• Alberta proposes changes to improve parental notification of a serious incident at child-care facilities

  Source: Alberta - Edmonton Journal (Legislature & Capital)
  Date: 2026-10-29 19:46:43.0
  Tags: [Alberta, Education, Public Safety, Governance]

  Alberta Education and Childcare Minister Demetrios Nicolaides tabled an omnibus bill proposing legislative amendments to the Early Learning and Child Care Act and the Education Act. The proposed statutory changes mandate that licensed child-care providers must contact families as soon as possible following a critical incident, and grant the Alberta government the authority to notify parents directly if a provider fails or is unable to do so. Additionally, the legislation introduces mandatory safety plans, expands licensing oversight to weigh applicant compliance and financial history, and replaces indefinite child-care certifications with expiring, renewable certifications effective March 1, 2027.

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• 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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• 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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• 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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