, germanium, scandium) for the 30-percent credit (November 4, 2025).
• Polymetallic Projects: Eligibility confirmed; “all or substantially all” replaced with a “primarily” output test (retroactive to January 1, 2024).

• Clean Electricity ITC: Now finally legislated, an exception was also made for this credit for Canada Growth Fund and Canada Infrastructure Bank funding, so their funding no longer reduces eligible credits like normal government assistance (effective November 4, 2025).
• Carbon capture, utilization and storage ITC: Full rates extended to 2035, with reduced rates through 2040 (sunset unchanged).
• Clean Hydrogen ITC: Methane pyrolysis added as an eligible pathway (effective December 16, 2024).

Watson said he believes the changes will help drive the growth of Canadian clean technology companies and the adoption of their technologies across the economy, from mining to making buildings more efficient. BetaKit

The Government of British Columbia is launching a new provincewide marine and coastal testbed, the seventh in the Integrated Marketplace program, delivered by Innovate BC. The testbed will support B.C. tech companies to test their technology to help strengthen environmental monitoring, vessel optimization, coastal resilience and Canadian sovereignty. The testbed will provide space for applying new technologies to real-world marine challenge such as cleaning vessels, Indigenous-led salmon monitoring and delivering smarter shore power. Initially, the new testbed will support three projects:

• KOTUG Canada, a Metchosin-based company providing oil tanker escort and oil spill response services using vessels berthed in Beecher Bay, and SC’IȺNEW First Nation will be working with Offshore Designs to deploy its underwater robotic vessel-cleaning technology. The partnership is made possible through a $290,000 investment through the Integrated Marketplace.
• The Lax Kw’alaams First Nation, Ocean Aid and Salmon Vision are partnering on a project that supplements traditional Indigenous-led fishing practices with artificial intelligence to automate an Indigenous-led salmon-population monitoring practice. The collaboration marks the first integration of Ocean Aid’s marine-grade hardware with Salmon Vision’s AI. The B.C. government has invested more than $360,000 through the Integrated Marketplace in this project.
• Vancouver-based VoltSafe will deploy a smart shore-power solution at the Royal Vancouver Yacht Club’s Jericho marina. With $387,000 through the Integrated Marketplace, the project will test the technology’s performance, safety and operational benefits in a live marine environment where electrical safety and limited electrical capacity are key considerations. If proven successful, this technology will help reduce greenhouse-gas emissions for smaller vessels and marinas. of B.C.

The Government of British Columbia is amending the province’s Zero-Emission Vehicles Act to reduce the 2035 zero-emission vehicle (ZEV) sales target from 100 percent to 75 percent. The government also is removing the prohibition on the sale of new internal-combustion-engine vehicles from January 1, 2035. The legislative changes will align B.C.’s ZEV mandates with the federal government’s ZEV goals. B.C. is also expanding investment in public charging by funding 75 new public EV-charging projects in 41 communities throughout B.C. through the CleanBC Go Electric public charger program, which is providing $19.1 million to build the new projects. Govt. of B.C.

The Government of British Columbia has quietly eliminated its Climate Action Secretariat, the long-running agency that produced and implemented climate policy across government ministries. In an email to staff viewed by The Tyee, Peter Pokorny, deputy minister of energy and climate solutions, said that “to align with key priorities” some secretariat staff would move to new subject matter, including supporting LNG, pipelines and hydraulic fracturing for natural gas. The Tyee has learned this includes at least 10 of the secretariat’s former staff members. Other staff will be moved to a newly formed “climate solutions” division within the Ministry of Energy and Climate Solutions, which will also bring in staff from the now-folded “energy decarbonization division.” The new division will focus on some of the secretariat’s previous responsibilities, including emissions accounting and efforts to reduce emissions in sectors like buildings, transportation and industry. Sven Biggs, campaign director for Stand.earth, described the move as part of the “slow-motion death” of the province’s climate plan, CleanBC, which the secretariat was tasked to steward. The Tyee

The Government of Alberta announced that the Alberta Geological Survey estimates Alberta has 82.5 million tonnes of lithium carbonate equivalent in place, positioning the province to become a major global supplier, with potentially the third-largest reserves in the world. Alberta’s in-place lithium carbonate equivalent resources have the potential to supply lithium for more than 10 billion electric vehicle battery packs. About US$1 trillion of revenue potential could theoretically be realized from Alberta’s in-place lithium carbonate equivalent resources, the government said. Work is underway to attract investment, improve regulatory processes and introduce new incentives and expand access to Crown land to support critical minerals development, with a targeted launch in 2027. Several Alberta companies are advancing technologies to extract lithium from brines, with commercial production possible as early as 2027. About two million hectares are currently leased for lithium exploration. Govt. of Alberta

The Government of Alberta is launching its regulated online gambling market, featuring online sports betting, on July 13, 2026. Alberta will be the second Canadian province to embrace private operators into its online gambling marketplace after Ontario successfully deployed its regulated iGaming market in April 2022. Alberta’s government has largely adopted the same legal framework that was developed by Ontario’s provincial government. Alberta Gaming, Liquor & Cannabis will act as the market regulator alongside the Alberta iGaming Corporation as the conduct-and-manage entity for the new market, and the government’s current online gambling platform, Play Alberta, will continue to function in full capacity. Alberta is planning to tax all licensed online gambling operators at 20 percent of their gross gaming revenue, with an additional two percent going towards First Nations funding and one percent towards social responsibility initiatives. Only potential players located within the geographic boundaries of Alberta will be able to access these online gambling platforms, which include online sports betting, online casino, and online poker. One major difference between Alberta’s new regulated online gambling market and Ontario’s licensed framework is that Albertans will not be able to place bets on political markets. Canada Sports Betting

RESEARCH, TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATION

A new economic impact assessment by EY (previously Ernst & Young) reveals that the University of Waterloo (UWaterloo) contributes nearly $7 billion to Ontario’s GDP through its co-op program, alumni activity and research enterprise. For every dollar invested in Waterloo, $8.16 in economic activity is returned to the province. In the Waterloo Region, the university contributes $1.7 billion in GDP and more than 14,000 jobs. This includes research partnerships with municipal governments, the Waterloo Regional Health Network and local industry. Waterloo entrepreneurs generated $405 million for the provincial economy and created more than 3,350 full-time jobs. The 2025 Unicorn Report ranked Waterloo as the number one institution in Canada for producing unicorn founders. Alumni entrepreneurs have founded more than 67,000 for-profit and nonprofit companies that together employ 1.7 million people and generate $397 billion in annual global revenue. Waterloo alumni have directed $7.5 billion into Ontario and another $6.2 billion across the country, often in fast-growing sectors, such as artificial intelligence, quantum technologies and advanced manufacturing. According to EY, for every $1 invested in hiring a Waterloo co-op student, employers generate $2.29 in economic output, totalling $505 million in value across Ontario. More than 94 percent of Waterloo’s 263,000 alumni work in jobs related to their university-developed skills and the majority have an annual income above $100,000. University of Waterloo

The University of Calgary’s Haskayne Business School generates $2.42 billion in economic activity annually, based on 2024 data, according to an Economic and Social Impact Report conducted in collaboration with independent insights firm Hanover Research. Of this, $298 million came from direct school spending, and $2.12 billion in broader contributions driven by alumni wage premiums, event activity and ventures launched through school programs. The report found that Haskayne alumni generate $1.17 billion in annual wage premiums, highlighted by elevated earning power in sectors such as finance, energy, technology and consulting. Overall, the report estimates the school’s annual activities support more than 1,000 jobs across Alberta. Standing out among the school's signature initiatives is the Creative Destruction Lab – Rockies (CDL-Rockies), a global mentorship program supporting initiatives at the seed-stage and one of only five such sites in Canada. In 2024 alone, CDL-Rockies firms raised $286 million in capital, generated more than $1.4 billion in equity value and created more than 231 jobs. In event activity, the Haskayne School of Business hosted more than 120 events in 2024, contributing $17.5 million in visitor spending to Calgary’s economy. The report noted that the school acts as a “cornerstone” of the business community, facilitating leaders, mentors and partners to deliver more than 5,000 volunteer hours through programs such as the Centre for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, the Jarislowsky Fellowship in Business Management and the BMO Mentorship Program. Students also made a meaningful contribution through the Propel Business Project, delivering 4,500 pro bono consulting hours to 74 organizations – representing an estimated $322,000 in value across sectors including non-profit, health care and technology. University of Calgary

The Opportunity Calgary Investment Fund, in partnership with the Government of Alberta, is investing up to $4.15 million in Mount Royal University to establish the Alberta Logistics Centre of Excellence (ALCoE). Prairies Economic Development Canada previously announced $1.5 million for the ALCoE initiative. This investment will bring industry, government, academia and talent together to address industry ecosystem fragmentation, trade disruptions and workforce shortages in the transportation and logistics sector. ALCoE will help local companies diversify markets and strengthen supply chains, accelerate the adoption of new technologies and develop talent to meet evolving industry needs. It will offer targeted training, proof‑of‑concept projects and applied research and innovation programs. Mount Royal University

CIFAR announced more than $1 million for the second cohort of AI Safety Catalyst Projects as part of the Canadian AI Safety Institute (CAISI) Research Program at CIFAR. These projects are designed to spark original sociotechnical research that addresses the most urgent challenges in the safety, accountability and ethical deployment of AI. This new cohort of eight projects brings together experts across computer science, sociology, economics and Indigenous governance to move AI safety beyond simple fixes toward holistic, socially grounded solutions focused on societal impacts. By tackling issues ranging from Indigenous data sovereignty and the certification of AI for professional roles to safeguarding democratic processes against persuasive bias, these projects are building the regulatory and ethical blueprints to support a future where AI remains aligned with human welfare. The AI Safety Catalyst Projects are funded by Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada through the federally led Canadian AI Safety Institute. CIFAR

McGill University launched the Initiative for Transforming Healthcare (ITH) to apply a systems-based approach and advance technology-enabled solutions to drive change in Canadian health care. Mounting pressures – from limited access to family doctors to surgical backlogs and emergency room crowding – are straining Canada’s health system. Supported by $5.75 million in donor funding, ITH will explore ways to resolve these growing challenges through cross-sector partnerships. Anchored at McGill’s Desautels Faculty of Management, the ITH will bring together the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences and the Max Bell School of Public Policy in the Faculty of Arts, as well as participants from across McGill and beyond, to work directly with health care leaders, policymakers and practitioners. By combining research, collaboration and technology, ITH aims to help improve access to family care, shorten surgery wait times and reduce ER congestion. In its initial phase, researchers will conduct field investigations and data‑driven analyses of how care is organized in practice. Findings will be shared with sector constituents through policy briefs, workshops, symposia and pilot projects. The initial financial contributions have laid the groundwork for the ITH’s launch, opening opportunities for additional support from organizations and individuals. McGill University

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Canada Foundation for Innovation contributed more than a half a billion dollars to Canada’s national research facilities from 2017 to 2023

Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI) contributed $535 million between 2017 to 2023 through its Major Science Initiatives Fund to support the operating and maintenance needs of 16 of Canada’s national research facilities, according to a report by CFI.

This investment was matched by $645 million from partners, resulting in a total investment of $1.2 billion.

In addition, since 1997, CFI has invested nearly $800 million in capital to build the capacity of these facilities. 

Some of the outcomes of these facilities between 2017 and 2023 include:  

• 1,000+ skilled personnel employed annually.
• 64 percent increase in total number of public sector and private sector researchers using the facilities, growing from 36,979 to 60,616.
• Nearly 22,500 highly qualified personnel trained annually on average.
• 260 patents filed annually on average, reported by nine facilities.
• 47 spin-off companies created annually on average, reported by five facilities.
• International collaborations with Europe, Japan, Australia, Brazil and the United States. 

The facilities also supported economic growth via collaborations with industry. For example, the André E. Lalonde National Facility for Accelerator Mass Spectrometry in Ontario collaborated with a Finnish company to improve testing for biofuels, which helps companies demonstrate their products are derived from renewable sources, not fossil fuels.

Some facilities reinforced Canada’s security and sovereignty, including the CCGS Amundsen, a research icebreaker that sails through the Arctic Ocean every summer, Ocean Networks Canada, which models and provides hazard monitoring on earthquake and tsunami risks to secure Canada’s coastal communities and SuperDARN Canada, a facility in Saskatchewan that collaborated with the Department of National Defence to evaluate and troubleshoot over-the-horizon radar for early warning use in the Arctic.

Other facilities contributed to human and animal health improvements through COVID-19 research initiatives, genome sequencing, new vaccines and unique and specialized training programs.

Twenty-thousand doses of a vaccine developed and produced by the Saskatoon-based Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization were used to protect livestock during the 2017 and 2018 swine coronavirus outbreaks in Manitoba.

And the Canadian Cancer Trials Group Operations and Statistics Centre offered the only training of its kind in Canada, providing practical clinical trial experience for a new generation of biomedical researchers. 

“This cumulative investment has allowed these facilities to operate optimally, attract users, train and employ highly skilled personnel, and produce substantial research outputs,” CFI said. CFI

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The University of Saskatchewan, with support from Prairies Economic Development Canada (PrairiesCan) and Innovation Saskatchewan, will be installing a new quantum computer on campus for research and education. The PrairiesCan funding of $1.93 million is through the Regional Innovation Ecosystems program, and Innovation Saskatchewan provided an additional $400,000 through its Innovation & Science Fund. The computer was developed with industry partners Berkeley, Calif.-based Rigetti Computing, Dutch firm Qblox, Finnish company QuantrolOx and Zero Point Cryogenics, with additional support from Testforce Systems. The full-stack quantum computer – meaning all necessary pieces for running and controlling the computer are included – was built with crucial hardware and software contributions from these partners to make it a reality. Two of the partner companies have Canadian roots and are connected to the Prairies: Rigetti Computing was founded by Moose Jaw’s Dr. Chad Rigetti, PhD, and Zero Point Cryogenics, which supplied the specialized dilution fridge to cool the quantum computer, is based in Edmonton. The quantum computer will feature 14 total superconducting quantum bits or "qubits" across two computer chips. Direct access to those qubits will allow staff and faculty to explore the great computational power of a quantum computer and create many new research opportunities that would not be possible without a computer like this on USask's campus. The university will use the quantum computer  for drug and vaccine research at the Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization, to help design new encryption techniques for data defence, and solve problems in agriculture and energy. USask

The federally funded Canada’s Ocean Supercluster announced the $4.1 million AI-powered Monitoring for Sustainable Wave-powered Desalination Project. This project aims to accelerate the commercialization and AI-enablement of Canadian ocean hardware platforms to support the global scaleup of sustainable wave-powered desalination solutions.  This helps expand access to reliable freshwater, and address global challenges including water scarcity, climate change, and environmental sustainability. The project is led by Sherbrooke, Que.-based Oneka Technologies, in partnership with Ocean Sonics in Truro Heights, N.S., Innovobot Labs in Montreal, and Lengkeek Vessel Engineering in Dartmouth, N.S. With a total project value of $4.1 million, Canada’s Ocean Supercluster is investing $1.6 million, with the balance of funding coming from project partners. Canada’s Ocean Supercluster

The Supreme Court of Canada is delaying its ruling on a landmark privacy case involving Facebook's role in the 2010s Cambridge Analytica scandal. The top court reserved its decision following a one-day hearing in Ottawa that focused on whether the social media company obtained meaningful consent from users before collecting, using and disclosing their personal information with third-party apps. The court also examined whether the tech giant did enough to safeguard the data of its users. The social media company is seeking an appeal of a 2024 Federal Court of Appeal ruling that found Facebook Inc. (Facebook's parent company now known as Meta) broke federal privacy law for failing to sufficiently inform users of risks to their data. The appeal court's decision overturned a 2023 Federal Court judgment that came to the opposite conclusion. The privacy commissioner’s office opened an investigation into Facebook after receiving a complaint in 2019 concerning the tech giant's compliance with the federal Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act. The office concluded Facebook breached the act. The case stems from the decade-old Cambridge Analytica data scandal, in which the British political consulting firm improperly harvested personal data from approximately 87 million Facebook users for political advertising without their consent. Facebook estimates more than 600,000 Canadians were affected. CBC News

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Vast majority of Canadians supports banning children under 16 from social media platforms

The vast majority of Canadians supports banning children under 16 from social media platforms, according to an online survey of more than 4,000 Canadians by the Angus Reid Institute.

Three-quarters (75 percent) of those surveyed said they support a full ban on social media use for anyone under the age of 16.

Among parents with kids in the household support is also strong, at 70 per cent.

Endorsement of restrictions on the use of social media comes as three-in-five (61 percent) Canadians – and half (52 percent) of those whose oldest child is 16 or 17 – said they believe teens are not capable of using social media responsibly.

And there is near unanimous concern from Canadians over children’s potential exposure on social media to misinformation (92 percent concerned), cyberbullying (90 percent), explicit content (85 percent), negative mental health impacts (94 percent) and addiction (94 percent).

Although a ban – which will reportedly by discussed by the Liberal Party at its convention in April – would be welcomed by most parents, more said that the responsibility for regulating social media use should fall to the parents (72 percent) rather than governments (20 percent). Other key findings include:

• When those who want under-16s banned only from certain apps are asked which social media should be prohibited, TikTok (88 percent), X/Twitter (86 percent), and Snapchat (84 percent) are at the top of the list. Only half (48 percent) would ban kids under 16 from YouTube.

The gap in support between banning certain apps (87 percent) and a full ban on social media use for anyone under 16 (75 percent) “suggests there is some hesitation to fully restrict children from using all types of social media,” the Angus Reid Institute said.

• There is no consensus among Canadians as to what age is the right one for kids to have access to social media. The age of 16 is chosen at the highest rate, by one-third (32 percent); near equal numbers say 10-12 (13 percent), 14 (16 percent), and 15 (13 percent).
• Three-quarters (73 percent) of parents whose oldest kid is between 10- and 12-years-old support a full ban for under-16s; two-thirds (63 percent) of those whose oldest kid is 16 or 17 agree.

• One-third (32 percent) say AI companies like OpenAI should be required to report user activity to Canadian authorities if it’s “potentially illegal.” More (45 percent) say they should only be required to do so if it is illegal.

This question has gained particular relevance in Canada after the suspect in the Tumbler Ridge shooting was banned by OpenAI seven months prior to the incident but had not caused Open AI to alert authorities because the account did not meet the company’s threshold for “credible and imminent planning” of serious violence.

• Among those parents in the survey with children aged 10 to 17 at home, three-quarters said their child(ren) currently use(s) social media. Notably, those whose oldest child is in the 10- to 12-year-old range report similar current usage to those with older children.
• Four-in-five parents whose children are using social media report self-implementing some form of restriction, with younger children more likely to be the subject of such oversight. Notably, just 29 per cent of parents with 16- to 17-year-olds say they have no restrictions in place, suggesting even older teenagers are being monitored to some extent.

Australia became the first country in the world to ban social media use for kids younger than 16 in December 2025. Those under 16 are no longer allowed to use the major social media apps of TikTok, X, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Snapchat and Threads. Angus Reid Institute

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Some farmers in Prince Edward Island are exploring if artificial intelligence can help get a better financial return on their investment. The P.E.I. Federation of Agriculture has launched a program called AgIntel, which is part data platform and part AI assistant. AgIntel uses information from a variety of points, including what’s already publicly available and what is collected by in-field sensors on private land, to provide farmers with individualized information down to the hectare. Data from the sensors will analyze factors such as water consumption, fertilizer usage and carbon sequestration. That information is then loaded to an accessible place for farmers, and its AI capabilities can be used to suggest actions, complete reports and more, leading to data-driven decisions. Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada is providing $499,400 to support the development of hardware and software. That federal department and P.E.I.’s Department of Agriculture are jointly contributing another $249,000 to support the collection and analysis of soil samples from participating farms and the verification of the federation’s Low Carbon Cropping Initiative. The Guardian

Hong Kong- and Massachusetts-based Insilico Medicine, whose AI research is centred in Montreal, signed a deal with Eli Lilly to expand its commitment to AI-driven drug development. Lilly will pay $115 million up front and could pay out up to a total of $2.75 billion based on achievement of development, regulatory and commercial milestones. Eli Lilly could also pay tiered royalties on commercial sales should any of the experimental drugs gain approval. Eli Lilly gets a licence for oral medicines that Insilico has in early development and a R&D partner that has AI-based tools for finding molecules that could become useful new drugs. Insilico has 24 experimental medicines with targets ranging from cancer to lung disease to obesity, with the most advanced candidates in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis and inflammatory bowel disease in Phase 2 development. Insilico’s CEO Alex Zhavoronkov is a Latvian-Canadian partly educated at Queen’s University. Biopharma Drive

The Canadian subsidiary of American defence contractor Lockheed Martin is investing $3.6 million in Ottawa-based AI solutions provider Lemay.ai, to launch a collaborative project to “advance research and development across Canada’s aerospace and defence sectors.” The project, which includes collaboration with the Czech Aerospace Research Centre, will focus on applying AI to predictive airplane maintenance, supply chain operations, navigation while denied access to Global Navigation Satellite Systems (such as jammed GPS signals), and “sovereign knowledge management.” Lockheed said the investment is enabled by Canada’s Industrial and Technological Benefits (ITB) policy to fulfil commitments related to the federal government’s acquisition and in-service support of the CC-130J Super Hercules aircraft fleet, which Lockheed manufactures for the Royal Canadian Air Force. BetaKit

Montreal-based startup Relocalize announced the start of construction on Canada’s first autonomous “dark factory,” a robotics- and AI-driven micro-factory designed to produce cold-chain products locally and on demand. The facility will be built in Montreal and will make 100-percent water cold packs for food and pharmaceutical last mile cold chain deliveries. By producing cold packs locally and on demand, the system eliminates the conventional supply chain in which gel-based cold packs are manufactured centrally, transported long distances, and frozen in cold storage warehouses for more than 30 days before being delivered to customers. Relocalize has signed a confidential supply agreement with a major direct-to-consumer cold chain customer for cold packs from the Montreal facility. Relocalize also announced the second closing of a $70 million seed extension led by Desjardins Capital, and the first financial closing of a $2.5-million investment by its partner CVW Sustainable Royalties, under an agreement for up to $22.5 million in deployment capital. Relocalize

Markham, Ont.-based Aretek has built a business that supports the deployment of 3D-printed concrete printing (3DCP) in the construction industry. Known as Aretek.OS, the company’s flagship offering is a structured service for developers that combines the tech, engineering workflows, quality protocols and regulatory compliance work required to move from building design to occupancy. Traditional construction requires assembling distinct components like studs and blocks piece by piece. 3DCP creates walls by continuously depositing concrete along a digitally programmed path. Many studies have found that 3DCP is a faster and more sustainable alternative to traditional building methods since it produces less waste, has lower energy demands, and improves the efficiency of the building process. Relying on masonry standards (since no formal standards exist for 3DCP walls) for block construction, the team designed and tested a 3D-printed wall system, which was granted Ontario’s first Part 4 Alternative Solution Permit. The system will be used for a multi-storey, net-zero student housing building at the University of Windsor. Aretek conducts research and training at a dedicated facility on York University’s Markham campus. Through a multi-year research partnership with the university, the company is also developing lower-cement concrete mixes and refining the structural design of its 3D-printing building components. Aretek will provide its research findings to regulators to help establish dedicated standards for 3D concrete construction. BetaKit

Aspire Food Group Canada’s London, Ont. cricket farm – billed as Canada’s largest – entered receivership last year, with its final sale price sealed by court order. The 150,000-square-foot, fully automated facility was designed to house billions of insects and produce millions of kilograms of protein each year. Crickets are touted as a low-carbon protein source, requiring less farmland than traditional livestock and offering the potential to address world food insecurity. In 2013, the company won the US$1-million Hult Prize. The firm went on to attract investors from the United States, Canada, Ireland and South Korea, along with tens of millions of dollars in federal loans and grants. The collapse of the world's largest cricket farm was the result of a mismatch between the scale investors bet on and a market for eating insects that never fully materialized. Court documents show Aspire’s London facility never came close to operating as planned. A system that worked at a small scale in Texas struggled to translate to Ontario, where differences in environment, ongoing design changes and problems with equipment all contributed to underperformance. Farm Credit Canada was owed roughly $41 million at the time of receivership, court documents show. The Next Generation Manufacturing Canada global innovation cluster invested $16.8 million in 2021. Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada said it also provided about $8.5 million to Aspire, with roughly $7.8 million of that total still outstanding. CBC News

More than three years after Canada and Germany promised to kick-start a transatlantic trade in a new clean fuel by 2025, another global crisis is putting supplies of natural gas at risk and Canada still has no green hydrogen for Europe to replace it with. Some of the hydrogen projects in Atlantic Canada that then-leaders Justin Trudeau and Olaf Scholz hoped would fulfill Germany’s energy needs are still in the works, but the landscape is littered with failures and the plans are years behind schedule. Abraxas Power, headquartered in Ontario, is working with French energy utility EDF to produce hydrogen in north-central Newfoundland through a joint venture called the Exploits Valley Renewable Energy Corporation, or EVREC. The EVREC project continues, though it’s still years away from producing any hydrogen. One way Germany and Canada saw to push the industry forward was to lock in German customers, which the two countries agreed to do in 2024 by subsidizing an auction to match the cheapest Canadian sellers to the most eager German buyers. Canada would put up $300 million and Germany would put up €200 million to bridge the gaps between what German buyers were willing to pay and what Canadian producers needed to make. But Germany needed sign-off from the European Union before it could subsidize the auction, and the EU didn’t approve the subsidy until January 14 of this year, after the first shipments were supposed to cross the ocean. In the meantime, in mid-February, Newfoundland and Labrador cancelled the land rights it had awarded to three wind-to-hydrogen companies, saying they’d shown little progress and not paid the fees they owed. One of the failing companies is World Energy GH2, which had been backed by Nova Scotia seafood tycoon John Risley; the company is now in creditor protection. The Logic

Canada’s National Observer analyzed the locations of 38 data centre campuses proposed in Alberta and found that three- quarters of them are in regions under high or extremely high water stress. Extreme water stress is defined by the World Resources Institute as using at least 80 percent of its available supply; “high water stress” regions use at least 40 percent. Only three of the 38 data centre sites have been planned in low water stress regions, which comprise the majority of Alberta’s land mass. Reviewing these findings, Evan Davies, an expert in water management at the University of Alberta, said: “There is a risk in putting so many of these data centres in one set of basins that are already water stressed.” In the worst-case scenario, that risk is a situation where parts of Alberta cease to be able to water crops or feed livestock in the heat of the summer, because data centres have bought first dibs on the water. The Alberta government has set a goal of attracting $100 billion of AI data centre developments by 2030. So far, more than 40 data centres have requested connection to the province’s electricity grid, according to the Alberta Electric System Operator. Canada’s National Observer’s analysis of 38 proposed data centre campuses found that they tend to be clustered within 50 kilometres of population centres, primarily Calgary and Edmonton. Since 2006, the Bow and Oldman river basins in southern Alberta have been closed to new surface water licence applications due to over-allocation. Despite this, the analysis revealed that 13 data centres totalling 5,744 megawatts have been proposed in these basins, with four already approved for grid connection. Canada’s National Observer

Bitfarms Ltd., previously headquartered in Toronto, announced it completed redomiciling its headquarters from Canada to the U.S. and rebranding as Keel Infrastructure as the company exits the Bitcoin mining market to focus on leasing data centres. Following completion of the U.S. redomiciling, Keel Infrastructure, a corporation formed under the laws of the State of Delaware, is now the ultimate parent corporation of Bitfarms. Keel Infrastructure will carry on the business currently conducted by Bitfarms and its subsidiaries, and its sole principal executive office will be in New York City. Keel Infrastructure

A newly formed coalition of First Nations, farmers and other rural residents is demanding, in a letter sent to Environment and Climate Change Canada Minister Julie Dabrushin, that a comprehensive federal environmental assessment be conducted on a proposed 600-kilometre pipeline that would carry liquified carbon dioxide from 13 oilsands facilities south to the area around Cold Lake and Bonnyville. As part of the $16.5-billion carbon capture utilization and storage project, CO₂ from numerous oilsands extraction sites would be pumped into underground formations for permanent storage. Advancing the carbon capture project, as the No CO₂ Pipelines Coalition said in its news release, “is a key element of the proposed Alberta-Canada MOU on energy, setting conditions for the construction of a new bitumen pipeline from Alberta to the West Coast.” In the MOU, the parties agreed to build what they called the world’s largest carbon capture utilization and storage project with the objective of rebranding oilsands oil as “low carbon.” The Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis, a U.S.-based organization that leans into clean energy, reported in 2022 that 10 out of 13 major carbon capture projects had failed to deliver on their targets. The Tyee

TC Energy chief executive officer Francois Poirier is calling for major changes to Canada’s regulatory approach, warning the country is driving investment away by slowing down big energy projects. Speaking to the Canadian Club of Ottawa, Poirier said Canada continues to deter capital with lengthy permitting processes. “Capital goes where it is welcome. And for too long, it hasn’t felt welcome here,” he said. Poirier pointed to the United States and Mexico as examples of jurisdictions moving quicker on large infrastructure. He noted that TC Energy’s second subsea natural gas pipeline running 700 kilometres from Texas to Mexico – the Southeast Gateway Pipeline – went from permitting to in‑service in under three years after approval in 2025. The federal government under Prime Minister Mark Carney has created a Major Projects Office aimed at speeding up assessments for projects, such as LNG pipelines. Poirier called the move “a step in the right direction,” but said it does not go far enough. He also warned that Canada is losing the global competition for investment, despite its resource advantages. He cited figures showing the country’s net foreign investment gap widening from $100 billion in 2014 to $1 trillion in 2024. CTV News

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Canada’s regulatory system for major projects is the biggest barrier to business investment: Business Council of Alberta

Canada’s major project approval process and regulatory system is the biggest barrier to business investment, according to a series of reports by the Business Council of Alberta (BCA).

BCA argues that without urgent reform, the federal government’s goal of unlocking $1 trillion in investment over the next five years will be out of reach.

“Canada isn’t losing investment; we’re regulating it away. Our regulatory and project approval system has become the single biggest barrier to attracting capital,” said Adam Legge, president of BCA.

“The solutions are clear. We need faster and more certain timelines, removal of duplication, and predictable decision-making. If Canada is serious about growth and getting major projects built, the time to act is now.”

The report focuses on two priorities: reforming major project approvals through changes to the Impact Assessment Act and the Canadian Energy Regulator Act, and modernizing Canada’s broader regulatory system so it supports growth rather than slows it.

The World Bank Business Ready initiative ranks Canada’s regulatory framework 33^rd out of roughly 100 countries. Canada ranks closer to China (34^th) than to the United States (5^th).

By 2021, the federal regulatory system contained more than 130,000 requirements – up 37 percent since 2006 – despite multiple red-tape reduction efforts.

A Statistics Canada study estimates that the 37-percent increase in regulations is associated with:

• Approximately nine percent lower business investment growth.
• 7 percentage point lower GDP growth.
• 3 percentage point lower employment growth in the business sector.

According to the Canadian Federation of Independent Business the average Canadian business spends approximately 735 hours per year on regulatory compliance, with about 35 percent of that time considered duplicative or unnecessary.

A recent survey by the Business Council of Canada shows 41 percent of Canadian CEOs identify the domestic regulatory burden as the most important factor influencing investment decisions.

“Capital is mobile, and right now investors are looking elsewhere,” said Alex Pourbaix, board chair at Cenovus Energy and incoming board chair of BCA.

“Canada has everything it needs to compete. Countries are knocking on our door to get our products, but until we fix the regulatory system, we’re leaving investment, jobs and growth on the table,” Pourbaix said.

Key recommendations on major project approvals include:

• Move political decision making about major projects to the front of the review process.
• Implement “one project, one review, one decision,” with provinces leading reviews for projects under their jurisdiction.
• Assign all pipeline reviews to the Canadian Energy Regulator to ensure a single expert decision-maker.
• Shorten pipeline review timelines to a maximum of 180 days for smaller projects and 250 days for larger ones.
• Limit all other federal project approval timelines to two years or less.

The report also recommends broader system-wide reforms to reduce the cumulative regulatory burden and improve how regulations are designed and implemented across government. These include:

• Reducing the overall regulatory burden by strengthening tools like the One-for-One rule, leveraging digital tools and AI to streamline compliance, and setting clear, measurable targets to lower costs over time.
• Improving the quality of new regulations through stronger cost-benefit analysis and more rigorous scrutiny before rules are introduced.
• Modernizing how regulations work by shifting toward risk-based, outcomes-focused approaches and regularly reviewing and updating outdated rules.
• Strengthening oversight of new regulations to ensure rules are necessary, effective, and do not add unnecessary burden.

“Our recommendations are about greater efficiency, not weaker accountability. We support Indigenous participation in projects and strong oversight to ensure environmental protection,” Legge said. “Our analysis shows that can go hand-in-hand with smart policy and regulations that encourage investment.”

BCA’s report series, From Barriers to Breakthroughs, is the result of more than a year of research, consultation, and analysis involving more than 150 economists, legal experts, policy specialists and business leaders across multiple sectors of the Canadian economy. 

“Investment and prosperity will remain stalled under Canada’s current system,” said Legge. “If Canada wants to build again, it must act. This roadmap shows how to do that, and the immediate actions the federal government has the power to take now.” Business Council of Alberta

VC, PRIVATE INVESTMENT & ACQUISITIONS

OpenAI is valued at US$852 billion after raising a US$122 billion funding round, the largest in Silicon Valley history. OpenAI also expanded its credit line to US$4.7 billion, from a syndicate of lenders including RBC. The round was anchored by our strategic partners Amazon, NVIDIA, and SoftBank, with continued participation from long-term partner, Microsoft. SoftBank co-led the round alongside a16z, D. E. Shaw Ventures, MGX, TPG, and accounts advised by T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc. OpenAI, which created ChatGPT, said it was the fastest technology platform to reach 10 million users, the fastest to 100 million users, and soon the fastest to 1 billion weekly active users. Within a year of launching ChatGPT, the company reached $1 billion in revenue. By the end of 2024, the firm was generating $1 billion per quarter and is now generating $2 billion in revenue per month. OpenAI

The founders of Georgian have sold an economic interest in their firm for US$100 million and plan to reinvest the proceeds in portfolio companies alongside backers of their funds. The owners of Canada’s largest independent technology venture capital firm – Justin LaFayette, Simon Chong and John Berton –closed a deal that includes the sale of a 4.5-percent passive equity stake in Georgian to Brisbane-based Navigator Global Investments Ltd. (NGI). The buyer will have no say in the Toronto firm’s direction. Australian Securities Exchange-listed NGI will also get, as part of the transaction, a preferred claim on an unspecified amount of the founders’ share of future profits from investments, or carry, made by Georgian funds. NGI expects to earn a 10-percent to 15-percent return on its investment. The proceeds with not be distributed to Georgian’s founders, but mostly redirected to invest in future Georgian funds, increasing their alignment with other investors, known as limited partners, the firm said in an e-mail. Georgian is expected to launch its seventh growth equity fund this year, coming to market at a challenging time for VC firms. The founders are also reserving an unspecified “small” amount of proceeds to spend on operational initiatives, including Georgian’s in-house artificial-intelligence lab. The Globe and Mail

Canadian-led, New York-based ThinkLabs, which has a subsidiary in Toronto, raised US$28 million in a Series A funding round to help utility providers modernize power grid infrastructure as a wave of electricity-hungry AI data centres comes online. ThinkLabs’ all-equity Series A round was led by Energy Impact Partners, with participation from NVentures and Edison International. Returning investors included GE Vernova, Powerhouse Ventures, Active Impact Investments, Blackhorn Ventures, and Amplify Capital, as well as an undisclosed North American investor-owned utility. ThinkLabs provides a “physics-informed AI” software that helps utility control room operators and planners maintain grid reliability and reduce bottlenecks and outages. BetaKit

Calgary-based Carbon Upcycling Technologies, which offers a platform for low-carbon cement materials, announced an agreement with ATEL Ventures for up to US$10 million in asset-secured financing. The agreement marks an important milestone in Carbon Upcycling’s commercialization journey by reinforcing the financeability of its technology. The financing will support the company’s flagship project at the Ash Grove Mississauga Cement Plant, which will permanently sequester carbon dioxide from the cement kiln and utilize it to transform locally produced industrial byproducts into high-quality, low-carbon supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs). Once operational – expected in the second half of 2026 – the facility will have the capacity to produce up to 30,000 tonnes of SCMs annually, supporting regional construction supply chains. Carbon Upcycling

Toronto- and San Francisco-based Uniblock, which offers a managed infrastructure layer for blockchain applications, raised $7.1 million. The round included investors across the U.S., Japan, India, Singapore, and the Solana ecosystem, including SBI, AllianceDAO, CoinSwitch, Blockchain Founders Fund, Hustle Fund, AAF Management, NGC Ventures, Alchemy, MoonPay among others, with angel participation from executives at Kraken, Uber, and CoinList. Uniblock aims to make it easy for software developers to create blockchain-based apps by standardizing data from more than 300 blockchains and 55 other data sources. Uniblock plans to use the funding to hire more engineers and other staff that will help the company grow. Uniblock

Vancouver-based Soma Energy, which uses AI to unlock existing electricity grid capacity and accelerate time to power for data centres, raised $7 million in seed and pre-seed funding. The seed round was led by Category Ventures, with participation from Haystack, RRE Ventures, TO VC, Uncork Capital, and pre-seed investors Panache Ventures and Walter Kortschak. Soma’s software connects data centre operators with power producers and utilities to manage how the compute facilities draw energy from the grid. The company’s platform optimizes how distributed energy resources, battery storage, and generation assets interact with the wholesale electricity market. Soma Energy

Mississauga, Ont.-based billing platform Kubra is set to be acquired by Atlanta, Georgia-based integrated payment processor Repay for approximately US$372 million. Repay announced that the two bill payment companies entered an acquisition agreement. Repay said it’s bringing its payment expertise and technology platform to the table, while Kubra has its “attractive verticals,” partnerships and go-to-market approach. Founded in 1992, Kubra helps North American utility, government and insurance entities bill and connect with their customers through its payment processing, customer notification and utility mapping solutions. Kubra said its more than 250 clients extend its reach into over 40 percent of households in the United States and Canada. BetaKit

SpaceX, Elon Musk’s rocket and satellite maker, filed confidentially for an initial public offering, according to two people familiar with the company, setting the stage for what could be one of the largest offerings ever. The company is committed to debuting in June, and Musk is aiming to raise $50 billion to $75 billion from going public, said one of the people, who was not authorized to speak publicly on confidential discussions. SpaceX values itself at more than $1 trillion and would be one of the most valuable companies to reach the stock market, after Saudi Aramco’s 2019 debut valued the energy giant at $1.7 trillion. A SpaceX offering could signal a wave of enormous I.P.O.s, with the artificial intelligence companies OpenAI and Anthropic also exploring the possibility of going public. Money raised from a public offering would most likely help SpaceX finance its long-term goals of launching artificial intelligence data centres into orbit, creating a colony on the Moon and getting humans to Mars. The New York Times

 REPORTS & POLICIES

 Canada is missing advanced strategies that help domestic tech companies design and lead in “winner-take-all” global markets

Canada does not lack access to international markets. It lacks advanced strategies that help technology companies design and lead in global markets increasingly shaped by powerful nations pushing for winner-take-all positions for their own industry, according to a new survey by the Council of Canadian Innovators (CCI).

The CCI surveyed 125 CEOs of Canadian-headquartered technology firms, who said their focus in 2026 is not entering global markets, but embedding and owning technologies that define the 21^st century economy.

Thirty-nine percent of respondents identified building a base of customers as their top strategic priority, ahead of access to capital (31 percent), regulation (16 percent), and talent (14 percent).

The findings come from the 2026 Great Canadian CEO Survey by the CCI, which represents over 175 of Canada’s fastest-growing, technology-intensive companies.

Most companies surveyed are already global, selling into over 190 countries around the world, including in countries where Canada doesn’t have “free trade” agreements.

What they are working to secure are pole positions that allow them to scale, shape product categories and establish leadership in emerging industries, according to the survey.

“Canadian innovators are trying to secure powerful positions in global value chains so they can dictate the terms of competition,” said Patrick Searle, CEO of the Council of Canadian Innovators.

“They are building the technologies and capabilities that global industries will depend on. The real question is whether Canada will put in the necessary policies to help our industries become part of dominant global technology infrastructures, not merely compete within it,” he said.

Companies are working to embed their technology in standards that define how systems operate, Searle said.

They are prioritizing early customers that can validate their approach and accelerate adoption across a broader market. They are designing products with the intention of becoming part of infrastructure, rather than remaining at the application layer, where substitution risk is higher and long-term leverage is limited.

“The goal is to be inside the system that others depend on, not adjacent to it,” he said.

In today’s economy, markets are structured around technologies, standards and value chains. Companies that secure pole position, such as having their intellectual property embedded in global standards, are better positioned to scale globally, shape industry, and be the leaders in the systems others rely on.

The survey shows this dynamic is most visible in sectors where demand is shaped by large buyers and system design, including telecom (67 percent), manufacturing (60 percent), supply chain (58 percent), and cybersecurity (57 percent).

In these sectors, companies are focused on becoming part of foundational infrastructure, securing early customers that validate their technology and accelerate adoption.

“The challenge is that public policy has not kept pace with this shift in how markets are formed,” Searle said.

Much of Canada’s innovation framework remains oriented toward improving access to markets defined by geography, while companies are focused on shaping markets defined by systems, standards and demand.

“These are not parallel efforts. They reflect fundamentally different understandings of how economic value is created and captured in modern industries,” Searle noted.

“The findings point to a gap in Canada’s innovation system. While technology companies are focused on building new markets, public policy remains oriented toward improving access to existing ones,” the CCI said.

The CCI is calling on governments to develop advanced strategies for how modern markets are built by creating early demand, shaping standards and helping domestic firms embed in global value chains.

That includes using public procurement as an economic lever, not just by buying Canadian technologies and acting as a first customer, but establishing reference buyers, and accelerating the adoption of Canadian technologies at home and abroad.

Such strategies also require requires a much more deliberate role in standards-setting and system design, ensuring Canadian firms help define the rules, architectures, and platforms that global markets are built on.

“Without that alignment, Canadian companies risk scaling within markets defined elsewhere, limiting their ability to capture long-term economic value and advance prosperity of our country,” the CCI said. CCI

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Canada has lots of commercial space but lacks wet labs that are well-equipped, accessible and affordable for new biotech companies

Canada lacks a sufficient number of wet labs that are well-equipped, accessible and affordable for new biotechnology companies, according to a MaRS Discovery District article.

Based on a recent MaRS analysis of PitchBook data, there are 361 biotech companies operating nationally. In the Greater Toronto Area alone, there are approximately 15-million square feet of available commercial space – more than sufficient, in aggregate terms, to accommodate all 361 ventures.

“This perception of [wet lab] scarcity has undermined effective allocation,” said the article, by Sana Maqbool, manager of policy research at MaRS.

In high-demand markets such as Toronto, available lab space is frequently off-market, informally brokered or bundled into long-term lease structures that early-stage ventures cannot absorb. Early-stage ventures frequently find themselves “working out of darkened basements of research institutes or the end of hallways in universities, cobbling together temporary solutions until they can secure dedicated lab space,” said Jim Wilson, senior vice president and life sciences lead at Lennard Commercial Realty,

Wilson said startups often operate as “shadow tenants,” securing space through personal networks, temporary subleases or ad hoc arrangements rather than through transparent listings. Because wet labs require specialized HVAC and plumbing systems that meet stringent regulatory standards, their construction costs are much higher than those associated with conventional office spaces.

Real estate developers are reluctant to build without guaranteed long-term tenants, and many Canadian biotech startups are still small, under-capitalized and pre-revenue, which makes it difficult for them to commit to extended leases and high rents.

Meanwhile, real estate brokers are incentivized to find long-term tenants rather than supporting the broader aims of a robust biotech ecosystem.

“It’s cheaper to move to the U.S. and convert an old chicken restaurant into a wet lab space,” said Abdellahhad Barbour, CEO, co-founder and director of Ostia Sciences. “It already has vents and refrigeration – you just need to add a few pieces of equipment.”

In fact, one of Barbour’s collaborators did just that: They purchased a vacant fried-chicken restaurant in Texas for roughly $400,000 and converted it into a laboratory facility. This example illustrates how much easier and cheaper it can be to establish biotech infrastructure south of the border, even for unconventional spaces.

In major hubs, such as Toronto, Vancouver and Montreal, vacancy rates for wet labs were reported to be near zero in recent years, Maqbool said.

According to a CBRA report published in 2022, the demand for lab space in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area was estimated to exceed supply by a factor of 141 to 1, with more than 3.5-million square feet of active tenant requirements and a vacancy rate of just 0.2 percent.

Some companies left for biotech hubs where lab facilities are more readily available, like Boston or San Francisco.

Canada needs to implement a system in which those with domain expertise help guide allocation decisions, she said.

A coordinated, publicly supported platform to register and match available space with venture needs could reduce fragmentation and improve utilization without requiring immediate new builds.

Interviews with venture leaders across the country suggest that infrastructure providers – including universities, hospitals, incubators and private landlords – often operate independently, without a shared registry or neutral allocation framework.

The coordination problem has knock-on effects, Maqbool noted. Capital and space timelines are frequently misaligned.

As Brad Sorenson, CEO at Providence Therapeutics, said, “you might have access to capital, but modifying rental lab space can eat into that capital and take precious time. Alternatively, you can find a great opportunity, as we did with Sunnybrook, but it doesn’t quite fit within the whole scope. Lining it all up can be tough, and requires some good fortune.”

Finding a balance between three models – owned, shared and outsourced – will help startups move efficiently from ideation to validation and beyond, Maqbool said.

An optimized discovery system would treat these infrastructure models as complementary rather than sequential. Shared spaces should provide low-friction entry points for experimentation. Contract research organizations (CROs) should be integrated as domestic capability partners, enabling early validation without exporting expertise.

Owned infrastructure should emerge as a natural progression for ventures that have demonstrated technical and commercial viability. “The objective is not to privilege one model over another, but to ensure fluid movement among them.”

This fluidity directly impacts workforce development and retention, Maqbool pointed out.

In ecosystems where shared labs, CROs and scaling companies are co-located and coordinated, talent circulates. Technicians trained in CRO environments transition into startups.

Academic researchers test ideas in shared spaces before forming ventures. Experienced operators move between companies without geographic disruption. Over time, this circulation compounds expertise and deepens cluster maturity.

Rather than focusing solely on increasing square footage, policymakers and ecosystem leaders should examine how incentives, governance mechanisms and visibility tools can align owned, shared and outsourced capacity into a coherent discovery continuum, Maqbool said.

A key piece of this puzzle involves acknowledging the influence of economic cycles on life sciences infrastructure. During periods of capital contraction or slower domestic venture formation, underutilized capacity can strain operators and landlords alike.

A mature strategy would therefore position Canada as a place where domestic ventures can grow and as an attractive destination for foreign companies seeking high-quality laboratory space, CRO services and translational expertise.

“The next phase of ecosystem development will depend less on expanding square footage and more on deliberate coordination,” Maqbool said.

“If designed effectively, discovery infrastructure can do more than house experiments. It can anchor expertise, retain talent and create the conditions under which Canadian ventures grow and remain in Canada.” MaRS Discovery District

See also: Nowhere to grow – Canadian life sciences companies look for lab space

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Canada’s eroding economic foundation amounts to a crisis: Coalition for a Better Future

Canada’s economic foundation is eroding and the country is not facing a gradual change but a crisis, according to a new report by the Coalition for a Better Future.

Amid global disruption, geopolitical volatility, climate change and domestic affordability pressures, the coalition's 2026 Scorecard Report, Time to Execute: Canada’s Crucible Moment, found that a lack of economic growth has escalated from a persistent weakness to a crisis.

Taking into account 21 economic growth measures with concrete 2030 targets, the Scorecard highlights a central vulnerability in Canada’s economy: a chronic lack of business investment is driving weak productivity, stagnant wages and declining per capita incomes compared to G7 peers.

Business investment has hit its lowest levels since the 1950s, with GDP per capita growth at just half of its pre-pandemic rate. “This is the root cause of our stagnant wages and falling per capita incomes relative to our G7 peers,” the report said.

Compounding this issue, the disruption in Canada’s trade relations with the United States has intensified existing pressures.

On the positive side, Canada now has 28 “Narwhals” – privately held startups valued at over US$1 billion – up from just three in 2020.

However, McKinsey and Co. analysis confirms a fundamental reorientation: Canada has shifted away from high-productivity sectors, such as resource exports and manufacturing, toward lower-productivity domestic ones, especially dwellings,” the coalition’s report said.

Other challenges the report pointed to include:

• Food insecurity: Food prices have risen 27 percent over the past five years. In 2026, the average family of four will spend about $17,600 on groceries – an increase of $1,000 in a single year.
• The housing trap: Interest rate cuts have provided modest relief, but home ownership carrying costs now cost consumer more than 53 percent of median household savings – well above the historical 40-percent to 45-percent range.
• Widening inequality: Poverty gaps that once narrowed are expanding again. The poverty rate has rebounded to 10.9 percent and the average poverty gap widened to 33 percent in 2033. Wealth indictors point to rising inequality, and progress on corporate board diversity has stalled.
• The rural-urban divide: Rural Canada generates more than 25 percent of national output and powers exports, yet it suffers systemic neglect.
• 12 percent of Canadian youth aged 15 to 29 are not in employment education or training, with a rate as high as 41 percent in Nunavut.
• Canadian workers receive approximately 55 cents of new capital investment for every $1 received by their U.S. counterparts.
• Median wages in Canada trail those in the U.S. by $7 per hour, even after adjusting for purchasing power.

“The fragility of our economic growth is no longer a theoretical concern; it is a reality felt by households at the grocery store and the gas pump,” the report said.

As countries around the world adapt to secure their economic futures through advancements in energy, critical minerals and innovative infrastructure, it’s time to turn ambition into action, the coalition said. “Canada cannot afford to stand still.”

“The world is changing. Others are building to win, and Canada must do the same,” said Anne McLellan, co-chair of the coalition.

“This is Canada’s moment to execute, boost productivity, and steward our resources. We either choose to build and compete – or risk being left behind,” McLellan said.

“We are at a defining moment – an intense test that will either forge a more resilient nation or see our standard of living fracture beyond repair,” said coalition co-chair Lisa Raitt. “The time for discussion has ended. It is time to execute.”

While the challenges are significant, the coalition acknowledged promising developments. Prime Minister Mark Carney’s “Build Agenda” signifies a transformative effort, the coalition said. “However, rebuilding our productive capacity will require long-term commitment and tough fiscal choices. There are no shortcuts.”

Canada possesses significant strengths – abundant natural resources, a clean energy grid, a highly educated workforce, stable institutions and innovative companies that can compete globally, the coalition said. The current geopolitical disruptions also present opportunities for Canada as a reliable trading partner.

The coalition urged Canada’s governments and corporate leadership to seize this moment. Regulatory conditions need to continue to be adapted to foster business investment and innovation, the coalition said.

But surviving this crisis requires more than government intervention: businesses must embrace the risks necessary for innovation, the coalition said. The private sector must leverage its strengths across sectors, such as agriculture, energy and critical minerals, while swiftly adopting technologies such as AI to regain Canada’s competitive edge.

"We face challenging times, but by working together – collaboratively across governments, sectors, and parties – we can navigate these headwinds, build on the strengths of our great country and drive prosperity." Coalition for a Better Future

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Federal government has made “real progress” on its agenda, but much of it has followed the path of least resistance: Build Canada

The Mark Carney government has made real progress on its agenda in its first year, but much of it has followed the path of least resistance: quick wins, low-risk spending and procedural check boxes, according to a report by Build Canada.

Seventy-seven percent of the government’s commitments are in progress or completed. “But most of that movement looks like consultations launched, early funds deployed, and line items in departmental plans, not outcomes Canadians can see or feel,” Build Canada said.

Execution has not caught up to rhetoric, the organization said. Legislation bottlenecks stalled a significant chunk of the agenda. The areas of health care and justice have seen just six completions each, and 5.9 million Canadians still don't have a family doctor.

Bill C-15, which implemented the federal government’s budget, passing clears some of the logjam, “but a full year in, the government still is not implementing at the speed voters urgently called for.”

“The low hanging fruit has been picked. The big-ticket items have yet to break through,” Build Canada said.

The 181 completed items were largely things that needed only a ministerial signature or a tax change, the organization said.

The commitments that would reshape daily life, from housing and health care to export credit, are still in progress or not started. “Year two needs to look different.”

Build Canada reviewed all 603 commitments the government made and assessed them against timelines and promises it set for itself. 

According to Build Canada’s Outcomes Tracker, across all federal commitments as of March 30, 2025: 288 are in progress, 129 have not started, 181 are completed, and five were abandoned. “Much of the progress so far is either ground work or incremental.”

A handful of files stand out, Build Canada said. They include the Defence Investment Agency being up and running, with nearly $1.4 billion in domestic ammunition contracts supporting new factories and jobs.

The interprovincial trade legislation removed barriers to goods, services, and workers having their licences and certificates recognized across provinces.

And Canada also reached NATO’s two-percent spending target, marking the first time since the end of the Cold War and coming six years ahead of the previous government’s schedule.

“Canada is no longer standing on the sidelines. But it now needs to pick up pace with the policy boldness, regulatory clarity and permitting speed that a crisis calls for,” Build Canada said.

The gap in federal action and impact for Canadians is especially visible in health care and justice, the organization said.

These areas were central to the public conversation heading into the last election. Canadians were promised action on family doctors, health infrastructure, justice corrections, and firearms.

Yet in both health care and justice, there have been only six completions to date, and an estimated 5.9 million adults do not have a family doctor, nurse practitioner or primary care team. “A full year in, the government still is not implementing at the speed voters urgently called for.”

Promises to establish a $5 billion Health Infrastructure Fund and an in vitro fertilization program providing up to $20,000 per cycle, along with creating a new-practice fund for family doctors, have yet to be operationalized, with no program guidelines or bilateral agreements published, Build Canada noted.

Also, the government’s proposed $25 billion export credit facility for Canadian businesses is still in progress, the $1 billion Venture Capital Catalyst recapitalization is in progress, the $10-billion annual transition bond issuance hasn’t started, and the Canada Patent Box to retain IP hasn’t started.

“This government has the mandate, the agenda, and the stated ambition to break the pattern of least resistance, Build Canada said. “And while the data shows it hasn’t yet, it also points to a breakthrough within reach.” Build Canada

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Canada isn’t on track to meet any of its short-term or long-term climate targets

Canada is not on track to meet any of its climate targets – not the 2026 interim emissions reduction target, the 2030 Paris Agreement commitment, or the long-term goal of reaching net-zero emissions by 2050, according to a report by the Ontario-based Canadian Climate Institute.

The report suggests Canada has moved away from its climate goals thanks to “a slackening of policy effort over the past year, marked by the removal or weakening of climate policies across the country.”

That slackening includes the elimination of federal consumer carbon pricing, the conclusion of green home retrofit funding and the cancellation of the oil and gas emissions cap, the report said. Provincially, Alberta and Saskatchewan both weakened and suspended their industrial carbon prices, and Ontario repealed its climate accountability legislation.

A separate report by Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECC) indicated Canada will fall well short of its 2030 climate goal – just halfway to its target of a 40-percent to 45-percent reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions below 2005 levels.

Canada’s total GHG emissions were 655 million tonnes in 2023, or 14 percent below 2005 levels, according to the report.

In 2026, Canada will reduce emissions by 16 percent below 2005 levels, ECCC said.

With the government's current climate measures, Canada will reduce its emissions by 21 percent below 2005 levels by the end of this decade, ECCC’s report said. If the government implements additional climate policies, the report projects the country could see a 28-percent reduction.

As of 2023 – the latest data year available – Canada had only achieved a nine-percent reduction in emissions, while all other G7 countries have averaged a 30-percent reduction.

The United States, the second-worst of the group after Canada, cut emissions by 17 percent compared with 2005 – nearly double Canada’s rate of emissions reduction.

ECCC’s report “confirms the country is significantly off track to meeting its emissions targets and the federal government needs to renew policy action over the next six months to course correct,” Rick Smith, president of the Canadian Climate Institute, said in a statement.

“The report shows current policies will not deliver the results necessary to achieve the country’s 2030 or 2035 climate targets, as the Canadian Climate Institute had previously calculated. While it shows emissions are falling under current and additional measures, these actions are only projected to reduce emissions by 28 percent below 2005 numbers,” Smith said.

The most significant source of risk and uncertainty comes from the oil and gas sector and whether clean electricity and industrial policy can expand fast enough to support investment and electrification, he said.

ECCC’s report included “progress” reported in several industrial sector, but no report on Canada’s oil and gas sector. In fact, GHG emissions from the oil and gas sector have increased by approximately 77 percent between 1990 and 2023.

As of 2023, the sector is Canada's largest GHG source, emitting 208 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent, representing 30 percent of total national emissions. Despite recent minor fluctuations, long-term emissions have risen, particularly driven by oilsands expansion

Also, the federal government shuttered its $8-billion Net Zero Accelerator (NZA) initiative following reports of low uptake by major emitters, with plans to redirect funds to other industrial subsidies due to "declining demand."

Although designed to boost decarbonization, only two of Canada’s largest emitters signed agreements, leading to scrutiny regarding NZA’s effectiveness.

“In addition, the government’s lack of support for consumer incentives that support adoption of clean, electric technologies has slowed uptake,” Smith noted.

Affordability drives adoption and these same technologies lower energy bills and improve comfort, he said.

Federal and provincial governments should not be stepping away from affordability measures, he added. They should reintroduce or top-up programs that help Canadians acquire clean technologies like electric vehicles and heat pumps.

Prime Minister Mark Carney has removed key planks from Canada's climate plan: cutting the consumer carbon tax, pausing the electric vehicle mandate, backing additional LNG exports and potentially supporting the building of another oilsands bitumen pipeline to the Pacific coast.

The Canadian Climate Institute’s report points to a number of policies that need tightening and follow-through – particularly on industrial carbon pricing.

If the federal government gets the details right on industrial carbon pricing, and the provinces implement strengthened systems, it can roughly double the additional emissions reductions from the industrial carbon pricing policy, compared to a scenario where systems largely continue as they stand today, the Institute said.

The report makes several recommendations, including continuing to build up Canada’s clean electricity grid and enforcing minimum national standards for climate policies.

“There is no shortage of policy tools that can accelerate climate progress while strengthening Canada’s economy and making life more affordable,” Smith said. “But our assessment clearly shows that governments need to work together to put better policies in place for the country to reach its goals.”  ECCC, Canadian Climate Institute, CBC News, CTV News,

THE GRAPEVINE – News about people, institutions and communities

 The Gairdner Foundation announced the nine 2026 Gairdner Award laureates, honoring world-leading scientists whose pioneering biomedical and global health research has transformed our understanding of human health and disease.

• The five 2026 Canada Gairdner International Award laurates are recognized for seminal discoveries or contributions to biomedical science. Each recipient receives $250,000.

Dr. Wolfgang Baumeister – Director Emeritus and Scientific Member, Max-Planck-Institute of Biochemistry, Martinsried, Germany; Distinguished Professor, ShanghaiTech University, China. 

Awarded “For developing cryo-electron tomography, a method that visualizes molecular structures inside intact cells at near-native resolution, creating a new way to study cellular architecture and revealing the inner workings of life at the molecular level.” 

Prof. Jeffery W. Kelly, PhD – H. Lutcher Brown Professor of Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, Scripps Research, La Jolla, United States. 

Awarded “For discovering the anti-aggregation drug, tafamidis, the first effective treatment for a human amyloid disease, specifically transthyretin amyloidosis, providing the first pharmacological evidence that protein aggregation drives neurodegeneration.”

Prof. John R. Yates III, PhD – John Lytton Young Endowed Chair and Professor, Department of Integrative Structural and Computational Biology, Scripps Research, La Jolla, United States. 

Prof. Ruedi Aebersold – Professor Emeritus, Molecular Systems Biology, Institute of Molecular Systems Biology, Department of Biology, ETH Zurich, Switzerland.

Prof. Matthias Mann – Director of Department of Proteomics and Signal Transduction, Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, Martinsried, Germany.

Awarded “For establishing the foundations of modern systems proteomics through transformative innovations in quantitative protein measurement, mass spectrometry technologies, and computational analysis.”

• The two 2026 John Dirks Canada Gairdner Global Health Award laureates are recognized for outstanding achievements in global health research. Each recipient receives $100,000.

Prof. John D. Clemens, MD – Senior Scientific Advisor to the Director General, International Vaccine Institute, Seoul, South Korea; Adjunct Professor of Epidemiology, UCLA Fielding School of Public Health, Los Angeles, United States.

Dr. Jan Holmgren, MD, PhD – Senior Professor, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Sweden.

Awarded “For advances in understanding cholera disease and immunity, and for the development and evaluation of safe, effective, and affordable inactivated oral cholera vaccines that have enabled cholera control worldwide.”

• The two 2026 Peter Gilgan Canada Gairdner Momentum Awards are Canadian mid-career investigators recognized for exceptional scientific research contributions with continued potential impact on human health. Each recipient receives $100,000.

Dr. Karen Maxwell – Professor, Department of Biochemistry, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Canada.

Awarded “For uncovering the molecular strategies bacteria use to defend against viruses, revealing how viruses known as bacteriophages evade these defences, and laying the foundation for next-generation precision phage therapies to combat antibiotic-resistant infections.” 

Dr. Aaron Phillips – Associate Professor, Departments of Clinical Neurosciences, Cardiac Sciences, Physiology and Pharmacology, University of Calgary; Associate Dean, Innovation and Commercialization, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Canada.

Awarded “For pioneering work that restores blood pressure control after spinal cord injury, reducing life-threatening complications, improving daily functioning, and transforming clinical care for people living with paralysis.”

Since 1957, 443 Gairdner Awards have been bestowed on laureates from over 40 countries, and of those awardees, 102 have gone on to receive Nobel Prizes. Gairdner Foundation

The Government of Manitoba appointed Adam Herstein as Research Manitoba’s board chair for a three-year term, effective March 18, 2026. Herstein is a partner at Pitblado Law and serves with the Canadian Bar Association, the Canadian Technology Law Association, the Manitoba Bar Association and the Manitoba Bar Association Technology and Intellectual Property Law Section. Herstein was also a member of the Manitoba government’s Innovation and Productivity Task Force. He succeeds outgoing chair Andrea Legary, whose term has concluded. The Manitoba government reappointed Legary as a board director. The government also appointed or reappointed several board directors to fill vacancies created by expired terms or departures. Govt. of Manitoba

Toronto-based Raymond James Ltd. (RJL) appointed Peter Moores as CEO, pending necessary regulatory approval. Since joining Raymond James in 2004, Moores has held diverse roles including CEO and Country Manager in the U.K., providing leadership of the wealth management business and governance of the capital markets and investment banking businesses. Prior to Raymond James, he held progressively senior leadership roles in the institutional, asset management, and retail brokerage sectors. During the transition period and, until Moores receives his regulatory approval from the Canadian Investment Regulatory Organization, Paul Allison will remain CEO. Raymond James Ltd.

Diamond hunter and scholar Graham Pearson, a mantle geochemist with the University of Alberta, has had a new mineral – Grahampearsonite – named after him and approved by the International Mineralogical Association. It recognizes a lifetime of work on diamonds, including Pearson’s work in Brazil where he and a team made discoveries over a decade ago that helped explain, through deep-mine diamonds, the composition and water content of the Earth’s deep mantle. Grahampearsonite is chemically known as calcium pyrophosphate, which can be found in toothpaste abrasive. But Grahampearsonite is the real deal – discovered inside a diamond that crystallized at depths greater than 300 kilometres below the Earth’s surface in Brazil’s Juina region. In addition to mapping the history of the Earth’s mantle, Pearson has developed new techniques for geochemical analysis and pioneered methods for dating minute geological samples. He established the world-class Arctic Resources Geochemistry Laboratory. The Canadian Press

A former Brookfield Asset Management senior vice president sued the firm, claiming it wrongfully fired her over a social media post following the murder of conservative political activist Charlie Kirk. Jennifer Kipley, who joined Brookfield’s global client group in 2022, claims in a lawsuit filed Win New York state court that her post about Kirk was misinterpreted and that she became the target of stalking by an “online mob” who demanded she be terminated from her job. Kipley claims the firm’s decision to fire her violated a New York law that prohibits discriminating or retaliating against victims of stalking. Scores of people lost their jobs over social media posts in the wake of Kirk’s September 10, 2025 murder. In many cases, those people’s employers were encouraged to take actions by online activists. Some have challenged their firings, with one Tennessee college professor reportedly winning a $500,000 settlement along with reinstatement. Claims Journal

Biruté Mary Galdikas, a Canadian scientist who dedicated her life to the study and conservation of orangutans, has died. She was 79. Galdikas died in Los Angeles with loved ones by her side after a battle with lung cancer, according to the Orangutan Foundation International, which Galdikas founded in 1986 to support her research in Borneo, Indonesia. She will be most remembered for her "unwavering dedication" to orangutans, said Ruth Linsky, a PhD candidate at Simon Fraser University. Linsky was mentored by Galdikas, worked with her at the research station in Borneo and is on the board of the foundation's Canadian branch. Galdikas also set up a rehabilitation centre that has since helped 450 captive orangutans return to the wild. Tanjung Puting became a national park in 1983 because of her work. CBC News

Toronto-based internal email platform ContactMonkey announced the appointment of Jeff Cates as CEO. Founder Scott Pielsticker, who has led the company since its inception in 2010, will transition to an active role on ContactMonkey's board of directors. Over the past 16 years, Pielsticker built ContactMonkey into one of North America's fastest-growing technology companies. Under his leadership, the company achieved profitability as a bootstrapped business, surpassed $10 million in annual recurring revenue, secured $55 million in Series A funding from Updata Partners, and earned multiple placements on both the Deloitte Technology Fast 500™ and The Globe and Mail's Canada's Top Growing Companies rankings. Cates brings more than two decades of experience leading high-growth technology companies in Canada. Most recently, he served as CEO of Achievers, an employee success platform focused on recognition and engagement. Prior to Achievers, Cates spent nearly eight years as president and CEO of Intuit Canada. ContactMonkey

The University of British Columbia’s (UBC) first UNESCO Chair on Health, Race and Human Rights will use law, data and policy to confront racialized health inequities at a critical moment for democracy and human rights worldwide. Irehobhude O. Iyioha, associate professor in the Peter A. Allard School of Law, is the new Chair, a role that makes UBC home to a unique global research and advocacy program at a moment of what many say is intense pressure on democratic institutions and racialized communities worldwide. The Chair will study the systemic challenges that racialized individuals face, their measurable impacts, and the role of law in shaping access to health determinants. UBC

Toronto-based venture studio AXL is adding nine senior scientists from organizations like Nvidia, Samsung, and even NASA to mentor its startups as they scale from pilots to real-world deployment. The nine additions, all professors at the University of Toronto, join AXL as part of its inaugural cohort of Faculty Fellows, a program meant to bring decades of industry and academic expertise to the ventures emerging from the studio and its corporate partners. Some of the inaugural fellows include Nvidia senior director of AI software (and CentML co-founder) Gennady Pekhimenko, former NASA lead scientist Steve Easterbrook, former Intel Labs research scientist Nandita Vijaykumar, and Sven Dickinson, the former lead of Samsung Toronto’s AI Research Centre. As a venture studio, AXL identifies business problems, consults academic research, and then assigns entrepreneurs to solve the problem with AI. BetaKit

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Climate change altering Canada’s marine environment will impact communities that rely on the blue economy

Communities dependent on Canada’s blue economy will face growing challenges to their livelihoods as climate change fundamentally alters the country’s marine environment, according to new Simon Fraser University (SFU) research.

The four-year study suggests that some parts of the country could see a 50-percent drop in marine resources, hitting sectors such as fisheries, aquaculture and ecotourism.

All of Canada’s coastal communities will experience shifting resources with experts suggesting thousands of people could be affected, particularly Indigenous communities, if steps are not taken now to mitigate the risks.
“There’s no getting away from the fact that climate change is already changing our ocean environments and w

ill continue to do so without a dramatic reduction in harmful emissions,” said Pedro González-Espinosa, a climate change researcher in SFU’s School of Resource and Environmental Management.

“The real questions to address now are how marine resources could change and who is going to suffer the most with these changes,” he said. “Our findings suggest that many of Canada’s marine sectors would feel the effects to varying extents, but some communities, notably Indigenous groups, are going to be hit harder.”

The blue economy encompasses a number of different sectors such as fisheries, aquaculture, ecotourism, offshore energy, marine transport and carbon sequestration.

Within the blue economy, marine resources – such as fish, seaweed, energy and tourism opportunities – can drive economic growth, when managed and utilized in a sustainable, responsible and equitable manner.

“These findings highlight the need for adaptive, inclusive, climate-resilient policies to support the livelihoods of coastal communities,” said Andrés Cisneros-Montemayor, a resource economist and assistant professor in the School of Resource and Environmental Management.

The study, published in Regional Studies in Marine Science, analyzes historical and projected data around resources within Canada’s blue economy.

Researchers looked at two future climate scenario projections: a best-case scenario where harmful emissions are reduced; and a worst-case scenario where harmful emissions continue to increase.

These projections enabled them to map out how and where marine resources may change across Canada’s coasts.
“While the outcomes are mixed, projections in the Arctic region show some of the most significant resource declines as temperature changes are going to be more profound,” said González-Espinosa, lead author of the paper.

“Likewise, some parts of the Pacific and Atlantic regions could also experience resource declines, particularly if we continue along a high emissions pathway.”

As Canada finalizes its Blue Economy Strategy, the study puts forward several recommendations to help inform discussions:

• Long-term sustainability goals must be prioritized.
• Climate adaptation is fundamental to ocean planning.
• Policies should be tailored based on local conditions and variations.
• Steps should be taken to build climate resilience at a community level.
• Equal and inclusive governance is necessary to avoid deepening disparities, particularly for Indigenous peoples and marginalized coastal communities. Simon Fraser University

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