Canadian Layoff Tracker

Ubisoft is laying off 40 employees at its Toronto studio as part of a broader cost-saving initiative.

Rivalry Corporation announced substantial workforce reductions and cost cuts following suspension of deposits and wagering on its betting and gaming platform. The company suspended player activity and is exploring strategic alternatives including asset-level transactions, corporate transactions, or restructuring.

For departments outside the core public service, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency has told CTV News Ottawa 587 positions will be cut in its department.

London Machinery is laying off approximately 50 of its 200 workers and shifting production to a new plant in Iowa in response to 25% tariffs imposed on Canadian goods sold to the U.S. The London facility will remain open and continue manufacturing concrete mixers for the Canadian market.

General Motors laid off more than 1,000 employees at its CAMI Assembly plant in Ingersoll, Ontario due to the end of BrightDrop electric-vehicle production, with an additional 500 employees affected at the Oshawa Assembly plant. The Conservative Party is calling on the federal government to reduce withholding taxes on severance packages for the affected workers.

In May 2025, CIBC eliminated more than 500 positions at its credit card call centre in Toronto as part of an operational restructuring. The cuts were tied to efforts to streamline operations and improve efficiency within the bank’s credit card services division.

Global Affairs Canada is eliminating 483 positions as part of a government-wide workforce adjustment, affecting 3,295 of its 7,657 employees. The department is targeting $1.12 billion in annual savings through 2028-29, prioritizing voluntary departures and natural attrition.

Ontario's education minister placed the Peel District School Board under provincial supervision to prevent 60 teacher layoffs that would have affected approximately 1,400 students mid-year. The board has run a deficit for five consecutive years and faces concerns about financial mismanagement.

Laurentian University in Sudbury, Ontario is experiencing a faculty strike after failed negotiations over a new collective agreement. The strike follows the university's bankruptcy-driven restructuring four years ago, which resulted in the elimination of 110 teaching positions and significant cuts to salaries, pensions, and benefits for faculty, librarians, and counsellors.

The Royal Ottawa Mental Health Centre plans to eliminate 15 jobs at its long-term care facility (Royal Ottawa Place) and an additional 5 jobs elsewhere, affecting nurses and personal support workers. The union CUPE 942 warns the cuts will negatively impact care for patients with serious mental health issues, while the hospital disputes this and claims the staffing changes reflect regular business operations.

General Motors paused production of an electric cargo van at its Ingersoll, Ontario plant, resulting in 1,000 job cuts. The layoffs were attributed to impacts from U.S. President Donald Trump's import tariffs on Canadian goods affecting the auto industry.

The North Bay Regional Health Centre announced the reduction of 40 positions, including front-line positions, prompting a protest outside MPP Vic Fedeli's constituency office. The cuts have raised concerns about quality of care and emergency room wait times, with supporters calling for increased hospital funding instead of workforce reductions.

Algoma Steel is laying off 1,000 workers at its Sault Ste. Marie facility in March 2026. The United Steelworkers Union and Canadian Skills Training and Employment Coalition have launched the POWER Action Centre to provide employment support, training advice, and peer-to-peer assistance to affected employees.

Conestoga College laid off 181 full-time faculty positions effective March 16, 2026, with the majority of cuts (143 employees) occurring at the Kitchener Doon campus. The layoffs are attributed to financial troubles resulting from a significant drop in international student enrollment, following a 20,000 student decline after federal international student caps were implemented.

Mohawk College is offering voluntary buyout packages to full-time administrative, faculty, and support staff, with applications open until the end of January. This follows massive layoffs of 255 full-time jobs (20% of workforce) that occurred between December 2024 and February 2025, which were driven by a projected $50 million deficit and reduced international student enrollment.

Democracy on Locke, a vegan café in Hamilton, Ontario, closed suddenly and laid off approximately a dozen workers a week before Christmas. The closure came just months after workers unanimously voted to unionize in March 2025 and signed their first collective agreement in October, with the owner citing resignations of key management as the reason for the shutdown.

Simons laid off multiple employees at its newly-opened Eaton Centre location in Toronto shortly before Black Friday, with workers dismissed just before the end of their probation period and minimal explanation provided. Former employees allege the manager exhibited passive-aggressive behavior and public reprimands, and criticized the timing of the layoffs during the busy holiday season when retail companies typically hire additional staff.

Shopify Inc. announced layoffs to keep its team 'fast, sharp and focused.' The specific number of employees affected was not disclosed in the announcement. Spokesperson Ben McConaghy would not provide a number of workers losing their jobs but says in an email to The Canadian Press that the cuts impact a “fraction of a per cent” of Shopify’s team. Financial markets firm LSEG Data & Analytics counted 8,100 Shopify employees as of December 2024. One per cent of that figure amounts to about 81 staff.

Mohawk College laid off at least 380 employees and suspended more than a dozen programs in late 2024 and early 2025 to address an expected $50-million deficit caused by federal caps on international student permits. The college's cuts are part of a broader crisis affecting Ontario colleges, which have collectively cut $1.8 billion, suspended over 600 programs, and eliminated more than 8,000 positions due to reduced international student enrollment.

Kitchener Public Library announced a restructuring that will result in 5 layoffs while simultaneously creating 4 new full-time positions and 1 new part-time position. The union representing library workers warns that the changes will reduce the number of staff overseeing community programs from 36 to 12 full-time roles, potentially impacting library services and specialized programs.