• Alberta to remove DEI hiring practices, strengthens protections against deepfake distribution

  Source: Alberta - Edmonton Journal (Legislature & Capital)
  Date: 2026-10-27 21:06:05.0
  Tags: [Alberta, Justice, Public Safety, Education, Governance]

  Justice Minister Mickey Amery tabled Bill 33, the Justice Statutes Amendment Act, 2026, which prohibits diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) hiring practices and mandatory training across provincial bodies including public agencies, Crown-controlled organizations, public post-secondary institutions, school boards, and municipalities under Section 10.1 of the Alberta Human Rights Act. Additionally, the legislation amends the 2017 Protecting Victims of Non-Consensual Distribution of Intimate Images Act—renamed the Intimate Content Protection Act—to penalize the distribution of artificially generated or modified non-consensual deepfake images with fines up to $10,000, imprisonment of up to two years, or both. The bill also reverses provisions from former Bill 14 regarding the Legal Profession Act by altering governance and appeal processes concerning the Law Society of Alberta.

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• Quebec's new PQ premier unveils smaller cabinet as minority government prepares to govern

  Source: CBC Politics
  Date: 2026-10-21 16:45:26.0
  Tags: [Quebec, Governance, Education, Healthcare, Finance, Justice]

  Quebec Premier Paul St-Pierre Plamondon has unveiled a new minority government cabinet consisting of 23 ministers, down from the previous Coalition Avenir Québec government's 29. Notable appointments include Nicolas Marceau as finance minister, Marie-Karlynn Laflamme as health minister, Joël Arseneau as national education minister, Marie-Claude Sarrazin as justice minister, and Pascal Bérubé as culture minister. The swearing-in ceremony marked a historic departure by taking place without the lieutenant-governor presiding in person at St-Pierre Plamondon's request.

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• Statement by Minister Quinn on Pausing OSAP Payments to Private Postsecondary Institutions and Restoring Integrity to the OSAP System

  Source: Ontario - Ministry of Colleges and Universities
  Date: 2026-10-06 18:59:00.0
  Tags: [Ontario, Education, Public Safety, Justice, Governance]

  The Ontario Ministry of Colleges, Universities, Research Excellence and Security (MCURES) has paused all Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP) payments to private postsecondary institutions following preliminary findings from an independent audit by KPMG that identified serious integrity concerns, including links to immigration services firms and unusually high application concentrations. The government issued notices of non-renewal and suspended OSAP eligibility for six campuses in May 2026, referred the matter to the Ontario Provincial Police, and notified the Auditor General. Furthermore, the province intends to introduce legislation to permanently exclude predominantly online programs at private career colleges from OSAP eligibility and is working with financial institutions to arrange low-interest, third-party loans for affected students.

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• Advocates plea for feds to call inquiry into Alberta, Sask. trans laws

  Source: Global News Politics
  Date: 2026-09-28 21:01:30.0
  Tags: [Alberta, Saskatchewan, National, Education, Healthcare, Social Services, Justice]

  LGBTQ+ advocates are petitioning the federal government in Ottawa to call a formal national inquiry into provincial legislation enacted in Alberta and Saskatchewan. The contested laws include parental consent mandates for students under 16 altering their names or pronouns at school, bans on transgender athletes aged 12 and older participating in competitive female sports, and restrictions on gender-affirming medical care for youth. Both Alberta Premier Danielle Smith and Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe utilized the notwithstanding clause to protect these legislative measures from judicial review.

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• P.E.I. child advocate at odds with PSB over consultation on sexual misconduct policy

  Source: Prince Edward Island - Regional News
  Date: 2026-09-11 09:00:00.0
  Tags: [Prince Edward Island, Education, Public Safety, Justice, Governance]

  Prince Edward Island Child and Youth Advocate Marvin Bernstein has launched an official investigation into the Public Schools Branch and the Department of Education and Early Years following the implementation of a new school sexual misconduct policy. The policy, drafted in response to a bill introduced by Green MLA Karla Bernard following the guilty plea of substitute teacher Matthew Craswell, was finalized without incorporating Bernstein's substantive feedback regarding the legal duty to report and investigative clarity. While Public Schools Branch officials maintain that Bernstein declined multiple direct invitations to collaborate on shaping the policy between December 2025 and April 2026, Bernstein contends that the final framework fails to adequately prioritize mandatory reporting to Child Protection Services and the police.

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• Access zones in place to protect students, staff this school year

  Source: British Columbia - Government News
  Date: 2026-09-08 14:00:00.0
  Tags: [British Columbia, Education, Public Safety, Justice]

  The Government of British Columbia has reaffirmed the activation of access zones for K-12 public and independent schools under the Safe Access to Schools Act to protect students and staff from disruptive behaviours and protests. These access zones span a 20-metre radius around school properties and remain active from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekdays, as well as during any extracurricular activities. Since their initial activation on May 31, 2024, the Ministry of Education and Child Care has logged 25 protest disruptions, including five at K-12 public schools throughout the 2025-26 school year. In spring 2026, the provincial government extended the repeal date of the Safe Access to Schools Act from July 1, 2026, to July 1, 2028.

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• Court upholds school board's disqualification of trustee LaGrange

  Source: Alberta - Edmonton Journal (Legislature & Capital)
  Date: 2026-09-02 21:22:10.0
  Tags: [Alberta, Education, Governance, Justice]

  The Court of Appeal of Alberta upheld the Red Deer Catholic School Board's decision to disqualify former trustee Monique LaGrange for breaching the board's code of conduct after she posted a social media meme comparing children waving Pride flags to children waving Nazi swastika flags with the caption "brainwashing is brainwashing." However, the court struck down the board's sanction requiring LaGrange to issue a public apology within 90 days. Education Minister Demetrios Nicolaides noted that the province has since updated its legislation pertaining to school board trustees and freedom of speech, following previous disputes over legislative authority to remove elected officials.

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