British Columbia

Premier David Eby announced that 2,000 public service jobs have been eliminated as part of an expenditure management and efficiency review, with more cuts expected in the 2026 budget. The province is targeting administrative positions that do not support front-line service delivery while facing an $11.2 billion deficit.

University Canada West laid off 240 of its more than 800 staff and faculty members at its downtown Vancouver campuses in a sweeping restructuring. The layoffs are attributed to government-imposed caps on international student enrolment, which have significantly impacted student recruitment at the private for-profit institution.

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.

Vancouver Island University eliminated more than 100 jobs across its campuses over two years as part of budget cuts, with 123 faculty members affected by workload reductions via layoffs or early retirements. The university also cancelled dozens of programs including its music program and Canada's third-largest geographic information systems (GIS) program.

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.

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.

The College of New Caledonia announced 80 layoffs representing an 11% workforce reduction following approval of the 2026-27 operating budget. The layoffs are accompanied by the closure of the Fort St. James campus and the cancellation and suspension of 26 programs.

Lassonde Industries announced 80 job cuts at its Sun-Rype plant in Kelowna, BC as it moves beverage packing operations to facilities in Calgary, Toronto, and Rougemont. The transition will occur in phases through December 2026, while apple processing and snack production will continue at the Kelowna location.

Trinity Western University is laying off approximately 75 staff members due to federal restrictions on international student study permits, which have reduced enrolment and created financial pressures. The cuts are part of cost-saving measures implemented across the Canadian post-secondary landscape following a 7% reduction in maximum international student permits for 2026.

Browns Bay Packing laid off more than 70 full-time employees as farmed salmon volumes fell due to federal aquaculture policy uncertainty. The company was also forced to cancel plans for a new seafood processing facility with local First Nations.

Meanwhile, at Vancouver Community College, the administration says that 70 regular faculty member will be losing their jobs.

GeoComply, a Vancouver-headquartered gaming cybersecurity company, announced it is cutting 15% of its workforce (68 employees out of 450 total). The company frames the layoffs as a strategic evolution aimed at streamlining operations and incorporating AI to improve efficiencies.

Selkirk College laid off or terminated contracts for 45 people in 2025 following a 32-per-cent drop in international enrollment. The college also suspended intakes in 14 programs and closed learning centres in Kaslo and Nakusp, as well as the Kootenay Studio Arts program in Nelson.

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.

Kwantlen Polytechnic University is laying off unionized staff and cutting costs due to a sharp drop in international student enrolment, aiming to save $5 million—about 40–45 full-time positions—through staff reductions, frozen overtime, and unfilled vacancies.

The head of B.C.'s Agricultural Land Commission announced that job cuts are coming to the independent agency that decides how protected farmland is used in the province. The layoffs come amid a broader debate over the best approach to preserve the province's prime agricultural land.

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.

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.

Langara College is suspending enrolment in its journalism program indefinitely, with the current cohort of 20 students graduating in spring 2027 being the last. The program will reduce from seven instructors to three full-time instructors plus one or two part-time teachers.