Education

The Toronto District School Board announced the elimination of 40 vice-principal positions effective for the upcoming school year, resulting in some schools sharing vice-principals. The layoffs are attributed to declining enrollment (5,000 fewer students expected) and the end of pandemic-related one-time funding.

The Toronto District School Board announced the elimination of 40 vice-principal positions for the upcoming school year, with some schools potentially sharing vice-principals between locations. The cuts are attributed to declining enrolment (5,000 fewer students expected) and the end of one-time COVID-era pandemic funding.

Saskatchewan Polytechnic issued layoff notices to more than 124 full-time and part-time employees during the academic year due to a 40 percent decline in international student enrollment caused by federal immigration policy changes. The layoffs were concentrated in areas with low enrollment and were made necessary by a substantial revenue shortfall from reduced international student applications.

Concordia University did not renew the contracts of 57 limited-term appointment professors as part of austerity measures and budget cuts affecting the institution. The layoffs are part of broader education sector budget cuts in Quebec, including a $570 million education budget cut for the 2025-26 school year.

Fort McMurray College is preparing for a second year of job cuts as student enrolment continues to decline. The college has previously implemented layoffs and is facing ongoing challenges with declining enrollment numbers.

Conestoga College completed a layoff round in March 2026 affecting nearly 400 full-time employees, with 181 faculty members and 197 support staff either leaving or transitioning to part-time work. The union president indicated this was devastating for affected employees and suggested additional job cuts may follow.

Mohawk College laid off 62 full-time employees and eliminated 10 vacant positions, with most reductions in administrative and support staff groups and a small number of faculty positions affected. The college began restructuring after projecting a $50 million deficit in fall 2024, partly due to reduced international student enrollment caused by federal government cuts to international student admission caps.

NorQuest College is reducing its workforce by 100 positions as part of a restructuring to align staffing with current enrolment outlook and financial pressures. The layoffs are expected to be completed by mid-April 2026, with affected employees receiving severance, health, and career support.

Okanagan College laid off 12 staff members and offered 34 early retirement packages, totaling 46 positions eliminated, due to a significant drop in international student enrollment following federal restrictions on study permits. The college also cut the Modern Languages in Arts program and suspended a Science in Nursing partnership program with UBC Okanagan.

Humber Polytechnic announced involuntary layoffs of faculty and support staff after a voluntary exit package failed to address the college's fiscal gap for 2026–27. The layoffs follow a federal cap on international students, which significantly impacted revenue at Ontario's largest college with 76,000 students.

University of the Fraser Valley laid off 45 faculty and staff positions due to a $20 million deficit caused by a significant decline in international student enrollment. The layoffs included 6 teaching faculty reductions, 4 non-teaching faculty reductions, and 35 staff reductions, along with 3 involuntary workload reductions.

Keyano College in Fort McMurray is preparing for a second year of layoffs due to a projected 40 per cent drop in student enrolment, attributed to federal limits on international students. The college cut or merged 70 positions during the 2024-25 academic year and expects similar cuts in the 2026-27 academic year as enrolment is expected to drop from 2,500 to 1,500 full-time student equivalents.

Providence University College and Theological Seminary is laying off 10 per cent of its workforce and downsizing academic programming due to losing 90 per cent of its international student body. The faith-based institution's revenue has dropped from $26 million to a projected $13.5 million as a result of federal restrictions on international student study permits.

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.

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.

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.

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.