GOVERNMENT FUNDING & NEWS

 The Canada Growth Fund Investment Management (CGFIM) executed 10 transactions across five provinces and committed $2.8 billion over a 12-month period in 2025, according to the fund’s annual report. This included a $2-billion commitment to the Darlington New Nuclear Project to build the G7’s first commercial small modular reactor in Ontario. In addition, CGFIM completed seven clean technology transactions during the year, bringing the $15-billion Canada Growth Fund’s (CGF) commitments to cleantech companies and funds to more than $950 million since its inception, making CGF one of Canada’s most active cleantech investors. The CGFIM also supported the growth of the Canadian critical minerals sector with two new investments, reinforcing the resilience of strategic supply chains “while building a robust deal pipeline that underpins continued growth and future investments.” Nearly three years after its launch, CGFIM has completed 18 transactions, totaling approximately $5 billion in commitments. CGF portfolio companies held 471 patents in 2025. Canada CGFIM is a wholly owned subsidiary of Public Sector Pension Investments. Canada Growth Fund

The Government of Canada invested $165 million to bolster Canada’s applied research capacity through the College and Community Innovation (CCI) program. The investment, proposed in the Spring Economic Update 2026, will empower communities, bolster the Canadian workforce and help businesses adapt and succeed, the government said. The CCI program enhances research partnerships between Canadian colleges and other institutions – including universities and organizations from the private, public and not-for-profit sectors – all united by the goal of generating economic, social, health and environmental benefits for Canada. “We’re very pleased to see continued support for the CCI program,” said Ken Doyle, executive director of Tech-Access Canada (TAC), whose network works with colleges and businesses. “For the TAC network, this investment helps stabilize applied R&D capacity and ensures we can continue supporting Canadian companies as they move from innovation to commercialization,” Doyle said. “In practical terms, it means more SMEs getting to market faster and more of that success translating into economic benefits here in Canada.” Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada

See also: Federal research funding requires overhaul to better support colleges’ applied research and incentivize collaboration

After two years of Government of Canada immigration cuts, including caps on the total number of international students who will be granted student visas, Canada’s international student intake has dwindled to what they were in the early years of the COVID-19 pandemic, preliminary data from Statistics Canada (StatsCan) shows. Between the academic years 2003-2004 and 2023-2024, the number of full-time international students in public postsecondary institutions in Canada increased eightfold. But after the federal government implemented a student cap in January 2024, the numbers started to dwindle, falling by one-third. According to new estimates, the number of full-time international students in public postsecondary institutions decreased four percent for the academic year 2024-2025 and 26 percent in 2025-26, StatsCan said. This brings their numbers back to levels recorded in 2021-2022, when the COVID-19 pandemic led to enrolment declining across Canada. In 2023, the number of international students enrolled in public colleges (288,801) surpassed those in universities (284,160), but the cuts to immigration levels affected college enrolment sharply. While there was only a slight decline in the year 2024-2025 (three percent), college enrolment plummeted by 40 percent in 2025-2026. This marks a 42-percent decline in international student enrolment in colleges since 2023-2024. International student enrolment in universities dropped 17 percent from 2023-2024 to 2025-2026, dropping to pre-pandemic (2019-2020) levels. This year, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) expects to issue up to 408,000 study permits, including 155,000 to newly arriving international students and 253,000 extensions for current and returning students. This number is seven percent lower than the 2025 target of 437,000 and 16 percent lower than the 2024 target of 485,000, IRCC said in November. Global News

The Government of Canada’s plan to spin out a publicly owned semiconductor plant has already attracted interest from companies in Europe and Asia that are keen to invest, according to Industry Minister Mélanie Joly. Joly announced last week that the National Research Council will convert its Canadian Photonics Fabrication Centre (CPFC) into a commercial entity that can take on private sector capital. Following the spinout, the facility “needs to be Canadian majority-owned,” Joly told reporters at the Public Policy Forum’s Canada Growth summit in Toronto. The federal government also plans to retain a stake, she said, describing it as “a maple syrup share, because we want to be able to have a say in it.” The Ottawa-based CPFC is one of only three independent facilities in the world that manufactures compound semiconductors, light-based components that help move information around data centres. The CPFC has previously attracted interest from U.S. private equity firms, and Canadian technology executives have called for the federal government to ensure it remains in Canadian hands once it is spun out. Joly said that it will. CPFC is “fundamental to our future capacity to really build semiconductors in Canada,” she said. Industry groups want Canada to have a standalone national semiconductor strategy. But federal AI Minister Evan Solomon said in an interview at the Chips North industry conference that Canada already has a strategy around semiconductors, as a lot of the country’s compute programs will apply to semiconductor companies, BetaKit reported. The Logic

The CEO of the Canada’s largest stock exchange group is urging the Mark Carney government to allow retail investors to buy stakes in a new $25-billion sovereign wealth fund through publicly traded units such as exchange traded funds (ETFs). “Our recommendation was you do that in the form of a closed-end fund, or an ETF, that you could put a piece of it on the marketplace,” “said John McKenzie, chief executive of TMX Group Ltd., which owns the Toronto Stock Exchange. Prime Minister Carney announced plans for a sovereign wealth fund, which would back priority national projects in the areas of energy, critical minerals, agriculture and infrastructure, on April 27, and said all Canadians would be given an opportunity to participate through a retail investment product. While a structure that involves a public exchange stands to benefit TMX Group, McKenzie said a fund that owns a number of assets such as the proposed Canada Strong Fund could easily incorporate a retail component by listing it on an exchange, whether that’s an ETF or simply units. What’s more, he said, that structure would offer key selling points to retail investors such as transparency and disclosure requirements and, unlike a bond, it would trade easily on a public marketplace. Canada has long struggled to get sufficient capital into companies that need the funds to build scale, with many turning instead to the United States, McKenzie said, adding that a particularly discouraging part of his meetings with private companies in the “go-public pipeline” is encountering Canadian founders running companies in Silicon Valley. “The problem to solve is getting capital into growth companies . . . so they can grow in Canada, as opposed to just get bought out and go to the U.S., or go straight to the U.S. and start there,” he said. Financial Post

The Department of National Defence (DND) will spend $40 million this year to study the feasibility of using nuclear microreactors to provide heat and electricity to military facilities in remote and northern areas, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Tim Hodgson said at a nuclear industry conference in Ottawa. Atomic Energy of Canada Ltd. (AECL) a Crown corporation charged with enabling nuclear science and technology, will also participate in the study, which DND is leading. Microreactors are compact reactors small enough to be transported by truck and typically produce less than 20 megawatts of electricity. Ottawa-based startup Boreal Energy Systems Ltd. is developing a one-megawatt microreactor called the Micro Modular Reactor, with the primary goal of supplying energy to DND missions in the Arctic such as military bases and installations for the North American Aerospace Defense Command. The Globe and Mail

The Government of Canada announced potential changes that would ensure federal reviews and decision-making timelines on projects take no longer than one-year, once all information from the project proponent has been received. To that end, the government is launching two discussion papers to engage Canadians over a 30-day period on proposed reforms to:

• Get Major Projects Built in Canada
• Strengthen One Canadian Economy through Trade and Transportation

The proposed changes would apply to all major projects, including mines, airports and pipelines – not just those referred to the Major Projects Office. This will strengthen a uniform regulatory system for major projects and improve supply chain efficiency across Canada, the government said. Clear, predictable processes give investors and project proponents the certainty they need to build, and drives sustained economic growth for all Canadians, Ottawa said. Indigenous partnership is critical to building a stronger Canadian economy, the government said, adding it will engage and meaningfully with Indigenous groups, consistent with the Government of Canada’s commitments under the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act. The proposals include:

• Establishing a Crown Consultation Hub to strengthen Crown consultation on project reviews and coordinate one Indigenous consultation process, per community, per project.
• Creating a regulatory system where a single comprehensive federal decision is made on permits and approvals for major projects.
• Assigning responsibility and authority for certain projects to the federal regulatory organization with the most expertise.
• Creating federal economic zones through regional impact assessments, in consultation with Indigenous Peoples.

The government is also advancing a number of proposals to diversify Canada’s trade and attract new investment:

• National Trade Corridors: Modernize Canada’s National Transportation Policy to emphasize the importance of supply chain efficiency through the designation of National Trade Corridors.
• Modernize Port Governance: Modernize Canada’s port governance framework to better reflect the realities of modern trade and the role of marine infrastructure in supporting Canada’s non-US trade diversification goals, and foster collaboration amongst the port authorities.
• Simplifying Regulatory Reporting: Adopt a “tell-us-once” approach to information sharing between departments and agencies and streamline redundancies and inefficiencies in transportation regulations. Govt. of Canada

The Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs (AMC) said in a statement that the proposed changes risk weakening First Nations jurisdiction, environmental protections and meaningful consultation in favour of accelerated approvals and investor certainty. The AMC is calling for legally binding First Nations-led environmental and cultural impact assessments with equal authority in project decision-making processes. Environmental Defence said the proposed changes put Canada’s environment, waters and rarest and most vulnerable species at risk. “This proposal suggests, without evidence for need, that Canada should sacrifice the rule of law and our most sensitive species and ecosystems in order to build pipelines and other projects. If approved, this proposal will take Canada back to a more dangerous, toxic and destructive time and leave Canadians facing impacts that could last for generations,” the environmental organization said. Govt. of Canada

Canada's oil‌sands have significant expansion potential but the basin's long-term growth outlook is dependent on the construction of a new crude export pipeline to the Pacific coast, said the president of Canadian Natural Resources. Scott Stauth, who heads the country's largest oil and gas producer, made the remarks ​on a conference call with analysts after Canadian Natural announced it had exceeded first-quarter profit expectations, fueled in large ​part by higher production in its oilsands segment. "We need that pipeline to be able to ⁠grow oilsands in a significant way," said Stauth, referring to an Alberta government proposal for a new 1 million-barrel-per-day to British Columbia's northwest coast. Like other oilsands producers, Canadian Natural's production has been growing.  A new 550,000 bpd pipeline ‌proposal by ⁠Canadian company South Bow and its U.S. partner Bridger Pipeline aims to increase Canada's crude exports to the U.S. by reviving parts of the old Keystone XL line. There are also capacity-enhancing projects planned for both the Trans Mountain Pipeline and Enbridge's Mainline. Reuters

Negotiations between the Government of Alberta and the Government of Canada that could pave the way for a new oil pipeline are being stymied by disagreement over the speed at which the province must increase its carbon price to $130 a tonne, according to multiple federal and provincial sources. While Ottawa mandates a rise to $170 per tonne by 2030, Alberta has frozen its industrial price at $95 to protect industry competitiveness, and has previously suggested $130 per tonne as a ceiling until 2050. The discussions stem from an energy memorandum of understanding that the two governments signed in November 2025. Alberta and Ottawa have already reached agreement on two of four provisions in the MOU that were to be finalized by April 1: streamlining environmental impact assessments and the province cutting methane emissions by 75 percent from 2014 levels by 2035. But the speed at which Alberta gets to the carbon higher price is a point of contention, sources; a five-year deadline looks a lot different for industry than setting a 10-year roadmap, for example. The Globe and Mail

The Competition Bureau has filed an application with the Competition Tribunal challenging Calgary-based Keyera Corp.’s proposed acquisition of Houston, Texas-based Plains All American Pipeline L.P.’s Canadian natural gas liquids business. The Bureau is challenging the proposed transaction, saying it would reduce competition at Canada’s most important natural gas liquids hub at Fort Saskatchewan, Alta., harming Canadian energy producers and increasing costs across the supply chain. Natural gas liquids processing, which includes fractionation and storage, is a critical part of Canada’s energy economy, supplying products used to heat homes, support agriculture and manufacture petrochemicals, while enabling Canadian producers to participate in domestic and international markets. The Bureau’s review found that the transaction would harm competition by:

• eliminating Plains as a close competitor in Fort Saskatchewan.
• reducing the number of major competitors from three to two, significantly increasing market concentration in natural gas liquids processing.
• giving the merged firm greater ability to increase prices, impose less favourable contract terms, reduce incentives to expand capacity, and further entrench control over critical infrastructure.

The Bureau is seeking an order from the Competition Tribunal to preserve competition in the processing of natural gas liquids at the Fort Saskatchewan hub. The final decision in this matter rests with the Competition Tribunal. Competition Bureau

Prime Minister Mark Carney acknowledged that the Canadian auto industry is facing “challenges” due to U.S. tariffs. His comments come amid reporting from a Japanese media outlet that Honda is indefinitely suspending plans to build a $15-billion electric vehicle plant in Ontario. “There are challenges with the U.S. tariffs, unjustified tariffs in the auto sector,” Carney said to reporters in Ottawa. “We’ll continue to work with companies in the sector, helping them reposition, reinvest, supporting workers there. We’ll continue to do what’s necessary, including getting the right deal in Canada’s interest.” On Tuesday, Nikkei Asia reported that slow U.S. demand is pushing the Japanese automaker “to put hybrids at the centre of its North American strategy.” In May 2025, Honda announced it would delay the project for two years, with Honda chief executive Toshihiro Mibe saying the company would examine where the EV market is before deciding whether to move forward with the project. The president of the Automotive Parts Manufacturing Association, Flavio Volpe, believes the bigger factor in Honda’s reported decision, is the Donald Trump administration’s decision to remove all federal EV tax credits and incentives in 2025. “This is really about the Americans hollowing out the EV market and Honda having planned to serve that huge market from here,” Volpe told CTV News. CTV News

A joint investigation by the federal privacy commissioner and his counterparts in Alberta, B.C. and Quebec found that the way OpenAI had initially trained its ChatGPT AI model was not compliant with their respective privacy laws. Their joint three-year investigation found that OpenAI indiscriminately scraped Canadians’ private information without consent from every corner of the web to train its models in its rush to launch ChatGPT. The investigation revealed that a number of privacy issues were present in the initial training and deployment of ChatGPT, including: overcollection of personal information; lack of valid consent and transparency; factual inaccuracies involving personal information; issues related to individuals’ ability to access, correct and delete their personal information; and a lack of accountability for the personal information under OpenAI’s control. OpenAI has since taken steps that better protect the personal information of Canadians, and the federal privacy commissioner Philippe Dufresne said the company is now conditionally in line with Ottawa’s laws. Provinces, though, say this issue can’t be resolved because of the consent requirements in their privacy laws. Meanwhile, the federal government is “just about to set up, with labour leaders, an AI labour advisory group,” AI Minister Evan Solomon said at the Public Policy Forum’s Canada Growth Sumit. Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada

The Government of Canada will pay $8.7 million to settle a class-action lawsuit involving tens of thousands of Canadians whose sensitive information was compromised or stolen when hackers got into their accounts on government websites, including the Canada Revenue Agency portal. Hackers targeted government accounts over several months in 2020 largely for the purpose of applying for financial aid in the victims' names during the earliest months of the COVID-19 pandemic, including the Canadian Emergency Relief Benefit or the Canadian Emergency Student Benefit. More than 47,000 people had their personal and financial information compromised that summer alone, from social insurance numbers and home addresses to details of their bank accounts. The class-action settlement reached last December was approved in court on May 5. The settlement will be administered by KPMG, which created a website for the class action. CBC News

****************************************************************************************************************************

CEO of Canada Health Infoway dismissed; Liberals shut down motion to call federal health minister to testify about what went wrong Prescribe IT program

Michael Green, CEO of Canada Health Infoway, has been dismissed by the board after the collapse of the $300 million-e-Prescribe program.

The program is also being investigated by a parliamentary committee that’s seeking to find out why it failed and what the money was spent on.

Canada Health Infoway launched a program called PrescribeIT in 2017 as part of “axe the fax” initiatives to replace fax machines with digital alternatives, in this case transmitting prescriptions from doctors’ offices to pharmacies digitally.

PrescribeIT has received more than $298 million in federal funds since launch, but fewer than five percent of prescriptions have flowed through the service.  Ottawa announced PrescribeIT would close on May 29.

The House of Commons health committee summoned Green and other witnesses last week to explain what went wrong.

Canada Health Infoway provided some documents to the committee that revealed Green was paid nearly $900,000 in total compensation in the 2024-25 fiscal year.

That was broken down as: $616,700 in base salary, $215,845 in bonuses and $51,569 in taxable benefits, including RRSP employer contributions, group insurance and a car allowance. Conservative MP Dan Mazier, who has pushed for the committee’s investigation into PrescribeIT, said he does not understand Green why earned such large bonuses when it was clear the program wasn’t working. “It’s absolutely outrageous,” he said.

Peter Vaughan, board chair of Canada Health Infoway, told the health committee that hospitals are also non-profits and have comparable salaries.

Canada Health Infoway spent nearly $29 million in total remuneration to its 175 employees in the 2024-25 fiscal year, along with $2.9-million in severance payments, according to the organization’s annual report. Meanwhile, Liberal MP Doug Eyolfson moved to adjourn the health committee meeting before the House of Commons rises for the summer break, without agreeing to a motion to bring Health Minister Marjorie Michel to testify on the failed program. Canadian Healthcare Technology

**************************************************************************************************************************

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) announced up to $30 million  over the next two years for the Agricultural Clean Technology Program Research and Innovation Stream-Accelerator Accelerator (ACT). This investment will support Canadian start-ups and agri-food organizations in developing and demonstrating cutting-edge clean technologies to advance sustainability in agriculture. The following six not-for-profit organizations will launch their own application intake periods and redistribute funding to eligible projects that will advance the development of clean technology for adoption in agriculture across Canada:

• Bioenterprise Canada Corporation.
• Canadian Agri-Food Automation and Intelligence Network.
• Canadian Food Innovation Network.
• MaRS Discovery District.
• Ontario Genomics.
• Zone Agtech. AAFC

TELUS Communications Inc. is advancing work with the Government of Canada on a proposed sovereign AI factory cluster under the federal Enabling Large-Scale Sovereign AI Data Centres initiative – a program designed to build the sovereign, high-performance AI compute infrastructure Canada needs to compete in the global AI economy. TELUS, Westbank and the federal government are working together on the details of this collaboration, as TELUS scales its Sovereign AI Factory network across three world-class facilities in British Columbia, delivering what TELUS describes as one of the world's most powerful and sustainable AI infrastructure clusters – built on Canadian soil. TELUS will expand an existing data centre in inland Kamloops, B.C., to up to 25 megawatts (MW) and convert a facility in Vancouver to focus on AI compute, adding 26 MW starting in the fourth quarter of next year. The largest portion of processing power – to over 150 MW by 2032 – will come from a new data centre in downtown Vancouver that TELUS plans to start bringing online in 2029. TELUS said it has so far secured 85 MW of electricity from BC Hydro for the project. The federal government and TELUS haven’t announced a final agreement or disclosed the amount of any federal funding that could be made available. TELUS Communications

Non-profit organzations and labour unions are concerned about the Government of Canada’s plan to amend food safety laws to take food security and affordability into account, and argue that Ottawa is prioritizing trade over the health of Canadians. The government’s spring economic update outlined plans to amend the Canadian Food Inspection Agency Act and the Pest Control Products Act to “include consideration of food security and cost of food.” Mary Lou McDonald, president of the non-profit Safe Food Matters, said when the government says “consideration of food security,” what it means is it wants to prioritize trade over the health of Canadians. “The ‘primary mandate’ right now under the (Pest Control Products Act) is protecting the health of Canadians, and the agriculture industry doesn’t like it because it slows down approvals for pesticides and foods full of pesticides,” she said in an email. McDonald said the changes could end up allowing higher maximum levels of glyphosate residue in foods from the U.S. that Canadians have “vehemently” rejected. She said Canada would be “shooting ourselves in the foot” with the changes. The Agriculture Union said the government has announced plans to eliminate more than 500 jobs at the Canadian Food Inspection Agency. The Canadian Press

The Government of Alberta is investing $8.6 million to build Western Canada’s first provincial forensic DNA laboratory to speed up investigations and support prosecutions. Once operational, the Alberta forensic DNA laboratory will help reduce wait times and allow police to identify suspects sooner. The lab will also reduce the cost of DNA testing paid by municipalities and allow police to submit more evidence from property crimes for testing, helping to solve offences that often affect rural communities. Currently, most DNA evidence collected by police officers must be sent to a federal laboratory, often resulting in months-long wait times that can slow investigations and delay court proceedings. Following renovations later this year, the laboratory will be located within the Alberta Law Enforcement Response Teams facility in Sherwood Park. By 2029, the lab is expected to begin accepting DNA evidence from property crimes, such as break-ins and thefts. By 2031, services are expected to expand to include serious crimes, such as homicides and sexual assaults. Govt. of Alberta

The Government of Ontario is investing $5.5 million to help Greenwater Technology produce renewable diesel and sustainable aviation fuel using mill byproducts and underused wood. This investment will support new opportunities for made-in-Ontario forest products, create new revenue streams to drive growth in forestry and empower the aviation and transportation industries to adopt sustainable fuels, the government said. The investment includes:

• $5 million under the Forest Biomass Program’s Innovative Bioproduct Manufacturing funding stream, which develops technologies to increase biomass use, diversify the forest sector and build the industry’s competitive advantage in changing markets.

• $500,000 under the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation, which provides investments to protect northern industries and jobs, mitigate the impacts of U.S. tariffs and trade disruptions and secure new opportunities for the long-term prosperity of Northern Ontario.

After bringing the technology to market, Greenwater plans to integrate biofuel plants at anchor mills, providing an on-site use for forest biomass that would increase productivity, strengthen forestry supply chains and generate new revenue streams. Govt. of Ontario

The Government of Manitoba is investing up to $1.25 million annually over three years in a partnership with the Foresight Cleantech Accelerator Centre, a major step forward accelerating clean technology adoption and advancing Manitoba’s Path to Net Zero strategy, the government said. The strategy will strengthen Manitoba’s clean technology ecosystem by accelerating the deployment of innovative solutions, attracting private investment, and driving emissions reduction and economic growth. Through this agreement, Foresight Cleantech Accelerator Centre will lead a cluster-based approach focused on sectors with the biggest potential for climate impact and economic opportunity. The Foresight Cleantech Accelerator Centre is a national non-profit organization recognized for its expertise in clean technology commercialization, innovation programming and real-world results. The project will bring together industry partners, Indigenous organizations, academia and government to co-develop and launch pilot projects across Manitoba. Govt. of Manitoba

The Government of British Columbia is contributing as much as $1 million to Vancouver-based Skyward Wildfire Technologies to conduct a field trial of lightning-reduction technology for wildfire prevention. This is the first contracted field trial of full-cycle lightning-reduction services in B.C., and the first contracted under the Integrated Marketplace’s Forestry Innovation and Emergency Management Testbed., delivered by Innovate BC. Skyward’s technology uses proprietary AI-enabled forecasting to identify areas of elevated lightning-caused wildfire risk and a targeted intervention designed to reduce cloud-to-ground lightning strikes. This technology has the potential to support wildfire-prevention efforts in fire-prone regions in B.C. and protect communities, critical infrastructure and ecosystems in affected regions. In 2024, lightning was responsible for 70 percent of wildfire ignitions and 97 percent of all area burned in B.C. Govt. of B.C.

The Government of Ontario has directed the Independent Electricity System Operator to enter into a cost-sharing and recovery agreement, enabling Bruce Power to move forward with a plan to build the Bruce C nuclear project, the province’s first large-scale nuclear operation in over 30 years. The agreement will support critical activities, including First Nations and community engagement, workforce planning and pre-construction and site preparation planning. These activities are expected to cost $300 million and be completed by 2030. The proposed up-to-4,800-megawatt nuclear generating station will provide enough power for 4.8 million homes and inject $238 billion into Canada’s GDP, the government said. Bruce Power currently operates two generating stations – Bruce A and B – powering eight total reactors. Govt. of Ontario

A Government of Alberta-appointed advisory council on water issues is shutting down after more than two decades as provincial funding dries up. The Alberta Water Council (AWC) and the Clean Air Strategic Alliance were sent a letter on Feb. 26 from the government’s Department of Environment and Protected Areas notifying the organizations that the provincial government had decided to conclude operational grant funding. As per the grant agreement, according to a AWC release, the organization has a three-month termination period ending on May 26, 2026, where grant funds can continue to be used for planned and approved operational expenses. The AWC sent a letter on March 30 to the government in response “seeking reinstatement of the grant or an extension to use limited unspent funds to keep operations going to move projects along and continue to seek alternatives for core funding,” AWC vice-president Jay White said in the release. “For over 20 years, AWC has demonstrated that it delivers practical, consensus-based solutions to complex water management challenges in Alberta. Through its multi-stakeholder model that brings together industry, government, Indigenous communities, municipalities, and nongovernment organizations, AWC has enabled collaboration that supports sound decision-making and shared responsibility for water,” said the letter by AWC executive director Andre Asselin to provincial Minister of the Environment and Protected Areas Grant Hunter. The AWC was originally established in 2004 and was put in place by then environment minister Lorne Taylor. The Clean Air Strategic Alliance was instrumental, through multi-stakeholder groups, in significantly reducing and set a cap on the Alberta oil and gas industry’s emissions from flaring and venting. The Alberta Government and the Alberta Energy Regulator quietly abandoned that annual cap by June 2025, after emissions exceeded the cap two years in a row. Water Canada

The Government of Alberta has a plan that  would allow people experiencing long surgical wait times to access care at private facilities – raising concern that Alberta is inching closer to U.S.-style health care. Hospital and Surgical Health Services Minister Matt Jones revealed last month that the province is building a publicly funded program that would offer vouchers to patients waiting longer than clinically recommended to access necessary operations. But advocates for public health care said the move will further entrench a two-tiered system that will pull money away from public health care and into private clinics, which would not only benefit wealthier patients and weaken access to necessary medical procedures for the working class but also consume more taxpayer dollars for the same services. In response to questions about the program, Kyle Warner, press secretary for the ministry, wrote the province is considering the initiative’s feasibility and is engaging “for potential policy development.” He described the program as offering patients more choice in accessing surgical care at “a CPSA (College of Physicians & Surgeons of Alberta)-accredited, Acute Care Alberta-approved facility of their choice within the province.” The vouchers may not work because the province doesn’t have spare capacity, said Chris Gallaway, executive director at Friends of Medicare. “We now have public operating rooms sitting empty every single day because they’re not properly staffed, because we’re driving so much money to these for-profit surgical centres that can only do certain surgeries,” he said. Calgary Herald

RESEARCH, TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATION

 A new analysis ranks Canada’s research and postsecondary system fifth in the world, behind the U.K. and the U.S., but ahead of other G7 countries including Germany, France and Japan.  The report by London, U.K.-based measuresHE – a company that specializes in higher education analytics research –  ranked the higher education systems of more than 100 countries based on research, sustainability, openness, international integration, global standing, demographics and investments, and academic integrity. Canada’s fifth-place finish reflects not only the global standing and reputation of its top institutions, but an across-the-board strength in research, international integration and academic integrity, according to measuresHE’s analysis. Canada’s overall score of 87.8 (out of a possible 100) put it just behind the fourth-ranked Sweden, at 88.1, third-ranked U.S., at 88.2, and second-ranked Netherlands, at 89.6. The U.K. came out on top with a score of 92.9. Canada scored relatively low on the “demographics and investment” criterion, reflecting a relative deficiency in government and private sector investment in higher education, said Billy Wong, co-founder of measuresHE and former principal data scientist at Times Higher Education. He added that the “mix” of funding for universities – including government, industrial and philanthropic sources – is “narrower” in Canada than in some other countries. The calculation of overall ranking was heavily weighted toward research quality, which accounted for 35 percent of the overall score, and global standing, which accounted for 20 percent. Thanks to the high international rankings of McGill University and the University of Toronto scored 94.8 on the measure of global standing, which helped Canada to clinch fifth place. Canada also scored a full 100 points on academic integrity. measuresHE, University Affairs

The Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) in partnership with the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) and in collaboration with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, launched the Sustainable Agriculture Research Initiative Connection Grants 2026 competition. Valued at up to $50,000 each, these grants will build on the momentum of previous joint investments to support research that advances a sustainable, resilient and profitable agriculture sector in Canada. Open to eligible Canadian researchers in the social sciences, humanities, natural sciences and engineering – including award holders of the NSERC-SSHRC Sustainable Agriculture Research Initiative and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Network on Sustainable Agriculture in a Net-Zero Economy – this one-time initiative will support interdisciplinary and intersectoral events and outreach activities focused on short-term, targeted knowledge mobilization. Full details and specific application instructions are available on the Connection Grants main web page. The deadline for applications is August 4, 2026. SSHRC

The Tri-agency Guide on Financial Administration was updated to reflect the Government of Canada’s Buy Canadian Policy. This policy encourages the use of Canadian-made materials, equipment and services when they are available, cost-effective and suitable for research needs. Exceptions remain in place for specialized tools not produced in Canada. Also, new Tri-agency guidance is now available for researchers to help ensure their data management plans include key elements when applying for Tri-agency funding. Required for some funding opportunities, data management plans are an important element of the Tri-agency Research Data Management Policy. Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada

MaRS Discovery District launched its First-Of-A-Kind (FOAK) Lab, a nine-month program designed to help Canadian cleantech ventures developing new technologies successfully build their first full commercial-scale deployments. By 2028, MaRS estimates that dozens of Canadian companies will be ready to implement projects in the $50-million to $200-million range. They face a persistent gap, however, in terms of capital, technology risk tolerance and founder expertise. The novel projects they are commercializing require complex financing structures that often fall outside the mandates of traditional investors or government programs. Supported by Natural Resources Canada, Chisholm Thomson Family Foundation and the Schmidt Family Foundation, the MaRS FOAK Lab aims to bridge this gap. The program will connect high-growth ventures to domestic and international expertise, financing strategies and cross-sector partnerships to get their first commercial projects up and running. Participants will receive specialized project finance training from PwC, paired with dedicated advisory teams from the University of Toronto’s Global Climate Finance Accelerator. The MaRS FOAK Lab has selected five high-potential Canadian ventures, slated to complete development of their FOAK projects by early 2029:

• Calgary-based Carbonova has pioneered a cutting-edge chemical process using novel catalysts to produce high-purity carbon nanofibre through advanced catalytic reactions. 
• Exterra Technologies is a Montreal-based cleantech company developing next-generation sustainable mineral processing solutions that enable the efficient, low-carbon production of critical materials essential to the energy transition.
• Montreal-based Green Graphite Technologies is commercializing its cost-effective and
• sustainable graphite processing platform to supply high-performance battery-grade graphite for electric vehicles. 
• Hyperion Global Energy is an Ottawa-based startup developing a modular tandem carbon
• recycling system that captures waste industrial carbon dioxide emissions and converts them into high-value mineral commodities. 
• Planetary Technologies, headquartered in Halifax, uses a process called ocean alkalinity enhancement to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. MaRS

Government of Canada spending cuts have eliminated the Organic and Regenerative Research Program at Swift Current, Sask. The program, led by Myriam Fernandez, was a casualty of the federal agriculture cuts announced last month that included several research farm closures. Fernandez started looking at low-input farming and organics about 20 years ago. The program was the only one of its kind within Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. In a joint statement, Canadian Organic Growers and the Organic Federation of Canada said the decision to close research centres and wind down programs is alarming. They urged Agriculture Minister Heath MacDonald to stop the closures, preserve and protect ongoing research, invest more in research and extension and continue to fund the Organic Science Cluster 4. Fernadez’s program also had plots at other locations, including Lacombe, Alta., which is closing. SaskOrganics said Fernandez’s work on such areas as intercropping, biocontrol and living mulch was relevant to more than just low-input and regenerative producers because it sparked innovation. The Western Producer

Mississauga-based Web4You signed a contract with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police to develop a drone that can stay aloft for as long as eight hours, making it useful for patrolling the Canada-U.S. border and remote regions of the country. Owner Oleg Koval’s company started partnering with drone operators in Ukraine a couple of years ago, which has allowed him and his team to test-fly battery-powered drones there and get quick feedback. Koval said his company has an office in Ukraine and in Mississauga, and has undertaken research and development on a prototype of a hydrogen-powered drone, which can stay in the air much longer than battery-powered drones because hydrogen stores much more energy for the same weight as batteries. After submitting a proposal, the next phase for Web4You involves building prototypes, and if all goes well, it could be flown at an RCMP testing field. The RCMP have a range of remotely piloted aircraft systems (RPAS) − some 1,200 RPAS and more than 800 trained pilots, to support border, search-and-rescue and disaster response operations. The Globe and Mail

University Health Network (UHN) in Toronto has recruited American neuroscientist Ariel Levine, a senior U.S. National Institutes of Health investigator, along with more than 70 global scientists. Levine, hailed as a superstar in her field, where she studies how the brain and spinal cord communicate and can be re-engaged after an injury, is among dozens of scientists recruited by UHN as part of a campaign by the hospital network to attract the best and the brightest. The UHN Foundation, along with the Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation, have committed $63.8-million to Canada Leads. The campaign is being rolled out at a time when the Trump administration has cut funds from universities and research institutions in the U.S., and many scientists may be looking for professional refuge. The Canada Leads program, created a year ago by UHN, aims to attract 100 early- to mid-career scientists from other countries. Four Quebec universities – McGill University, Laval University, the University of Montreal and the University of Sherbrooke – started a similar program called the Polaris initiative, which is designed to recruit top talent and bolster research capacity. The Globe and Mail

The University of Victoria and Northeastern University signed a memorandum of understanding to train the next generation of AI talent and drive real-world technological impact through a joint applied AI innovation alliance. Through UVic's Faculty of Engineering and Computer Science and Northeastern’s west coast network, the two institutions will collaborate on course development, joint research, student training and industry partnerships. Northeastern has established campuses in Vancouver, Seattle, Oakland and San Jose. Both institutions have a presence in British Columbia, and one of the central goals is building applied AI capacity within B.C. and contributing to the Cascadia Innovation Corridor. Stretching from Portland, Oregon to Vancouver, B.C., the corridor has emerged as one of North America's most active innovation ecosystems and aspires to become the world's first sustainable mega-region. Under the MOU, the two universities will develop cross-listed courses, share faculty appointments and co-supervise students and research teams. Both institutions will contribute hardware, technical expertise and personnel. The partnership’s first initiative, CascadAI Impact Network, launches this summer. It brings together multi-institutional student teams to work on applied AI projects relevant to B.C. communities and industries. The project’s partners include CanAssist, the Indigenomics Institute, the Maritime Museums of Vancouver and San Francisco, Seaspan, Fortis, and AWS, a group spanning accessibility services, Indigenous economic development, cultural institutions, marine industry, energy and cloud infrastructure. University of Victoria

Apple and Meta are opposing a Government of Canada bill, claiming that it will require tech companies to break the end-to-end encryption of their devices and services if passed. According to a report by Reuters, the government has proposed Bill C-22 that is currently being debated in the House of Commons. End-to-end encryption is widely used in services such as Meta Platforms' WhatsApp and Apple's iMessage. The bill contains provisions that are said to be similar to a U.K. data access provision order sent to Apple last year. The order asked Apple to remove a feature allowing users to store data in its cloud with end-to-end encryption. The proposed legislation could allow the Canadian government to force companies to break encryption by inserting back doors into their products, Apple said. In prepared testimony, Rachel Curran, Meta's head of public policy for Canada, and Robyn Green, privacy and public policy director, said the bills “sweeping powers, minimal oversight, and lack of clear safeguards” could make Canadians less safe, rather than more. Canadian law enforcement officials claim that the bill will help them investigate threats earlier and act more quickly. The Times of India

Labour unions said new AI technology is being used for misleading purposes in the telecommunications sector, including at one company where it is being used to mask the accents of overseas call centre workers, to keep customers from realizing that companies they’re doing business with aren’t hiring Canadians. A proper AI framework from the government and the accompanying regulations are important to adopt quickly,” Corey Mandryk, lead organizer for the United Steelworkers National Local 1944, told the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Industry and Technology. “Canadians are worried about AI adoption and AI replacing their work.” Unifor Telecommunications Director Roch LeBlanc said: “Automation and offshoring of work have led to the loss of more than 20 thousand telecom jobs in the past 10 to 15 years, and AI is now intensifying this trend steadily with exit package offerings every year.”  The Canadian Telecommunications Workers’ Alliance called on government to establish a national AI framework that protects the privacy, data and rights of customers and workers, as well as protecting good Canadians jobs. Canadian Telecommunications Workers’ Alliance

Postsecondary institutions in Ontario are among thousands of schools impacted by a cybersecurity incident involving learning software Canvas. Instructure, Canvas's U.S.-based parent company, first posted about a breach "by a criminal threat actor" on its website on May 1. Canvas is used by schools to share classroom material, such as lecture videos, notes and assignments, and to distribute grades. A post on May 2 indicated that some identifying information of Canvas users, such as names, email address, student ID numbers and messages, may have been impacted. But there was no evidence of passwords, government or financial information being taken, said Steve Proud, the company's chief information security officer. CBC News confirmed that five Ontario schools have been affected by the breach: the University of Toronto, Western's Ivey Business School, OCAD University, Mohawk College and Ontario Tech University. The University of British Columbia, Simon Fraser University, and the University of Alberta are also among those impacted. A hacking group, known as the ShinyHunters, claimed responsibility for the Canvas breach. CBC News

 California-based Clerk AI’s co-founder Alexandre Haque, who studied at McGill University, said the company will open a Montreal office for its first international expansion. Customers of ClerkAI include companies as diverse as AppDirect, Raymond Chabot Grant Thornton, and Taxi Champlain. "This expansion will allow us to accelerate the development of sophisticated AI agents, tailored to our clients' needs, while forging strong partnerships within the Montreal AI ecosystem," Haque said. In its decision to establish a presence in Montreal, Clerk AI received a boost from Montreal International, representing a $2-million investment. Clerk AI's Montreal office will eventually have around 15 employees whose role will be to help refine its conversational platform. The company has developed a tool capable of generating language and engaging in live dialogue with its clients' customers. A key feature of its technology is its compatibility with platforms like Microsoft Teams, WhatsApp, and Zoom, as well as with a simultaneous multi-carrier form of the advanced RCS text messaging standard. This allows for the integration of emojis and various audiovisual formats into basic text messages. La Presse

Payments Canada will grant banks and fintechs access to the Real-Time Rail (RTR) instant payments system in three phases, starting in the fourth quarter of 2026, with access available to all participants some time in 2027, said chief payments officer Donna Kinoshita. She could not confirm whether the first wave will include all of the country’s Big Six banks. In an email, Kinoshita said all companies that are ready to join the RTR on day one will be able to, and that the second and third phases will  consist of companies that were not ready by the earlier deadlines. Susan Hawkins, CEO of Payments Canada, said at a Toronto conference that the non-profit organization in charge of Canada’s payments infrastructure has finished testing how the RTR instant payments system behaves in business scenarios and is now making sure its parts will work together to handle the expected workload. Payments Canada finished building the RTR last summer, after many delays and more than a decade after Ottawa first started laying the groundwork for it, and has been testing it in preparation for launch ever since. More than 100 other countries, including the U.S., India and Brazil, already have instant payment systems, according to data from Pymnts Intelligence. Payments on the RTR will send, clear and settle almost instantly, 24 hours a day and 365 days a year. Transactions can include data that will make it easier to track payments and settle disputes. The Logic

Tetra Trust Company, via its agent CAD Digital Inc., announced that CADD, a payment stablecoin backed 1:1 by Canadian dollars, received regulatory approval from Alberta Treasury Board and Finance – the first stablecoin in Canada issued by a licensed trust company. This marks a national first for digital asset infrastructure in Canada by enabling Canadian dollars to move on blockchain rails under a financial services regulatory framework. CADD is now live on Base, Ethereum, and Tempo, and will soon be live on Solana. Even though the Canadian dollar is one of the most traded currencies globally, there has not been a widely adopted, production-scaled, CAD-denominated digital asset payment rail. CADD brings Canadian dollars onto continuous, programmable networks with near-instant settlement finality, Tetra Trust said. Globally, stablecoin infrastructure is shifting quickly. Visa began settling transactions in U.S. dollars in late 2025, Mastercard expanded stablecoin settlement across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, and global stablecoin transaction volume surpassed $27 trillion in 2025, exceeding Visa's annual payment volume. Business Wire 

 Canada is less transparent than peer countries on private credit, according to a report by the Financial Stability Board (FSB). The FSB found that Canada’s reporting on banks’ private credit lending lacks key data, with several figures either incomplete or disclosed only in aggregate – often bundled with private equity lending. This lags reporting by countries such as the U.S., U.K., Switzerland, Hong Kong and the Euro zone. Private credit has grown rapidly, to an estimated $1.5 trillion to $3 trillion in assets at the end of 2024, and remains untested in a prolonged economic downturn, with high leverage and concentration in specific sectors such as technology, health care and services, potentially amplifying stress, the FSB said. Data gaps hinder effective oversight. The FSB’s analysis found that Statistics Canada captures only 64 percent of financial sector assets while lacking granularity on foreign exposures and instruments, and disclosures from the Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions don’t include collateral-level information. The FSB encouraged authorities to close data gaps, harmonize definitions to enhance monitoring, and deepen analysis of financial interconnections and liquidity issues, while sharing supervisory insights. FSB

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) warns in an analysis that increasingly powerful AI models and extreme cyber-incident losses could trigger funding strains, raise solvency concerns and disrupt broader markets. Cyberattacks have more than doubled since the COVID-19 pandemic, the IMF noted. While companies have historically suffered relatively modest direct losses from cyberattacks, some have experienced a much heavier toll. U.S. credit reporting agency Equifax, for example, paid more than $1 billion in penalties after a major data breach in 2017 that affected about 150 million consumers. The risk of extreme losses from cyber incidents is increasing, the IMF said. “Such losses could potentially cause funding problems for companies and even jeopardize their solvency.” The size of these extreme losses has more than quadrupled since 2017 to $2.5 billion. Incidents in the financial sector could threaten financial and economic stability if they erode confidence in the financial system, disrupt critical services or cause spillovers to other institutions, the IMF said. The IMF recommended that to strengthen resilience in the financial sector, authorities should develop an adequate national cybersecurity strategy accompanied by effective regulation and supervisory capacity. IMF

Box Elder County northwest of Salt Lake City in Utah unanimously signed off on an agreement to create a special development area that’s intended to include a 7.5-gigawatt data centre backed by Canadian celebrity investor and “Shark Tank” star Kevin O’Leary. The facility equal in scale to one he’s planning just outside Grande Prairie, Alta.; the projects are now called Wonder Valley Utah and Wonder Valley Alberta. The Utah county’s approval isn’t a final step – other regulators will go over precise plans – but it was an important one. O’Leary said using a combination of natural gas, wind and solar and battery energy storage to power the data centre is possible, The Salt Lake Tribune reported. But representatives with Utah’s Military Installation Development Authority, which is cheerleading the project, noted that the Ruby Pipeline’s (a natural gas pipeline) route through the county’s Hansel Valley is the primary reason why O’Leary selected the site. Logan Mitchell, a climate scientist and analyst with Utah Clean Energy, calculates an unprecedented 9-gigawatt natural gas power plant will produce around 35 million tonnes of carbon emissions each year – enough to raise Utah’s current emissions by about 64 percent. The Salt Lake Tribune

The California Energy Commission (CEC) announced it has issued an administrative investigative subpoena to Golden State Wind LLC seeking documents and information related to the company’s recent agreement with the U.S. Department of the Interior to accept a payout in exchange for voluntarily abandoning its offshore wind lease. The Trump administration forced the company, whose wind power project was backed by the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board, to invest instead in fossil fuels. “The Trump Administration is recklessly spending billions of taxpayer dollars on backroom deals that would turn back the clock on innovation” said CEC Chair David Hochschild. “Californians deserve immediate answers about the nature of this payout. Taxpayer dollars should be used to build a sustainable energy future, not to pay to make projects disappear.” According to the Department of the Interior, Golden State Wind agreed to voluntarily relinquish its offshore wind lease located in the Morro Bay Wind Energy Area off the Central California coast and forgo future offshore wind projects in the United States. In exchange, Golden State Wind will receive a $120 million payout from the U.S. government after making an equivalent investment in U.S. oil and gas projects outside of California. California Energy Commission

Airbus Canada signed a deal to supply AirAsia with a massive order of 150 of its Canadian-made A220 jets in a multibillion-dollar coup for Quebec's aviation industry. The agreement with the low-cost Malaysian airline marks the largest single firm order for the narrow-body planes –assembled north of Montreal in Mirabel – in the manufacturer's history. The first A220-300 is expected to roll the line in the first quarter of 2028, said AirAsia CEO Tony Fernandes. French-owned Airbus bought a majority of Bombardier's beleaguered CSeries program in 2018 and rebranded it as the A220. Risks remain for the Government of Québec, which now owns 25 percent of Airbus Canada. The government has written off its initial US$1-billion investment in the CSeries as valueless. In October, the government reduced by half the estimated value of a subsequent cash injection to US$300 million. The A220-300 carries between 100 and 160 passengers on flights of up to 6,700 kilometres, or about seven hours. The list price for the A220-300 is US$91.5 million. The parties did not specify a price tag for the purchase. CBC News

U.S. President Donald Trump's acting attorney general signed an order reclassifying state-licensed medical marijuana as a less-dangerous drug, a major policy shift long sought by advocates who said cannabis should never have been treated like heroin by the federal government. The order signed by Todd Blanche does not legalize marijuana for medical or recreational use under federal law. But the order does change the way it's regulated, shifting licensed medical marijuana from Schedule I – reserved for drugs without medical use and with high potential for abuse – to the less strictly regulated Schedule III. It also gives licensed medical marijuana operators a major tax break and eases some barriers to researching cannabis. The Trump administration also said it was jump-starting the process for reclassifying marijuana more broadly, setting a hearing to begin in late June. PBS News

Europe's solar power capacity has expanded far more quickly than any other power source in Europe so far this decade, surging by over 115 percent since 2020 and triggering a doubling in solar-powered electricity supplies ​flowing through regional grids. To deal with this disruptive solar surge, Europe's power firms must now shift from focusing on adding capacity to integrating networks, building storage capacity and operating complex markets to ensure the overall system remains fit for purpose for all of Europe's energy consumers. Solar assets in Germany – Europe's top economy and largest solar producer – generated a third of total utility-supplied power in April, which is a record-large portion of the utility mix for that month, according to LSEG. Power firms can accommodate some of the surges in solar generation by curtailing output ​from fossil fuel plants, thereby saving on generation costs while also reducing emissions. However, the upswell in solar generation during the sunniest parts of the day can be so severe that ⁠no amount of throttling back of alternate sources can maintain system stability, especially in areas where baseload generation is slow to adjust. Massive additions to battery capacity will be required so that the surplus waves of solar output generated during the middle of the day can be stored for later dispatch. Reuters

VC, PRIVATE INVESTMENT & ACQUISITIONS

Vancouver-based quantum computing firm Photonic Inc. raised over $275 million,  $giving the company a $2.7-billion post-money valuation. The round, led by Planet First Partners, a U.K.-based sustainable technology growth equity firm, brings total capital raised by Photonic to over $475 million. This round adds new investors Business Development Bank of Canada, Export Development Canada, Bell Ventures, Firgun Ventures, InBC Investment Corp. and existing investor Mubadala Capital. The round’s first close, announced in January 2026, attracted strategic investors Royal Bank of Canada and TELUS, alongside returning investors British Columbia Investment Management Corporation and Microsoft. Photonic is accelerating the path to fault-tolerant quantum computing through its Entanglement First™ Architecture, a unique approach combining silicon-based qubits and native photonic connectivity that enables seamless scaling across existing global telecom infrastructure. Photonic

Quebec-based public pension manager La Caisse ramped up activity in private markets last year, with “record” deployment across sectors, including data centres, energy, insurance and aircraft leasing, both in Canada and abroad, according to its 2025 annual report. La Caisse deployed $200 million in additional financing to Quebec renewable energy company Boralex, participated in $7 billion of telecom infrastructure financing for Rogers alongside Blackstone, and had an interest in a US$6.5-billion financing package to acquire 50 percent of “ the world’s largest offshore wind farm project” in the U.K. with Apollo Global Management, among other investments. CEO Charles Emond’s compensation rose 3.6 percent to $5.12 million, with the fund crediting him for reaching its $100 billion Quebec asset target ahead of schedule. La Caisse reported a 9.3-percent return for 2025, falling short of its 10.9-percent benchmark, even as net income rose 73.3 percent from a year earlier. The Logic

Lumira Ventures and the Terry Fox Foundation raised $30 million for the Cancer Breakthrough Fund, a first-of-its-kind-in-Canada, mission-driven venture capital fund, with a goal of funding innovative cancer companies. The Canadian Cancer Society, which joined as a foundation partner, is investing up to $10 million. The fund brings together the investment and company-building expertise of venture capital along with the scientific network supported by two of Canada's leading cancer charities, and the capital needed to achieve a shared goal: turning scientific advances into impactful products for people with cancer. The fund’s founders and investors also include Rally Assets (Realize Fund I), Boann Social Impact, Northpine Foundation, as well as several family offices. The fund will make 13 investments, with at least one quarter of the money going to early-stage ventures developing cancer treatments. The remaining capital will go to later-stage companies, which Lumira will co-invest alongside another one of its funds. The hybrid philanthropy-VC model, while common in the U.S., is a new approach in Canada. Lumina Ventures

Houston, Texas-based VoltaGrid LLC announced it signed agreements for a $1-billion strategic equity investment from funds managed by Blackstone Tactical Opportunities and Halliburton Company. The investment includes a $775-million primary capital raise and a $225-million secondary purchase from existing investors. VoltaGrid builds natural gas power plants next to data centres, letting clients get their compute facilities online without having or waiting to connect to local electricity grids. Proceeds of the capital raise will be used to accelerate deployment of VoltaGrid’s behind-the-meter power generation solutions for data centres, microgrids and industrial applications. Among the firm’s projects is a 190-megawatt power plant for a data centre it’s proposing with Beacon AI in Saint John, N.B., hometown of VoltaGrid co-founder and CEO Nathan Ough. VoltaGrid also announced it will acquire Propell Energy Technology, headquartered in Granbury, Texas, for an undisclosed sum. Propell has operations in Calgary. VoltaGrid

Toronto-based fintech Spendsafe Inc. signed a letter of intent to list on the TSX Venture Exchange by combining its business with a British Columbia-based numbered shell company. Spendsafe offers prepaid credit cards and financial literacy tools for kids and teens. The company's platform pairs Mastercard®-enabled prepaid program rails and partner-grade compliance infrastructure supported by Peoples Trust Company as issuer and Berkeley Payment Solutions as program manager, with an AI-enabled learning layer designed to translate real transactions into age-appropriate coaching, parent guidance and measurable skill progression, built with a privacy‑by‑design approach for youth. Spendsafe

Quebec-based aerospace parts supplier Meloche Group acquired France-based Groupe Rossi Aéro, a subsidiary of Mecachrome and a recognized player in the aerospace industry serving both civil and military sectors in France. Already firmly established within the North American aerospace ecosystem, Meloche Group said this acquisition strengthens its presence in Europe and its ability to serve major industry customers globally. The group has revenues exceeding $250 million and an industrial footprint spanning eight sites, including six in Québec and two in the Toulouse region. The integration of Groupe Rossi Aéro enables Meloche Group to expand its industrial footprint in Europe and offer an integrated solution for the manufacturing of metal components, from machining to assembly. Meloche Group

 REPORTS & POLICIES

 Editor’s note: The theme of the 25^th Annual Research Money Conference, June 3 and 4 in Ottawa, is “Acting on Health: Reimagining Canada’s Promise.” Leading up to the conference, Research Money will be highlighting news stories, reports on research, commentaries and analyses focused on health and life sciences.

Canada’s fragmented electronic health records harm patients and cost taxpayers billions: new research

 Opinion

By Braden Manns, Stephanie Hastings and Sunand Kannappan

Braden Manns is professor of medicine and health economics and senior associate dean, health research, at the Cumming School of Medicine; Stephane Hastings is senior research associate; and Sunand Kannappan is a final-year medical student – all at the University of Calgary. This commentary first appeared here in The Conversation.

Canada’s health systems began shifting from paper charts to electronic health records decades ago. These records hold patients’ critical health information, including medications, diagnoses, clinical notes, test results, specialist consults and plans for care.

Our research, published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal, raises major concerns about the state of these electronic health records nationwide.

In most provinces and territories, information is currently siloed in separate software programs in different offices, designed by multiple vendors with differing standards. This fragments patients’ health records across services and leaves clinicians without the information they need to provide safe care.

This is harming patients, costing taxpayers $9.4 billion annually and hindering health-system improvement.

Ideally, patients’ health information should follow them over time and across locations. Some might assume that’s how it works now. After all, hotel chains remember whether we prefer foam or feather pillows, no matter what country we are in. Uber ratings follow us everywhere.

Unfortunately, in health care, things aren’t so seamless. In the rush to abandon paper charts and transition to electronic records, Canada missed a major opportunity for standardization.

Without an overarching plan, clinics, hospitals and jurisdictions chose from dozens of incompatible platforms sold by vendors competing for market share, without considering the need for personal health information to follow the patient.

A provincial and territorial legislative focus on the privacy of patient records has also fostered an environment that splinters patient information between health services.

Collecting, tracking and exchanging patients’ health information is key to safe, coordinated care. In some jurisdictions, like Taiwan, electronic health records from different vendors dock securely together. If a family doctor changes a medication, then pharmacy, hospital and specialist records are automatically updated. A treatment plan from a specialist lands directly in a family doctor’s electronic record, without need for faxing, scanning or uploading.

In Canada, hospitals, specialists and primary-care services still rely heavily on fax machines and mail, rather than automated, instant, accurate data exchange.

As part of our research, we created a Connected Care Scorecard that reveals where each province and territory stands in connecting its health records.

In British Columbia, for example, dozens of incompatible electronic health record systems are used in community clinics alone. Hospitals, even within the same health authority, run on different platforms. A patient who visits an emergency room in downtown Vancouver will have to tell their story again if they later seek care in Burnaby. Clinicians may end up retesting for illnesses already ruled out.

Prince Edward Island does much better – with one electronic health record uniting all hospitals and a single platform for primary-care clinics. The hospital record feeds information into primary care so details are available for follow-up.

Connected, integrated electronic health records allow all clinicians to work together on a common plan. Sharing patient information is critical for team-based care. It improves outcomes like medication safety and enables patients’ access to records, making them part of the care team.

Most jurisdictions do have patient portals where some people can see portions of their health information, like lab results or prescriptions. However, a 2025 study found that only 13.2 percent of adult Canadians have electronic access to such records.

Despite tremendous hype and opportunity to improve care through artificial intelligence, most health systems can’t use it at scale. That’s largely because the opportunities it offers – assisting with diagnoses and prompting clinicians to order the tests and treatments patients need – are wholly dependent on ready access to comprehensive, accurate patient health data.

Interoperable electronic health records would also help health systems access population-based information to inform planning. Data could help predict disease outbreaks and spot bottlenecks in hospital flow. It could improve cancer care and ensure patients with the greatest needs are prioritized.

Our research shows that although most jurisdictions use some hospital data for planning, information in electronic health records, especially from primary care, rarely gets used to improve health systems. This has long-term implications: you can’t manage what you don’t measure.

All of this adds up to massive costs for taxpayers, patients and clinicians.

The federal government recently reintroduced the proposed Connected Care for Canadians Act, which would require vendors to adopt common standards for exchanging information across systems. It’s a solid first step, but more is needed.

Most importantly, governments must establish clear accountability – nationally, provincially and territorially – for health data oversight. This must balance minimizing privacy breaches with limiting all other forms of harm arising from disconnected records, including damage to patients, clinicians and health systems.

Jurisdictions must also establish common health data standards, tools and incentives to improve data coordination.

Our challenge is not adopting electronic health records, but connecting them. Without that, our investment simply won’t pay off. Care will continue to suffer.

Dr. Ewan Affleck, physician, senior medical advisor in health informatics at the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Alberta and chair of Networked Health, co-authored this article. The Conversation

*****************************************************************************************************************************

Australia’s public-private health care system produces better outcomes, at a lower cost, than Canada’s public system

Australia’s hybrid health care system includes a robust public system for most medical services and drugs, but the private sector also plays a key role, according to an article by Alexandra Keeler in Canadian Affairs.

Australia ranks first in the Commonwealth Fund’s latest ranking of 10 high-income health systems, and Canada shares numerous structural similarities with Australia.

Experts say the success of Australia’s hybrid model depends on how the balance between public and private care is managed, Keeler wrote.

“A strong public system is important, because then the private sector has to work out what its value proposition is, rather than people just being pushed into it,” said James Gillespie, a professor of health policy at the University of Sydney.

In Australia, the government funds a robust system of public hospitals and primary care. A parallel, private system of hospitals and clinics is funded through private insurance, out-of-pocket payments and government subsidies.

About half of Australians purchase private health insurance that primarily covers elective procedures. The government incentivizes individuals to purchase insurance with subsidies and penalties.

Australia also has a universal pharmacare scheme that funds all drugs. 

In Canada, by contrast, governments are the sole funder of most hospitals and primary care. Health care providers are prohibited from providing medically necessary services privately. 

[Editor’s note: Earlier this year, the Alberta government passed Bill 11 (Health Statutes Amendment Act, 2025), establishing a, "dual practice" model that allows physicians to work in both public and private-pay systems simultaneously. This legislation, effective in 2026, permits for-profit clinics to charge patients directly for diagnostic tests and surgeries, aiming to reduce wait times].

Canada does not have universal pharmacare. Drugs are funded through a fragmented mix of public schemes, private insurance and out-of-pocket payments. Mental health care is similarly structured.

The Commonwealth Fund’s 2024 report shows Australia is a world leader in several key areas.

The country ranks first for health outcomes and equity, which means it showed the smallest differences in health care access and experiences based on residents’ income. The system still has weaknesses. It ranked ninth for access to care, and lags in mental health care. 

Australia achieves these outcomes while spending the least on health care, at 9.8 percent of GDP. This figure represents all public and private spending on health care.

Canada, by contrast, ranked seventh overall in the fund’s 2024 report. It ranked fourth for health outcomes, and seventh in both equity and access to care.

At 11.2 percent of GDP, Canada also spent considerably more than Australia to achieve these worse outcomes. 

[Editor’s note: Federal Health Minister Marjorie Michel said during a talk last month to the C. D. Howe Institute that the total health care spending in Canada in 2025 was $399 billion, or close to 13 percent of Canada’s GDP – or nearly $1,000 per Canadian. “The systemic inefficiency of our health data infrastructure costs us billions of dollars every year,” she said.].

Despite Australia’s comparatively strong performance, the role of the private sector remains contested, Keeler noted.

Stephen Duckett is a health economist and policy maker who has occupied leadership roles in health services and universities in both Australia and Canada. He said governments should “exhaust” all ways of improving public health care before pursuing privatization.

“Obviously people who benefit from privatization will argue that the answer is privatization,” he said. 

“That is another way of putting more money into the health system – this time from private patients directly, rather than patients as taxpayers – and of course, if you do it that way, it is way more inequitable than if you increase spending through taxation.”

Duckett pointed to a 2000 study showing governments can reduce pressure on public hospitals more efficiently by providing direct funding to hospitals than by subsidizing private health insurance. 

He also pointed to a 2005 analysis of Australian hospital data showing increased private sector activity is associated with increased public sector waiting times.

But others say increased wait times are a necessary price to pay for a system that delivers better outcomes overall. 

Dr. Aaron Carroll, a U.S.-based physician and health policy researcher who has studied five countries’ health care systems, wrote in a 2023 New York Times op-ed that private options can function as a “release valve.” They allow patients to seek faster or alternative care while preserving universal access for all. 

A mix of public and private “is a feature, not a bug,” wrote Carroll, pointing to systems in Australia, the U.K. and France as examples.

“The care delivered in these public systems is often just as good, in terms of outcomes, as what is delivered in the private system. The same doctors often work in both settings . . . Most often, the wait doesn’t lead to worse outcomes, and people accept it because it’s much cheaper than paying for private hospital care,” according to Carroll.

Others note that hybrid models can incentivize the private sector to innovate in areas where the public sector lags.

James Gillespie, of the University of Sydney, says a strong public system forces private providers to compete on speed, convenience or specialized services.

“[P]rivate hospitals have moved towards . . . specializing in things that are harder to do in the public system,” he said.

That same logic can extend to drug coverage, said Colleen Flood, dean of the Faculty of Law at Queen’s University and a leading scholar in health law and policy.

“A public plan covers a core of essential medicines and so on, then the private sector can still cover those more expensive prescription drugs, if they want to,” Flood said.

By concentrating public purchasing power on essential medicines, the system pushes firms away from developing what she calls “me-too” drugs – drugs that offer only incremental improvements on existing options. 

Instead, they are incentivized to develop novel treatments that meet unmet needs, such as new cancer therapies.

Australia’s current hybrid system is the product of decades of political bargaining.

After early reliance on subsidized private insurance left many Australians unable to afford coverage, the system shifted toward universal public insurance in the 1970s and 1980s.

By the 1990s, declining private insurance enrolment raised concerns about instability in private hospitals and added pressure on the public system, says Australian health economist Andrew Wilson, a professor at the University of Sydney.

In response, governments introduced targeted measures to incentivize Australians to purchase private health insurance. Experts say this period marked a turning point.

Over time, political opposition faded as the system became embedded in everyday life.

Gillespie at the University of Sydney said Australia’s federal structure also helped lock in the current model, making it harder for governments to dismantle it once established. “[Universal care has] been much easier to run in a national system.”

Other experts emphasize that reform is a function of political opportunity.

Andrew Longhurst, a senior researcher and political economist at the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, said policy change is typically a product of who has access to power. 

“I don’t know that I would see [reform] so much as political consensus,” he said. “I would see it more as a reflection of who has access to elected representatives, who has access to lobby political parties, who is spending inordinate amounts of time in ministers’ offices, talking about what they see as the solutions.”

Corporate and for‑profit actors dominate that access, Longhurst said.

Carolyn Tuohy, professor emeritus at the University of Toronto who has spent more than three decades conducting comparative health policy research, said health systems shift only when political conditions align – not simply when problems worsen.

“What matters is rather whether the governing party has an incentive to take on major change … and whether it believes that it is in a strong enough position to mobilize a coalition of support,” she said. “I do not see that any government in Canada currently has such incentives.” Canadian Affairs

*******************************************************************************************************************************

Canada is missing R&D firms in the global league of companies that turn research into products and services at scale

Canada is largely absent from the global league of companies that turn research into products and services at scale, according to a commentary from the Ottawa-based Centre for Canadian Innovation and Competitiveness.

The Washington, D.C.-based Information Technology & Innovation Foundation, with which the Centre is affiliated, recently analyzed the EU Industrial R&D Investment Scoreboard, which tracks the top 2,000 corporate R&D investors and accounts for roughly 90 percent of global business R&D.

Canadian firms accounted for just one percent of global advanced industry R&D in 2024: US$7.3 billion, or US$3.27 per $1,000 of GDP, compared with a global average of US$11.73 and the U.S. figure of US$23.

Canada's top firms invest in R&D at one-seventh the rate of their American counterparts, said the commentary by Lawrence Zhang, head of policy at the Centre for Canadian Innovation and Competitiveness.

The gap runs across the full range of advanced industries, he noted.

Canada sits far below both the U.S. and the rest of the world (the 43 other countries hosting firms in the Scoreboard) in eight of the nine advanced sectors measured in the Scoreboard.

Moreover, in alternative energy, general industrials, and industrial engineering, not a single Canadian firm appears among the top global R&D investors.

Software is Canada's strongest category, but even there it remains well below the U.S. level. Pharma and autos are present, but marginal.

 The gap is not evenly distributed across firm size. Global business R&D is heavily concentrated at the top of the Scoreboard: The top 50 firms account for 44 percent of total R&D among the 2,000 companies tracked, and the top 200 account for 67 percent.

Canada has one only firm in the top 200, Constellation Software. Shopify sits at 201. Every other Canadian firm is further down the list.

The country is not short of firms doing some R&D, Zhang pointed out. Roughly 23,000 firms filed claims under the Scientific Research and Experimental Development (SR&ED) tax incentives in 2025, and yet only 23 Canadian firms appear in the global top 2,000 R&D performers.

Even on that broader measure of firm count rather than size, Canada ranks 24^th of the 45 countries with any Scoreboard presence, hosting 10 Scoreboard firms per trillion dollars of GDP.

And those 23 firms spend less on R&D than the Scoreboard average: They account for 1.15 percent of Scoreboard firms but only 0.59 percent of Scoreboard R&D spending.

 The countries above Canada in the chart are the economies that host large R&D-intensive firms: Sweden, Finland, the United States, Germany, South Korea, and the United Kingdom.

The countries below are Italy, Spain, and Australia – advanced economies with known R&D weaknesses. On this measure, Canada sits among its structural peers, not the economies it aspires to resemble.

A wide base of small R&D performers cannot anchor the ecosystems that drive sustained R&D growth – the research absorption, specialized talent, supplier anchoring and domestic reinvestment needed to reach industrial weight, Zhang noted.

Raising R&D broadly across small and mid-sized firms can improve individual capabilities, but it cannot substitute for the scale at which most corporate R&D is concentrated.

This is not just an unlucky one-year snapshot, but a structural pattern over the past decade in which Canada’s position has barely improved, he said.

Between 2014 and 2024, Canadian advanced industry R&D intensity rose from US$2.58 to US$3.27 per $1,000 of GDP, a gain of 69 cents.

The United States gained US$8.07 over the same period, and the rest of the Scoreboard countries gained US$1.65.

Canada did not close the gap with its peers; the gap widened, both in absolute and relative terms.

Software grew meaningfully, from $0.37 to $1.92 of R&D per $1,000 of GDP. The gain is concentrated in three firms: Constellation Software, Shopify, and Open Text, which together account for roughly $3 billion of R&D spending, more than Canada's entire Scoreboard total in 2014, even after adjusting for inflation.

Autos and pharma also rose, albeit from low bases. But those gains were largely offset by a collapse in the aerospace sector.

Aerospace fell from $1.20 to $0.11 per $1,000 of GDP, and Bombardier's exit from commercial aviation between 2018 and 2020 accounts for virtually the entire decline

 In 2014, Bombardier was the single largest R&D performer in Canada, ranked 76th globally and spending $2.6 billion in 2024 dollars, roughly a quarter of all Canadian advanced industry R&D that year.

After a financing crisis and a trade dispute with Boeing, Bombardier sold its C Series program to Airbus and retreated to business jets. By 2024, Bombardier’s R&D spending had fallen to $125 million, and Canada went from having a globally significant aerospace R&D performer to having none. Nothing has filled that gap since: Canada had one firm in the global top 100 in 2014, and none by 2024, Zhang said.

“Canada is underrepresented in global business R&D, and that gap has barely narrowed over a decade.” The following reforms would change the conditions under which Canadian firms invest in R&D at scale, he said:

1. Reform SR&ED to stop penalizing scale and start rewarding growth. SR&ED’s enhanced rate is designed for small, privately held Canadian firms (CCPCs), and the structure penalizes growth in two ways. First, firms that scale up lose eligibility if they go public or take on significant foreign investment. Second, firms that grow their capital base phase out of the enhanced rate before they reach the size where R&D actually compounds. Removing the enhanced rate and using the savings to raise the base ratefor all firms would stop penalizing firms for growing.
2. Build sector strategies around existing footholds. Software is the one sector where Canada gained ground. Autos and pharma are small but present. Each foothold sector needs a roadmap identifying where Canadian firms sit in global value chains, where scale-up stalls, and what mix of procurement, regulation, capital, and private sector demand pull would change the trajectory. The zero-presence sectors require a different lens: enabling adoption and building linked capabilities rather than expecting domestic R&D champions to appear from nothing.
3. Tie university research funding more closely to downstream commercial results. Canada’s universities produce plenty of research. What they do not produce often enough are the patents, spinouts and industry links that help turn that research into firms that scale. Public funding for research-intensive universities should reward commercialization outcomes, not just academic activity, so institutions have a reason to care whether their research generates economic capacity in Canada. Universities that respond to these incentives would produce more spinouts and more licensed technologies, but those firms still need patient capital, anchor customers, and time to reach the size where R&D compounds. The upstream incentive is necessary, not sufficient.

Concluded Zhang: “Until policy is reoriented around scale, Canada will keep producing research without producing enough firms that can commercialize, reinvest, and compete globally.” Centre for Canadian Innovation and Competitiveness  

 *****************************************************************************************************************************

Government needs to improve and strengthen Canada’s institutions and polices to better support AI development and diffusion

Canada has a suite of institutions and policies that can support AI development and diffusion, but previous challenges with public sector technology initiatives may limit their success, according to a report from the Canadian Standards Association (CSA).

“A decade of unsuccessful initiatives in the public sector raise questions about what the government could do differently with AI,” said the report by Daniel Munro and Creig Lamb, co-directors of Shift Insights.

Examples include the Phoenix pay system, a significantly underused Canada Digital Adoption Program and the fraught ArriveCAN app, along with persistently lagging innovation performance and technology use in the private sector.

Such challenges may be coupled with stalling private sector innovation and technology use, the co-authors said. Concerns about the safety, accuracy and trustworthiness of AI only add to the pressure.

If the government wants broader adoption of AI in the private sector, it must consider that Canadian businesses regularly lag global peers on digital technology investment and use, according to the report.

Information and communications technology investment per job in Canada, for example, has ranged from just 54 percent to 68 percent of U.S. levels since the late 1990s

 In the second quarter of 2025, only six percent of Canadian firms reported adopting some form of digital technology in the past year.

AI adoption rates are not much better. In 2025, 12 percent of all Canadian firms reported using AI to deliver goods and services, up from six percent a year earlier.

A sizable share of Canadian firms is not interested in pursuing technology initiatives because they are already reasonably profitable and see no need to rock the boat, Munro and Craig said. Canadian corporate profitability has been on an upward trajectory since the early 1990s. As a share of GDP, profits increased from around five percent in the early 1990s to nearly 30 percent by 2023.

“And rather than invest profits in innovation and technology adoption, recent analysis has shown that many choose to pay higher dividends to shareholders, or simply grow their cash and other liquid asset holdings,” the report said.

“The challenge is to develop pathways to lead Canada out of its long-standing pattern of under-performance in innovation and technology adoption and become a leader in effective and responsible AI innovation and diffusion,” Munro and Lamb said.

If the federal government wants to see more rapid adoption of AI in the private sector, it will need measures that address both the incentives and capacity barriers that many firms face, they said.

Too often, digital adoption programs focus only on the capacity side of the challenge and see limited movement. “More attention will be needed to analyze and address the incentives and disincentives firms face – including limited competition, industry concentration, and low wages that favour labour strategies over technology strategies.”

Canadian AI firms have attracted considerable capital in recent years, but early-stage risk financing is dwarfed by that obtained by firms in the United States, China and other countries, the report said.

Operating in a small market with competition from large foreign firms, Canadian AI firms struggle to make critical first sales, especially when private sector demand for AI is still nascent. In this context, Canadian firms would benefit from government procurement, the report noted.

Although the situation is evolving, Canada continues to have poor AI compute (AIC) infrastructure. Out of all G7 countries, Canada has the smallest publicly available AIC infrastructure – half that of the U.K, the next lowest in the G7.

As for the federal public service’s progress on digital adoption, between 2003 and 2024, Canada’s ranking on the United Nations’ E-Government Development Index fell from sixth to 47^th among the 193 countries ranked.

In the past two years alone (from 2022 to 2024), Canada’s ranking fell 15 places (32^nd  to 47^th) on the basis of relative declines in all three sub-indices and an especially large slide in the telecommunications infrastructure index.

Two-thirds of Government of Canada digital applications are in poor health and progress updating them has been slow, falling well short of the trajectory needed to reach a target of 60 percent healthy applications by 2030, according to the report.

Eighty percent of the federal government’s roughly 18,000 applications reside in aging data centres, many of which are at risk of outages.

Canada should avoid a technology-first strategy on AI, which could undermine the core aims and values of the public service, Munro and Lamb said.

AI deployment across the public service should be consistent with, and advance the core aims and values of, the public service, they said. These include respect for people, respect for democracy, integrity, stewardship, excellence, equity and accessibility.

To spur AI innovation and diffusion in the private sector, they recommend that the federal government should:

• Increase firms’ incentive to innovate, including creating a healthier competition environment and expanding the use of procurement to support domestic AI startups.
• Lower firms’ barriers to AI innovation and adoption by expanding financing for innovation and scale-up, facilitating knowledge and resource sharing, supporting skills development, and enhancing support for breakthrough research and development.
• Prioritize institutions, policies and skills development initiatives that can ensure Canada’s AI ecosystem is ethical, safe and sovereign, and shields citizens from harm.

To enable effective and responsible AI innovation and diffusion in the public sector, Munro and Lamb said the federal government could:

• Empower a central institution with clear responsibility to lead implementation and oversight.
• Update strategies to reflect new goals and realities with a focus on a values-first approach.
• Increase investment in public sector IT infrastructure and interoperability.
• Modernize procurement by incorporating more agile procurement practices.
• Bolster public sector digital and managerial skills for AI implementation, use and performance assessment.
• Continue to support breakthrough research and development in AI.

Canada has a window of opportunity to translate its early leadership in AI research into sustained economic and social benefits for Canadians, Munro and Lamb said.

“Above all else, the federal government should ensure that its AI ambitions reflect and respect Canadians’ values and interests  in equity, accessibility, democratic integrity and  shared prosperity.” CSA Group

****************************************************************************************************************************

Majority of Albertans support nuclear energy development in the province, but many are concerned about nuclear waste and environmental impacts

Albertans showed a great interest and “broad support” for nuclear energy development in Alberta, according to the provincial government-appointed Nuclear Energy Engagement and Advisory Panel’s report.

Sixty-seven percent of survey respondents said they support nuclear energy and 81 percent agreed that Alberta’s electricity system would be more reliable with nuclear energy.

Economic benefits were viewed with varying levels of optimism, depending on the stakeholder group, the report said. Twenty-six percent of survey respondents chose jobs and local economic impacts as an important benefit from nuclear energy development.

Many participants could see the potential for jobs, training, municipal revenue, and supplier growth, “with discussions about how the benefits would reach local communities without taxpayers, ratepayers, or municipalities bearing the risks.”

About 40 percent of survey respondents selected emission reduction as a top benefit of nuclear energy and many were interested in a lifecycle comparison between nuclear energy and other sources of energy.

Some participants also appreciated that nuclear facilities have a relatively concentrated land footprint compared to other non-emitting generation sources, such as wind power.

The areas where participants expressed a need for more information or potential concerns related to how nuclear facilities operate, safety and emergency management, how radiation is monitored, and how waste is decommissioned, according to the report.

Forty-six percent of survey respondents expressed concern about the safety risks associated with nuclear energy in Alberta. Women were more likely to report safety concerns (61 percent) compared with men (37 percent).

Quantitatively, the online surveys showed that the long-term storage and management of nuclear waste was the top concern for up to 63 percent of respondents. Similarly, where nuclear waste would be stored is the top concern for 60 percent of respondents.

For many engagement participants, understanding nuclear waste and its long-term storage was the most important factor when determining their support for nuclear energy development in the province.

Environmental effects and water use were also discussed frequently, with participants looking for solutions on how nuclear development would address cumulative pressures affecting rivers, wetlands, fish, wildlife and traditional land use.

Participants said that popular culture, as well as past global nuclear events, and subsequent media coverage may shape public perception and opinions about nuclear energy, “creating challenges for public acceptance.”

Participants also wanted to understand what role both the provincial and federal governments would have, including which level of government would make decisions about siting, technology selection, project approvals and clarity around federal supports.

• Municipal participants asked about infrastructure pressures, emergency response capacity, the taxation framework and participation funding.
• Indigenous participants raised Treaty rights, cumulative effects, Alberta’s engagement approach and the need for nation-to-nation engagement that begins with leadership and continues throughout a project’s life cycle.
• Industry participants were keen to move forward with nuclear development and emphasized the need for policy clarity, regulatory coordination, and market conditions that could support nuclear development in Alberta’s competitive energy-only electricity market.

Industry stakeholders said evidence-based outreach can increase trust, address misconceptions and outdated information about nuclear energy, and foster informed dialogue.

Industry stakeholders recommended that Alberta take advantage of jobs and economic opportunities created by nuclear projects by having project developers rely on workers, manufacturers, and suppliers from Alberta by:

• Putting province-based training programs and facilities in place to prepare workers for nuclear-related roles, and train workers in advance of the need.
• Creating bridging programs focused on relevant skills for nuclear energy project careers at rural and small campuses to support their revitalization.
• Incenting multiple projects to allow for potential supply chain entrants to manage the costs associated with becoming nuclear certified.

Municipalities wondered how revenue coming from a facility would be distributed or shared between adjacent communities that help carry the costs of added road use, housing pressure, and service demands.

Some Indigenous participants said economic opportunities should reach community members directly, translating into increasing community and personal benefits rather than flowing through outside consultants, law firms or other intermediaries.

Members of the public, Indigenous communities, and municipal representatives said long-term funds for reclamation and remediation of nuclear facilities and infrastructure needs to be secured before a project begins.

Participants proposed several suggestions that could improve clarity and increase comfort levels with nuclear energy, including:

• Seeing visible enforcement, clear accountability and a demonstrated regulatory presence for a project.
• Collaborating with Indigenous communities in monitoring programs, including those related to health, and addressing concerns regarding potential long-term impacts to human health, wildlife, water systems and treaty rights.
• Learning more about whether there is ongoing health monitoring or research (preferably from independent sources) regarding health outcomes of individuals living near existing nuclear energy facilities.
• Developing emergency management systems and capabilities (both municipal and provincial) that leverage the expertise of the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission and other jurisdictions in Canada but are appropriate for sites where facilities may be located (e.g. remote communities). This emergency preparedness, if discussed early rather than later in a project cycle, would allow for time to identify the training, equipment and planning that could increase trust.

Industry participants noted that the level of capital required to develop nuclear projects exceeds what most private sector generators could raise independently, resulting in the need to secure financing through third-party investors.

The provincial government and other groups could consider other non-financial considerations to de-risk projects, such as:

• Providing clear policy direction on nuclear energy within Alberta’s energy strategy, including its role in decarbonization, industrial competitiveness, defence facilities, and remote communities and mines.
• Creating clearer provincial pathways for permits and approvals related to land, water, and other supporting infrastructure.
• Engaging experienced nuclear operators and technical experts to help inform Alberta’s regulatory and market approach.
• Addressing any challenges that may arise with Alberta’s grid interconnection and transmission development processes for nuclear projects with long timelines to reduce uncertainty challenges during project development.
• Advancing programs to develop supply chain capacity, specialized workforce readiness, and broader institutional capacity to support a nuclear industry in Alberta.
• increasing public acceptance and support of nuclear energy that may affect investor confidence, financing, and project viability.

The advisory panel’s report recommended:

• Enhancing the public’s understanding of nuclear energy through early, accessible, fact-based information.

The panel recommended that Alberta’s government work with regulators, other governments, First Nations and Métis representatives, industry experts, and academics to develop resources and in-depth learning opportunities as part of an educational campaign to improve Albertans’ awareness and understanding of nuclear energy.

The panel also recommended working with education ministries to enhance education around nuclear energy within primary and secondary school curriculums, as well as post-secondary institutions to develop nuclear energy specific programming to benefit all Albertans.

• Determining and communicating Alberta’s role in decision-making.
• Strengthening coordination with federal assessment, licensing and regulatory processes. Continuing long-term relationship-building and policy dialogue with Indigenous communities. Supporting meaningful participation by municipalities, First Nations, and Métis Settlements in future proposed project review processes.
• Strengthening Alberta’s readiness through emergency planning, and further analysis of economic, workforce and market implications. The panel recommended that Alberta’s government work with municipalities, Indigenous communities, and provincial and federal authorities to establish a provincial nuclear emergency response plan.

“Now is the time to plan for Alberta’s energy future, and the interest in nuclear energy’s potential is clear,” said Nathan Neudorf, Alberta’s Minister of Affordability and Utilities.

“As we consider our next steps, this report will ensure we do so in a way that is safe, beneficial and shaped directly by the people who call Alberta home,” he said.

The Alberta government said it will review the recommendations as it considers how nuclear energy could support reliable, affordable power and long-term economic opportunities, as well as develop a provincial nuclear energy roadmap.

Alberta’s Nuclear Energy Engagement and Advisory Panel was established in August 2025, Its report reflects input gathered through province-wide engagement, which has included public surveys, webinars, meetings, written submissions and public town hall sessions with a variety of stakeholders.

Participation was broad and included more than 4,443 responses to an initial public survey, 1,472 responses to a second survey, 50 Request for Information submissions, more than 400 webinar participants, more than 230 attendees at in-person public sessions, meetings with more than 30 Indigenous communities, written submissions from 17 Indigenous communities and organizations, and meetings with 51 municipal representatives. Govt. of Alberta

THE GRAPEVINE – News about people, institutions and communities

A $51-million investment in the Gordon S. Lang School of Business and Economics from Stu and Kim Lang’s Angel Gabriel Foundation is the largest in the University of Guelph’s history and reflects a shared belief that business can and must be a force for good, the university said. With its distinct focus on business as a catalyst for positive impact, LANG is cultivating leaders who can earn trust, navigate complexity and turn commercial success into lasting societal value. More than just its mission, “Business as a Force for Good®” is the philosophy built into the foundation of LANG and reflected in its teaching and the actions of its students, faculty and alumni. This gift will fund the launch of LANG GoodWorks®, an innovative learning program that will put the school’s values into action. Through paid summer internships in the charitable and non-profit sectors, students will find placements and opportunities that align with their values and develop their social impact potential. The gift also will fund, as part of the facilities expansion, a new three-storey student-focused building that will serve as a “campus within a campus,” with modern classrooms for in-person and hybrid learning, more than 60 study/breakout rooms, an event space, room for student clubs, a food hall to bring students together, and a prominent home for the Business Career Development Centre. University of Guelph

After two terms and more than 16 years as executive director of  the Royal Society of Canada (RSC), Darren Gilmour is stepping down on May 22, 2026, his last day at the RSC. During Gilmour’s tenure, the RSC launched and completed its first capital campaign, established RSC Atlantic, acquired Walter House, created the College of New Scholars, Artists and Scientists,  published Royally Wronged: The  Royal Society of Canada and Indigenous Peoples, and organized the largest mobilization in the organization’s 140-year history in support of Canada’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Royal Society of Canada

Dr. J. Craig Venter, PhD, a scientist and entrepreneur who raced to decode the human genome, died in San Diego. He was 79. His death was announced by the J. Craig Venter Institute, a nonprofit research organization founded by Venter and based in San Diego and Rockville, Md. The institute said in a statement that Venter had been hospitalized recently for side effects from cancer treatment. In the 1990s, Venter, a risk taker and intense competitor, made a bold move when he decided that the Human Genome Project, a $3-billion government program for decoding the human genome, was moving slowly enough that he could enter the race late and beat it with a much faster method. His gamble paid off. In 2000, his company, Celera, made a joint announcement with a rival group saying that they had assembled the first human genomes, a landmark step toward uncovering the genetic basis of human disease and origins. For his contributions to sequencing the human genome, Venter received the Nierenberg Prize for Science in the Public Interest from the Scripps Institution of Oceanography in 2007. President Barack Obama presented him with the National Medal of Science in 2009. The New York Times

Professor Sheryl Lightfoot of the Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy and the Department of Political Science at the University of Toronto was appointed to the 2026 cohort of Fellows for the Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation. Lightfoot is a scholar of Indigenous rights and global politics and an Anishinaabe citizen of the Lake Superior Band of Ojibwe, enrolled at Keweenaw Bay. Her research focuses on Indigenous state relations and the implementation of Indigenous rights frameworks, including the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. She currently serves as vice‑chair and North American member, and is a past chair of the United Nations Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, advising the UN Human Rights Council on the advancement of Indigenous rights worldwide.  Trudeau Fellowships recognize senior scholars whose work bridges academic research, public policy and societal impact, with special emphasis on four themes: human rights and dignity; responsible citizenship; Canada in the world; people and their natural environment. Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy

On the heels of winning the 2025 Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council Impact Gold Medal, Myriam Denov, full professor at McGill University and Canada Research Chair in Children, Families and Armed Conflict (Tier 1), received a 2026 Governor General’s Innovation Award for her innovative research methods involving war-affected youth as co-researchers. These awards recognize and celebrate exceptional Canadian individuals, teams and organizations for their excellence in innovation that helps shape our future and positively impact our quality of life. For over two decades and on three continents, Denov has made visible the human rights violations of children in war, shattered outdated perceptions of the effects of war on children and pushed the frontiers of research on sexual violence, trauma, and mental health. Watch a recent recording where Denov talks about the impact of her award-winning research. Governor General’s Innovation Awards

University of Victoria law professor Val Napoleon was named a 2026 Pierre Elliot Trudeau Foundation Fellow. The Trudeau Fellowship supports Napoleon in expanding her latest research initiative Next Steps: Rebuilding Indigenous Law, dedicated to Indigenous law revitalization and rebuilding Indigenous legal orders across Canada. Napoleon is Cree from Saulteau First Nation and an adopted member of the Gitanyow (northern Gitxsan). Her foundational initiatives include the Indigenous Law Research Unit , the world’s first and only joint degree program in Indigenous law and Canadian common law (JD/JID) and the faculty’s Indigenous Law wing. Napoleon was one of five Trudeau fellows selected from 77 leading academics in Canada across the fields of humanities and social sciences. The fellowship provides up to $300,000 to support a research project that is “innovative and socially significant, pushing research and thinking in new directions.” University of Victoria

A Canadian biotechnology company spun out of McMaster University secured $2.5 million in seed funding to develop a pipeline of new medicines that target infectious disease and cancer. Stoked Bio Inc. was established in 2024 by McMaster researcher Jon Stokes, and functions as the commercial arm of his academic lab, which is built on a world-leading AI-guided drug discovery platform. Already, his platform has helped produce, identify and characterize several novel molecules with high therapeutic potential. Stoked Bio’s lead drug candidate is a novel, McMaster-discovered antibiotic called enterololin, which targets a group of dangerous bacteria called Enterobacteriaceae. Stokes is the company’s chief scientific officer and a member of the Michael G. DeGroote Institute for Infectious Disease Research at McMaster. McMaster University

*****************************************************************************************************************************

University of Alberta researchers patent a process that creates hydrogen from water, including seawater

University of Alberta chemistry professor Steve Bergens and his team have patented a process that creates hydrogen from water, including seawater.

The technology, which has now been licensed by the Canadian company Cipher Neutron, could change how the world powers everything from heavy industry to remote communities.

Hydrogen is often discussed as a fuel of the future, but Bergens pointed out that it is already the foundation of our modern world.

“Hydrogen is everywhere. Now. It is the lifeblood of the economy,” he said. “You need it to make gasoline, you need it to make fertilizer, you need it to make vegetable oil, methanol, it’s used for fuel.”

“And so making hydrogen efficiently, at a low cost without waste, has got to be one of the most important problems that everybody’s working on.”

Currently, most hydrogen is made from natural gas in large, centralized steam reformer plants.

While effective, this process creates a massive amount of carbon dioxide.

Bergen’s goal was to find an alternative that produces zero emissions, using only water and electricity.

The science happens in a device called an electrolyzer, which uses two electrodes to split water into hydrogen and oxygen. Teams of researchers have been working on this technology for decades, but the hurdle has been the electrode that breaks water down to oxygen gas.

As Bergens explained, water is a stable molecule so it needs harsh conditions to react, and this process is notoriously slow and expensive to run.

Researchers globally have been working to speed up this reaction using complex architectures and rare materials. Bergen’s team took a different approach: they looked at the “glue” holding the components together.

His team developed a cheap, conductive glue made in a simple beaker using only low-cost materials and techniques. Not only did this combination stabilize the electrode, but it also dramatically sped up the breakdown of water. This allows the system to run on much less electricity, preventing energy waste.

Another hurdle in the race for water-based hydrogen production is the need for purified water. Most systems require salt to be removed first, which adds massive costs.

“Ninety-five per cent of the water on the planet is seawater,” Bergens said. “We want to make it easy so anybody can make hydrogen from seawater and scale it to whatever they need.”

Randy Dhillon, chief scientific officer at Cipher Neutron, which focuses on developing electrolyzers for green hydrogen production and tests dozens of combinations every month, feels this innovation can significantly reduce the cost of hydrogen compared with other energy sources while improving durability, two critical factors for large-scale adoption.

“The oxygen evolution reaction – and particularly anode durability – has been a major challenge in electrolysis,” Dhillon said. “This technology directly addresses that challenge and opens new pathways for performance and long-term stability.”

Because the process is so efficient, Bergens said it can be powered by anything – wind turbines, solar panels, hydroelectric dams, nuclear power, tides, conventional power – and it operates anywhere hydrogen is needed. Unlike massive centralized steam reformer hydrogen plants, these units could be plugged in even in the most remote coastal village. 

The research, published in Topics in Catalysis, was supported by the U of A’s Future Energy Systems. Michael Brown at University of Alberta

R$