Canadian Layoff Tracker

Tree Island Steel, a Richmond, British Columbia-based wire and fabricated wire products manufacturer, implemented a 27% workforce reduction in response to a sharp revenue decline in 2025. The downturn was driven by lower U.S. volumes amid expanded U.S. tariffs, resulting in full-year sales falling to $161.8 million from $207.0 million and a net loss of $5.3 million.

The Bureau of Pension Advocates, a Veterans Affairs bureau that provides free legal advice to veterans and RCMP members denied disability benefits, is eliminating almost 100 temporary positions including 24 lawyers. This represents a 44 per cent workforce reduction that unions and MPs warn could negatively impact services for veterans.

The Mi'kmaw Native Friendship Centre will experience staff layoffs and reduced capacity due to Nova Scotia provincial budget cuts that did not restore funding to youth outreach, family resource, and after-school programs. The centre's critical preventative supports for Indigenous youth and families, including justice system navigation and domestic violence prevention services, remain at risk following the partial reversal of the provincial government's controversial budget cuts.

Acadia University in Wolfville, Nova Scotia laid off 31 unionized and non-unionized staff members in administrative and service roles due to financial pressures including enrolment shifts, funding constraints, and rising operating costs. The layoffs affected positions including Wong International Centre staff, health promotions staff, and student counsellors, but did not impact academic and teaching positions.

North Island College is cutting teaching and administrative positions, affecting approximately 10 full-time equivalent jobs, due to an $8.4 million decline in international revenue by 2027 caused by federal immigration policy changes. The college is also suspending 15 programs and reviewing offerings with lower enrolment to address significant financial challenges.

Mission Hill Vineyards laid off workers following a catastrophic winter freeze that caused significant reduction in operations. A British Columbia arbitrator dismissed a grievance seeking severance pay for one of the affected workers.

Camosun College announced workforce adjustments due to a $7.2-9 million budget cut caused by a 60% drop in international student enrollment. The college has issued Section 54 notices to its three unions and is exploring alternatives to layoffs including early retirements, voluntary severance, and reduced term contracts, though exact numbers of affected employees have not been disclosed.

Correctional Service Canada plans to cut over 400 positions across federal penitentiaries as part of budget cuts requiring $132 million in savings over three years, including the elimination of approximately 50 library technician and employment co-ordinator positions. Critics warn the cuts could negatively impact inmate recidivism and reintegration, describing it as 'the hollowing out of a core rehabilitative service.'

Nova Scotia Community College announced a $9.4 million cut to its operating grant that will result in approximately 230 job losses over the next four years, equivalent to eliminating one large campus. The cuts are expected to reduce staffing by three percent annually, with union representatives warning of significant impacts on student programs and the provincial economy.

Peel District School Board issued layoff notices affecting 331 permanent teachers (159 secondary and 172 elementary) effective August 31, 2026, citing declining enrollment and budget constraints. The layoffs were announced after the Ontario government took over the board's operations in January 2026 and rejected the board's request to use $1-2 million from its $130 million reserves to prevent the job cuts.

Thompson Rivers University has shed more than 10% of its workforce in the last 15 months due to a 26% drop in international enrolment caused by federal immigration policy changes. The university expects to slash an additional $25 million from next year's budget, with ongoing layoffs and potential elimination of five academic student services due to unfilled retirements and sabbaticals.

EA has laid off developers across all four Battlefield Studios teams, including the Montreal-based Motive studio, despite Battlefield 6 being the best-selling game of 2025. The exact number of affected employees at each studio remains unclear, though EA stated the changes were made to better align teams around community priorities.

Jahn Engineering, a Windsor-based tool and die shop, has experienced a nearly 70% drop in sales following U.S. policy changes including tariff increases and EV subsidy withdrawals, forcing the company to conduct layoffs. The disruption stems from major automakers canceling or delaying vehicle orders, creating widespread uncertainty across the North American auto supply chain.

Fifty-five front-line nurses and personal support workers at Ottawa's Bruyère Health are facing layoffs, according to their union. The organization is referring to the action as a 'redeployment process.'

College of New Caledonia is permanently closing its Fort St. James campus on March 31, 2026, due to an $8 million revenue shortfall caused by caps on international student visas. The closure follows previous staff layoffs and relocations at the campus, which previously served approximately 200 students in programs like culinary arts and trades.

The federal government's plan to reduce the public service by 15 per cent over three years will result in more than 800 positions being cut at Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC). The cuts threaten Canada's Arctic science research capabilities, including long-term monitoring of toxins and contaminants that inform international environmental treaties and policies.

Hudson's Bay laid off 41 staff as it continues to unwind operations one year after filing for creditor protection on March 7, 2025. The retailer closed all 80 of its stores by June 2025 due to $1.1 billion in insurmountable debt, with 73 of the 96 vacated HBC and Saks properties remaining unopened as of March 2026.

Lightspeed Commerce has significantly reduced headcount in its customer support team after AI resolved over 80 percent of inbound chat interactions. The company boosted overall gross margins through this AI-driven workforce reduction.

Stellantis laid off approximately 20 salaried, non-union employees at its Brampton assembly plant on March 6, 2026, for a 55-week period. The layoffs follow the company's decision to move Jeep Compass production from Brampton to Belvidere, Illinois due to U.S. tariffs on Canadian autos.

BCE Inc. cut 1,700 net jobs in 2025, reducing its workforce from 40,390 to 38,683 employees, marking the second consecutive year of major losses. The layoffs, attributed to industry contraction, cost-cutting measures, and technology upgrades, included 650 management positions and 40 Bell Media employees, though these reductions were partially offset by approximately 1,500 employees acquired through the purchase of Ziply Fiber.