AGP Executive Report

Truth & Reconciliation in Schools: North Huron marked National Day for Truth and Reconciliation with a flag-lowering ceremony and blunt reminders that residential schools ended in 1996, while Heritage University in Toppenish held an “Every Child Matters” event tied to boarding-school remembrance. Anti-Semitism & School Accountability: Twelve Jewish teachers filed human rights applications in Ontario alleging discrimination by four school boards and two teachers’ unions, saying they were penalized for reporting incidents. Inclusive Work and Learning: Comox Valley is lighting up purple and blue for National Disability Employment Awareness Month (Oct. 15), spotlighting inclusive workplaces and the value of hiring people with diverse abilities. Education-to-Careers Pipeline: Emuge-Franken opened its doors to students from technical high schools to show what modern manufacturing careers look like. Postsecondary & Training Partnerships: The RCAF partnered with Fanshawe College to deliver aviation maintenance training at CFB Borden starting January 2027. Student Health in Action: Medical students ran free blood pressure checks and vision screenings in Abbotsford and Surrey, using grants to fund monitors and care packages.

Residential Schools Accountability: A Permanent Peoples’ Tribunal judgment says Canada failed to investigate and punish crimes tied to residential schools and calls the Indian Act’s band system “apartheid,” with organizers urging real action beyond land acknowledgments. Student/College Oversight: Ontario court records allege “serious concerns” about three career colleges, including claims OSAP-funded students weren’t actively participating and identity/attendance records were unreliable. Truth & Reconciliation on the Ground: Thunder Bay and other communities marked National Day for Truth and Reconciliation/Orange Shirt Day with ceremonies, teachings, and calls to keep residential school history in education. Housing & Education Policy Pressure: Bank of Canada deputy governor Carolyn Rogers warned housing affordability can’t be fixed by interest rates alone, highlighting the policy strain that also hits families and schools. Municipal Election Tech: Windsor mayoral candidates used mass campaign texts, raising questions about how voters’ phone numbers are obtained and what rules apply. Indigenous Learning Initiatives: A new Indigenous engagement course from the University of Alberta highlights growing demand for practical education partnerships.

Truth & Reconciliation Focus: Canada marked National Day for Truth and Reconciliation and Orange Shirt Day with renewed calls for education and accountability, including concerns from Saskatoon Tribal Council Chief Mark Arcand about residential school denialism and protests near Tkʼemlúps te Secwépemc. Campus Safety & Hate: A report highlights a sharp rise in antisemitism in Canada, with Jewish students and institutions facing threats and attacks, including incidents at Wilfrid Laurier University and a synagogue in Belleville. Student Protection: Police charged a woman accused of sexually assaulting a student while fraudulently working as an educational assistant in a Hamilton public school. Indigenous Languages: A new free online resource, canadianlanguages.org, launched with Nakoda lessons and more Indigenous language content aimed at making classroom teaching easier. Postsecondary Under Pressure: Bishop’s University principal warns Quebec election uncertainty and funding compression are driving program cuts and hurting international enrolment. Training & Skills: Georgian College and the Canadian Armed Forces partnered on a 140-day mechatronics program for 20 soldiers. Education on the Move: Orangeville Transit adds three new buses and route updates after a two-year wait.

Truth & Reconciliation on Campus: Western University kicked off Truth and Reconciliation week with a Survivors’ Flag raising ceremony, smudging and remarks on the ongoing impacts of residential schools. Indigenous Memory in Public Space: Hamilton’s Gore Park hosted “Right to Repossess,” an exhibit placing Mother Earth on the former Sir John A. Macdonald pedestal to confront residential school legacy. Cybersecurity & AI: OpenAI says it’s reviewing reports of failed AI-led hacking attempts against Library and Archives Canada, while Canada’s cyber centre says there’s no sign government systems were compromised. International Students & Work Permits: IRCC published an updated list of designated learning institutions whose programs qualify for the PGWP across all 13 provinces and territories. Student Learning & Accountability: Memorial University and York University shared how they used NSSE results to improve teaching, advising and student support, including boosting engagement and response rates. Health Research: McGill-led research suggests early-onset type 2 diabetes may be reversible with a low-energy diet plus structured exercise at 24 weeks. Dog Training Debate: New Canadian research highlights why reward-based training may better protect dog welfare and the dog-human bond.

Truth & Reconciliation in schools: Memorial University shared how it interprets NSSE results to improve engagement and student support, while across Canada Orange Shirt Day and National Day for Truth and Reconciliation events kept residential school learning front and centre, including a Toronto Remembrance Tree at St. Michael’s Catholic Adult School and Humber’s Walk for Reconciliation. Indigenous education push: First Nations University of Canada marked 50 years, and Laurentian University unveiled an Indigenous verification policy amid concerns about “pretendianism,” alongside plans for Indigenous studies. Student-led curriculum change: A Métis nursing student helped develop national calls to decolonize nursing education, urging programs to better include Indigenous knowledge and supports. Community safety and learning: Police asked for help identifying people tied to a chaotic University of Guelph homecoming that led to vandalism and danger. Broader campus pressures: Statistics Canada found younger Canadians (25–44) are less hopeful about democracy. Health and learning infrastructure: Alberta’s new Calgary cyclotron for radiopharmaceuticals is expected to be operational by 2029.

Truth & Reconciliation Focus: Canadians marked National Day for Truth and Reconciliation and Orange Shirt Day, with events across the country including Parliament Hill programming and Quebec gatherings, as communities renewed calls to remember residential school survivors and the children who never returned. Indigenous Rights & Politics: In B.C.’s election campaign, leaders including NDP chief David Eby visited Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc amid renewed attention to residential-school denialism and alleged white nationalist activity; in Quebec, Indigenous leaders warned that any push toward independence must include First Nations and Inuit consultation. Student Well-Being & Learning: A large global study led by University of Calgary researchers linked higher screen time with poorer language development and lower academic achievement, plus more emotional and peer problems. University Teaching & Learning: Memorial University shared how it used NSSE results to improve engagement, highlighting stronger student satisfaction and advising experiences. Education System Pressure: A CBC report on Ontario’s Indigenous child welfare crisis spotlighted the need for child protection workers to “show up for an Indigenous child” and better understand Indigenous ways of knowing.

National Day for Truth and Reconciliation/Orange Shirt Day: Saskatchewan school boards are again proclaiming Orange Shirt Day for Sept. 30, framing it as reflection and learning tied to residential school impacts and reconciliation. Community Events: Timmins, Ont. is outlining closures and events for the federal holiday, including lowered flags and a residential school crisis line. Residential Schools Accountability: Manitoba is buying a private campground near the former Brandon Indian Residential School, where records indicate a cemetery for children who died there; future decisions will be Indigenous-led and survivor-informed. Student Wellbeing & Support: Manitoba is also investing in youth transitioning out of provincial care, adding funding for community groups and a “youth pathways” team to smooth access to adult services. Food Labels: Dalhousie research finds Health Canada’s new “high in” front-of-package symbols are already changing shopping habits, with many shoppers avoiding or switching products. University Teaching & Learning: Memorial University and York University share how they’re using NSSE results and campus “champions” to improve engagement, advising, and learning support. Trade Dispute: A U.S. ban on nearly $1bn of Canadian goods takes effect, escalating a tariff fight that could hit education-adjacent families through grocery and household costs.

Indigenous education & reconciliation: A residential school grave for a boy from Sturgeon Lake Cree Nation in Alberta was found decades later, with the community and the University of Alberta now working to uncover more children’s stories. Campus teaching & learning: York University and Memorial University shared how they boosted participation and interpreted NSSE results, using faculty “champions” and learner-focused priorities to improve student experiences. Student safety & health: Quebec cardiologists broadcast a rare live procedure to educate other doctors nationwide, highlighting how specialist training is spreading across Canada. AI in education-adjacent services: Loblaw’s PC Health launched an AI chatbot trained on Canadian clinical sources, raising questions about data use and regulation as more people turn to AI for health info. Local governance & schools: A Hanover trustee candidate campaign spotlights education excellence and governance, while Manitoba’s legislature resumes after a PC leader resignation. International student context: Canada’s federal skilled worker pathway and rules for foreign students’ work eligibility continue to shape postsecondary planning.

Truth & Reconciliation in schools: In Wingham, Ontario, organizers expanded National Day for Truth and Reconciliation programming, including moving an Indigenous children’s book event to a larger venue after school demand surged. Campus safety & student life: University of Guelph homecoming turned violent, with police responding to an unsanctioned event that sent 60 people to hospital. Trans rights at school: Advocates in Ottawa are urging a federal inquiry into Alberta and Saskatchewan school rules requiring parental consent for students under 16 to change names or pronouns, plus Alberta’s restrictions on trans athletes and youth gender-affirming care. Islamophobia threats: Police are investigating threatening emails sent to multiple Islamic schools across Canada, including messages targeting students and calling for violence. Postsecondary engagement: Memorial University shared how it interprets NSSE results through a video and committee review, highlighting student satisfaction and advising support. Student governance: Abbotsford school trustee candidate Tejvir Pandher says he’ll focus on safe, welcoming schools and transparent board decisions. Learning access: BC Greens pledge to lift the $10-a-day childcare freeze and name a Victoria-Swan Lake candidate, linking childcare to “thriving public schools.”

Refugee & Housing Pressure: A Toronto-area mother seeking asylum says she’s been bounced between full shelters and hotels in Niagara after arriving from Uganda, highlighting how quickly supports can run out when families need warmth, school access and case resolution. Postsecondary Expansion: Ontario is moving to add 40,000 funded student spaces across publicly assisted colleges and universities, building on earlier seat growth to meet labour demand. Campus Hate & Enforcement: Ontario’s revised directive on Bill 166 shifts from campus anti-hate policies to stronger enforcement, including expectations around student groups and event security. Student Safety & Opioids: Northern Ontario police report prescription opioids increasingly showing up in investigations, with calls for tighter safer-supply rules to keep drugs off streets. BC Rare-Disease Pathway: B.C. partners with UBC and McGill to build a coordinated route from diagnosis to potential personalized gene-editing therapy for children with rare genetic conditions. Higher-Ed Research Engagement: York and Memorial University share how they’re boosting NSSE participation and using results to improve teaching and learning.

Campus Engagement & Assessment: Memorial University and York University shared how they’re using NSSE results to improve teaching and learning, with Memorial highlighting student satisfaction, faculty interactions, and advising/support, and York building a campus-wide “NSSE Champion” network to lift response rates. Indigenous Education & Reconciliation: Okotoks marked National Day for Truth and Reconciliation with a pipe ceremony at Ethel Tucker Centennial Park, while Porcupine Plain is expanding its Sept. 30 events with workshops, a community meal, and a reconciliation walk. School Safety: Waterloo Regional Police are investigating a hate-motivated threatening email sent to a Muslim Association of Canada school in Kitchener, and say it may connect to a wider national probe. Student Pathways & Training: Saskatchewan Indian Institute of Technologies opened an expanded Saskatchewan Aviation Learning Centre with Boeing support, adding classrooms and hands-on training to grow aircraft maintenance and avionics capacity. Higher Ed Policy: Canada’s IRCC outlined who can request waivers to meet citizenship test/language/oath requirements on compassionate grounds.

AI Teacher Training Push: A Montreal group says it has already trained 8,000 teachers on AI, arguing the federal target of 3,000 is far too low for Canada’s roughly 400,000 teachers. Indigenous Health Crisis: Neskantaga First Nation in northern Ontario remains evacuated after nursing-station damage; the chief warns repairs may not finish before snow. Drug Pricing Shock Watch: Canadian pharma experts warn that Trump’s “most favoured nation” style Medicaid drug pricing could raise prices globally, potentially pulling Canada into higher-cost pressure. Immigration Reality Check: One Vancouver resident reflects on how getting permanent residency felt like a win, but the process cost them deeply. School Safety & Hate Threats: Police investigate threatening emails sent to Muslim schools across Canada, with multiple schools placed on high alert. Student Life Abroad: Canada publishes new rules listing courses that can help foreign students’ spouses get work permits.

Postsecondary Teaching & Learning: Memorial University shared how it interprets NSSE 2020 results, using a faculty/staff review group and a Canadian comparison set to highlight strengths in student satisfaction, faculty interactions, and advising support. Student Safety & Security: Nine Islamic schools across Canada were placed on high alert after an anonymous threat email targeting Muslims, prompting added security and police investigations. Indigenous Education & Reconciliation: Melfort residents are invited to a Sept. 29 community round dance and walk at MUCC to honour residential school survivors and promote healing; Welland also plans National Day for Truth and Reconciliation events with museum film screenings and library programming. Skills & Workforce Training: Saskatchewan Polytechnic instructor Bryan Sarauer helped launch an applied agricultural technology school in Egypt, focusing on curriculum, farm safety, and hands-on training. Community Support for Learning: BC’s transition houses launched “Doorway to Safety,” providing Ring doorbells/cameras to help domestic-violence survivors feel safer at home, with education bursaries also supported.

AI & Safety Accountability: British Columbia has filed a lawsuit in U.S. federal court against OpenAI over whether ChatGPT failed to alert authorities about threats tied to the Tumbler Ridge school shooting, renewing debate over privacy, security, and legal responsibility for AI platforms. Indigenous Education & Commemoration: Franco-Ontarian Day celebrations in Ontario highlighted French-language schools and francophone culture, while Peninsula College in B.C. announced plans to observe National Day for Truth and Reconciliation/Orange Shirt Day. Student Life & Community: Durham Region will host its first Newcomer Day in Whitby, aiming to connect newcomers with services and support through a free community event. Campus Teaching & Learning: Memorial University and York University shared how they’re using NSSE results to improve student engagement, advising, and learning support. Health & Policy: Ontario begins fall immunization for flu and COVID-19 (with RSV for eligible groups), with free shots for the general public starting Oct. 26. Local Tech Politics: Alberta polling suggests many residents oppose new AI data centres, raising concerns about environment, electricity costs, and farmland.

University Teaching & Learning: Memorial University shared how it used NSSE 2020 results, with a 38% response rate, to spotlight strengths in student satisfaction, faculty interactions, and advising—plus areas to improve within its learner-centred framework. Student Engagement: York University built “NSSE Champions” across faculties and student services to boost awareness and response rates, aiming to share results more widely. AI & Youth Mental Health: A University of Ottawa-led JAMA Pediatrics study links affective generative AI use for emotional support with mental health problems in children and teens, urging clearer digital literacy. School Safety & Hate: Police are investigating death threats sent to nine Islamic schools across Canada, with increased patrols near schools and mosques. Child Care Access: The Métis Nation of Ontario bought a Sault Ste. Marie child-care centre property to preserve licensed spaces and reopen with Indigenous-focused programming. Health: Ontario will offer free flu and COVID-19 shots to the general public starting Oct. 26. Community Learning: A Whitehorse school garden program got a boost from national foundations to expand hands-on outdoor learning.

Labour Policy: Experts warn Ottawa’s Bill C-39 could stretch the federal government’s power to end strikes, with lawyers flagging likely Charter fights over “national interest” limits. Education & Community: Mississauga’s mayoral candidates square off in the first debate, while Hamilton voters weigh data-centre plans tied to AI compute and university research. Student Life & Safety: Canadian astronaut Joshua Kutryk is set for a six-month ISS mission, and universities face ongoing campus safety concerns as students lobby MPs. Health & Learning: New research suggests whole-grain intake may improve heart and weight outcomes, and a study finds inflammatory bowel disease processes can start up to a decade before symptoms. Food Security: Manitoba reports over 60,000 people using food banks monthly, with children making up nearly half. International Education Links: Canada and Vietnam upgrade ties to a Strategic Partnership, with more cooperation expected across trade and development.