Category: The Conversation – Canada

Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Peter R. Thompson, Postdoctoral Fellow, School of Environmental Science, Simon Fraser University

British Columbia’s wildlife is in trouble, and governments aren’t working hard enough to keep wild animals and plants alive. How do we know?

Fortunately, the provincial government has long kept extensive records of the animals and plant life that call its lands and waters home. The BC Conservation Data Centre (CDC) holds records for over 25,000 species, ranging from mosses to mackerel and mountain goats.

The status of each species is assessed by scientists to determine the risk that a species will go extinct or be extirpated from the province.

The results of these fine-grained status assessments help divide all of B.C.’s wildlife into one of three lists representing their level of endangerment: “Red” for critically imperilled species, “Blue” for species of special concern and “Yellow” for secure species that are currently at low extinction risk.

The problem is that neither species status assessments nor the colour-coded lists have any legal implications. Even if a species is known to be at high risk of extinction, it’s not guaranteed any protection from the B.C. government.

Colleagues and I used this data to find out how B.C.’s wildlife has been faring under such an uncertain legal landscape. Our recently published study analyzed changes in the province’s conservation database over time. We also explored the nature of these changes.

Genuine vs. non-genuine status changes

As of 2025, B.C. was home to 493 red-listed species and 1,233 blue-listed species — a 25 per cent increase from 2008. However, that increase was largely due to the addition of species, rather than species shifting categories.

Sometimes, the status assessment of a species improves due to the discovery of new information, such as a new population of the species in B.C. that presumably always existed, but was previously unknown.

These changes are still good news — a sign that continuously monitoring wildlife in B.C. is paying dividends — but they don’t actually represent an improvement in the species’ true status on the ground.

Using the comments provided with each listing change, we separated these “non-genuine” status changes from the “genuine” status changes that actually reflected shifts in population size, range size within the province or the intensity of threats.

The data show that almost all of B.C.’s endangered wildlife are not recovering quickly enough, if at all. Out of the thousands of species in the CDC database, of which hundreds are red- or blue-listed, only 14 moved down the ranks of endangerment (from red to blue, or blue to yellow) between 2008 and 2025 for genuine reasons.

That means that every other species is either inching even closer to the brink of extinction than they previously were, or has simply stayed at the same risk level. The latter situation was much, much more common, with only 18 per cent of species exhibiting any sort of change at all.

We found that the vast majority of these changes were non-genuine, arising from the discovery of additional populations, changes to assessment criteria or taxonomic “lumps” and “splits” that changed the definition of what constitutes a species.

These results point to an undeniable fact: if a species was on the red list in 2008, a category reserved for species in desperate need of our help, it is probably still there today.

Jump-starting endangered species recovery

Mechanisms for protecting endangered wildlife do exist, but they leave significant gaps in the system. For example, B.C.’s Wildlife Act only affords protection to four species, and Canada’s Species at Risk Act only applies to federal land, which only covers one per cent of B.C.

One solution to the problems facing many red- and blue-listed species in B.C. is to expand provincial species-at-risk legislation to species and areas that are not currently protected.

New laws could fill gaps left by the federal Species at Risk Act and B.C.’s Wildlife Act by applying similar provisions against harming endangered wildlife or destroying their habitat. This solution would provide species an important safety net against resource extraction and habitat destruction in the province.

The longer the B.C. government waits to implement these changes, the more likely that red-listed species will disappear from the province permanently. With them, the province will lose a part of what makes it beautiful and a part of the natural beauty that has made it Canada’s most biodiverse province.

Even a few simple legal actions at the provincial level would go a long way towards keeping endangered species alive and enriching local ecosystems for future generations.

Peter R. Thompson does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

– ref. New research finds few improvements for British Columbia’s endangered wildlife – https://theconversation.com/new-research-finds-few-improvements-for-british-columbias-endangered-wildlife-280141

Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Andrea D. Foebel, Manager, Indicator Research and Development, Canadian Institute for Health Information, University of Waterloo

Resident who rarely leave their rooms, a family told “we don’t have the staff,” a person dying in hospital less than a day after leaving their long-term care (LTC) home: these are some of the bleak realities too many Canadians and their loved ones face as they age.

These heartbreaking realities were shared with the Canadian Institute for Health Information through unpublished surveys of families and LTC staff about aging with dignity.

Moments of lost dignity are not invisible to the health system. But historically, a lopsided focus on clinical indicators left data gaps in our ability to measure and understand lived experience, and ultimately dignity, alongside clinical risks. This is something health-system leaders, clinicians and families are actively striving to change.

What is aging with dignity?

Over the next two decades, the number of Canadians aged 85 and older is expected to triple. This demographic shift will transform who needs care, who provides it, and how and where care is delivered.

Canada is expected to become a “super-aged nation” in 2026, with one in five people aged 65 or over. To put effective supports into place, we need to ask: What does aging with dignity mean to Canadians?

For many, aging with dignity means autonomy, respect and purpose. Older adults want to be valued for their individuality, life experience and ongoing contributions. This doesn’t change whether someone lives independently, receives home care or resides in LTC.

Thinking about preserving dignity as one ages and what life might look like as an older adult can feel daunting, and like something that can be avoided for a long time — until it can’t.

The COVID-19 pandemic forced Canadians to confront the reality of aging in ways we may have previously avoided. The tragedy was not only that many residents died in LTC, but that this happened in a system where well-meaning health-care workers were structurally unable to protect residents. It was a stress test for what can happen if care models aren’t redesigned in the context of a rapidly aging population.

To ensure older Canadians can age with dignity, society needs to think differently about how it measures dignity in health systems.

The aging continuum of care

Almost all Canadians (81 per cent) want to age at home as long as possible. Whether a person can do this depends on factors such as finances, access to home care, caregiver distress and any physical and/or cognitive ailments a person may have. The reality is that aging at home is not always possible for all Canadians.

Canada’s federal, provincial and territorial governments have identified aging with dignity as a shared health priority. The goal is to help Canadians live their later years with autonomy and respect, either at home with supports or in safe long-term care facilities.

This approach aligns with the goals of the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Decade of Healthy Aging and strives to focus on person-centred care.

What the data tells us about dignity

Historically, indicators measuring quality of care in LTC focused on clinical and health-system performance measurement. These include indicators like restraint use, potentially inappropriate anti-psychotic use and staffing levels in LTC. These metrics are critical for measuring quality, safety and capacity of care — but there’s room for reimagining how we interpret this data with a dignity lens and room for adding new data to the equation.

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, the rate of potentially inappropriate antipsychotic use in LTC was steadily declining before it rose again during the crisis. In 2024-25, about one in four LTC residents (24 per cent) were given anti-psychotic medication to manage behaviours and psychological symptoms without a diagnosis of psychosis.

When we apply a dignity lens to reimagine indicators like this, there’s more to the story than prescribing quality. Anti-psychotic drugs can make patients drowsy, increase confusion and cause sudden changes in communication. These are patterns that can be distressing to loved ones. Reading this data alongside other indicators — like falls in the last 30 days — can help flag issues such as understaffing, limited meaningful activity and environmental stress.

In 2025, the Appropriate Use Coalition, with support from the Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI), set a national target of no more than 15 per cent of residents receiving anti-psychotic medications without a diagnosis of psychosis. Achieving the target would mean about 21,000 fewer Canadians receiving the possibly inappropriate drugs.

Clinical indicators infer quality-of-care measurement through processes like prescribing practices. What these types of indicators don’t tell us is how care feels to residents and families.

CIHI is in the early stages of a new suite of indicators that focus on the experiential side of aging. While they don’t replace clinical indicators, they help contextualize them by giving us new ways to understand the humanity, and not merely the clinical risk within the aging continuum of care.

For example, data shows that in 2024, about two-thirds of LTC residents are socially engaged. LTC is not strictly a medical service; it’s also a home and social environment. For Canadians to age with dignity, we must honour their autonomy and purpose — and for Canadians to feel those things are honoured, people cannot be socially isolated.

We can’t improve what we don’t measure. That’s what makes experiential indicators a significant step in the right direction for better understanding how people feel about living in LTC. It broadens our understanding beyond clinical compliance and gives insight into care outcomes as experienced by both residents and health-care workers.

If dignity matters, it must be measured

Honouring a person’s humanity is arguably what provides them with dignity as they age. For Canadians in LTC, dignity is shaped by moments that acknowledge their humanity. Whether that’s the face of a familiar nurse, the opportunity to engage in social activities or spending their final days in a known place, dignity is not beyond measurement.

For Canadians to age with dignity, we need to continue rethinking how we use new and existing data to identify problems earlier, allocate resources more effectively and align accountability with what residents, families and health-care providers experience.

If Canada is committed to empowering its citizens to live and die with dignity, that dignity must be reflected in the data we use to measure success.

Andrea D. Foebel has received funding from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (2021) and the Karolinska Institute Research Foundation (2016-2017). She is Manager, Indicator Research and Development at the Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI).

– ref. Why measuring dignity matters in Canada’s long-term care system – https://theconversation.com/why-measuring-dignity-matters-in-canadas-long-term-care-system-277467

Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Sophie Webb, Postdoctoral Fellow,  Bridge Research Consortium, Simon Fraser University

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a familiar seasonal illness, but the tools to prevent it are new. Canada has recently approved vaccines for older adults and pregnant people, along with a long-acting monoclonal antibody that can protect infants through their first RSV season.

These innovations offer new ways to reduce hospitalizations and severe illness. Yet whether Canadians can access them still depends largely on where they live.

Across the country, provincial RSV programs vary widely in eligibility, scope and public funding — see, for example, Ontario RSV program updates and Alberta immunization program information.

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Read more:
RSV FAQ: What is RSV? Who is at risk? When should I seek emergency care for my child?

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An infant eligible for publicly funded protection in one province may not be eligible in another. Seniors with similar health risks may face different access depending on their province. These differences are often dismissed as routine features of federalism.

But as World Immunization Week approaches, RSV provides the opportunity to ask a broader question: who’s responsible for delivering equitable access to vaccines in Canada?

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Immunity and Society is a new series from The Conversation Canada that presents new vaccine discoveries and immune-based innovations that are changing how we understand and protect human health. Through a partnership with the Bridge Research Consortium, these articles — written by experts in Canada at the forefront of immunology, biomanufacturing, social science and humanities — explore the latest developments and their impacts.

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New tools, uneven access

RSV prevention now includes vaccines for older adults and pregnant people, and a monoclonal antibody (nirsevimab) that offers season-long protection for infants with a single dose.

National guidance exists. The National Advisory Committee on Immunization recommends universal infant RSV immunization, but allows provinces to phase this in based on supply and cost. But these recommendations are advisory. Provinces ultimately decide what is publicly funded and for whom.

The result is a patchwork. Some provinces have expanded infant coverage, while others have limited access to those considered high risk. Adult and maternal programs also vary in eligibility, delivery and funding.

Cost plays a key role in these decisions. RSV therapies are expensive, and provinces must weigh them against competing health priorities. Epidemiological differences also matter, as do variations in disease burden and the additional challenges of vaccination in northern and remote communities.

Not all variation is inherently problematic. But together, these factors mean that access to protection is shaped as much by provincial priorities as by medical need.

When equity’s a goal but not a guarantee

In immunization policy, equity generally means ensuring that those at higher risk, or facing barriers to access, are protected first, and financial or geographic differences don’t determine who receives care.

RSV programs often emphasize protecting those at highest clinical risk, such as very young infants and people with underlying conditions. This approach is understandable. But it also narrows how equity operates in practice.

In a system where provinces determine their own budgets and priorities, equity can become something negotiated rather than guaranteed. One province may fund broader access; another may limit eligibility based on cost-effectiveness or capacity. The same intervention is therefore available to some populations and not others.

This shifts responsibility downward. Families must determine eligibility, navigate different rules, and sometimes absorb costs or logistical barriers to access. Equity becomes something people experience unevenly, rather than a guarantee built into the system.

COVID-19 offers a cautionary example. Communities identified as highest risk were often vaccinated later than wealthier neighbourhoods during early rollout phases. This prompted provinces to introduce reactive “hotspot” strategies that in some cases replicated the same effect. Simply naming groups as “equity-deserving” did not ensure timely access.

Governance and accountability

Canada’s immunization system involves multiple entities. Federal bodies approve products and issue recommendations. Provinces decide what to fund. Public health systems implement programs within local constraints.

While each level plays an essential role, none is clearly responsible for national equity, creating a governance gap.

Equity is widely endorsed, but no single body is accountable for delivering it nationally. RSV demonstrates how this plays out in practice — variation in immunization is accepted as a feature of federalism, rather than treated as a policy problem to be addressed.

Procurement adds another layer. Vaccine pricing and contract terms are not routinely disclosed in Canada, and negotiations with manufacturers are often confidential.

During COVID-19, federal vaccine contracts were released only after parliamentary pressure, with key details heavily redacted. Limited transparency makes it difficult to assess whether differences in access reflect pricing, negotiation leverage or policy choices.

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Read more:
Consulting firms are the ‘shadow public service’ managing the response to COVID-19

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Why it matters

RSV is one of the first major post-pandemic tests of Canada’s immunization system. It’s unlikely to be the last. New vaccines and antibody-based therapies are increasingly tailored to specific populations, making decisions about access more complex.

As these technologies evolve, governance matters more, not less. Without clearer accountability, innovations risk reinforcing variation rather than reducing it.

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Read more:
Flu, RSV and COVID-19: Advice from family doctors on how to get through this winter’s ‘tripledemic’

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RSV highlights a broader challenge in Canadian immunization policy — equity is widely invoked, but responsibility for delivering it remains diffuse. Without clearer coordination, transparency and shared expectations, access to protection will continue to depend on where people live.

For families of infants and seniors, that distinction is not abstract. It determines whether immunity is treated as a public good, or as a matter of postal code.

Cora Constantinescu receives funding from bioMerieux, GSK, merck, Pfizer, Sanofi, with funds being transferred to her University organisation

Sophie Webb does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

– ref. Postal codes shouldn’t determine protection: What RSV reveals about vaccine equity in Canada – https://theconversation.com/postal-codes-shouldnt-determine-protection-what-rsv-reveals-about-vaccine-equity-in-canada-278717

Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Sachin Maharaj, Assistant Professor of Educational Leadership, Policy and Program Evaluation, Faculty of Education, L’Université d’Ottawa/University of Ottawa

The Ontario government has introduced legislation that will make its school boards run more like businesses. The recently announced Putting Student Achievement First Act reduces the power of elected trustees and creates a powerful new chief executive officer (CEO) position to head school boards.

Unlike previous directors of education who were required to have education backgrounds and shared power with elected boards, CEOs will be required to have business qualifications and will have ultimate authority over decision-making.

CEOs will lead the preparation of school board budgets with elected trustees relegated to an advisory role. Instead of elected trustees representing the public at the bargaining table, CEOs will negotiate and ratify collective agreements at both the local and provincial level.

The goal of all of these reforms is to bring a more business-like focus to schools. The CEO is expected to focus on “effective resource allocation” and “corporate services oversight.”

Over the past five years, we have been studying the challenges to implementing equity reforms in Ontario school districts.

Decades of educational research, including our own, confirms that attempts to force efficiency into schools serve to sacrifice student equity and the material needs of the most vulnerable for short-term cost savings.

‘Chief education officer’ under CEO

School boards will be required to have a chief education officer position, with required teaching qualifications. This role will focus on academic programming.

However, this “CEdO” will be hired by and be subservient to the CEO. What this means is that the traditional educational mission of schools is now going to take a backseat to financial considerations.

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Read more:
Attacks on school boards threaten local democracy

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For a preview of how this will impact students, we only need to look at the changes that have been made at the eight school boards that have been placed under provincial supervision.

Lowest per-pupil funding in 10 years

These boards were repeatedly accused by the minister of education of financial mismanagement.

While there were instances of questionable expenses, subsequent reporting found that two-thirds of Ontario school boards were either running budget deficits or close to it. This suggests the problem was really chronic underfunding.

According to the Financial Accountability Office of Ontario: “In 2024-25, real per-student provincial operating funding to school boards was $14,504, the lowest level over the last 10 years.” But instead of addressing this underfunding, the province installed supervisors that have been making cuts to staff.

Reductions, layoffs

In the Thames Valley District School Board, there have been staff reductions in its equity and human rights office.

The Peel District School Board is looking at possibly laying off hundreds of teachers.

In the Toronto District School Board, class sizes have increased and summer school programming has been cut by more than half.

The board will no longer provide additional staff for its highest-needs schools, and it will cut almost 300 teachers and 40 vice-principals next year.

LBGTQ+, racialized, Indigenous students

The province is also ending the requirements for boards to conduct school climate surveys, which examine the degree to which students from different backgrounds feel welcome and accepted or experience bullying and discrimination in schools.

As a result, many Ontario schools will no longer even know how their racialized and/or LGBTQ+ students are being treated.

Also concerning is its approach to increasing school attendance by making it part of students’ final grades.

The reality is that the causes of school absenteeism are complex. Taking a punitive approach may end up further marginalizing Indigenous and racialized students.

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Read more:
Racism contributes to poor attendance of Indigenous students in Alberta schools: New study

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Risk of exacerbating disparities

Taken together, it’s clear that, while all students and families will be impacted, those who are already disadvantaged will bear the brunt of the cuts and provincial reforms.

This will only exacerbate disparities in schools on the basis of race, social class, gender and sexuality, and disability that exist in our education system. This is especially true of Black students, whose continued marginalization was documented last year by the Ontario Human Rights Commission.

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Read more:
‘Dreams delayed’ no longer: Report identifies key changes needed around Black students’ education

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As put in a recent letter to Premier Doug Ford by the Black Trustees’ Caucus: “Ontario cannot address systemic anti-Black racism while weakening the governance and equity structures designed to confront it.”

Advocating for vulnerable students

In part of our study, already presented at academic conferences and now under peer review for publication, we interviewed around 100 people working in several different school boards across Ontario. Participants included trustees, directors of education, associate directors, superintendents, people working in equity departments, school principals and teachers.

What we heard is that in districts across the province, school board staff and trustees have consistently reported struggling to advocate for vulnerable students in the face of a provincial government that appears determined to undermine such efforts.

This includes public comments like Ford repeatedly accusing school boards of indoctrinating students.

Interviewees noted that over recent years, as the province has asserted greater control over school boards, senior school board staff have received ministry guidance to focus more on literacy and numeracy and less on equity and social justice initiatives.

As a result, educators engaged in equity work reported feeling like they were constantly under surveillance and that any real efforts made to help vulnerable students — including racialized and LGBTQ+ students — would put their careers at risk.

Improving outcomes: A better approach

Educators understand that best practices for improving outcomes for all students depend on strong connections between schools, families and communities; a focus on overall well-being (physical, social-emotional and mental); decision-making that reflects the larger contexts in which schools are situated and individual circumstances; and giving educators the respect, autonomy and resources they need to strengthen their teaching.

The Putting Student Achievement First Act promotes the opposite approach — another reason why those with classroom expertise, not CEOs, should be making the key decisions about schools.

An education system that is run like a business ultimately views students with the highest needs as a liability to cut rather than a collective moral responsibility.

It erodes the accountability of leadership under a democratic system, leadership that is responsible to communities it serves. It also erodes the autonomy of teachers who require professional respect and the ability to access resources to serve the specific needs of their students.

Some ‘too expensive’ to serve?

When public school is treated like a commodity to be optimized rather than a fundamental right, it’s a betrayal of the values of a system that should instead centre students and their learning.

Although there were significant challenges with school governance under the previous model, the solution is not to diminish local democratic control, but to strengthen it.

Once we view education through the lens of a balance sheet, we have already decided that some students are too expensive to serve.

Sachin Maharaj receives funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada.

Beyhan Farhadi receives funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada.

Vidya Shah consults in school boards. She receives funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada.

– ref. What Ontarians need to know about ‘student achievement’ reforms that will run school boards like businesses – https://theconversation.com/what-ontarians-need-to-know-about-student-achievement-reforms-that-will-run-school-boards-like-businesses-280618

Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Suiyang Liao, Postdoctoral researcher in Nanomedicine, University of British Columbia

Canadians swallow millions of pills every day to treat common health issues like high blood pressure, high cholesterol and Type II diabetes, but scientists are working at the molecular level to turn patients’ cells into pharmacies.

Nanotechnology, where atoms and molecules are manipulated on a tiny scale — a billion times smaller than a metre — is already incorporated into everyday products like sunscreen, waterproof clothing and smartphones.

In nanomedicine, it’s being used to prompt RNA to make protein-based drugs to treat diseases. Now we can fine-tune protein production by dialling it up or down, creating personalized medicine on an invisible scale.

Protein production and health

The human body is a precision instrument, and its smooth operation relies on the balance of proteins like keratin, which creates structure for your hair and nails, and collagen, which gives your skin its strength and elasticity.

Factor VIII is a clotting protein that acts like molecular glue at wound sites, and if your body doesn’t make enough of it — like people with Hemophilia A — a seemingly small injury can cause dangerous bleeding. Conversely, if you make too much of apolipoprotein C3 (ApoC3), it blocks the breakdown of fats in the blood called triglycerides, and these high lipid levels increase the risk of pancreatitis, heart disease and stroke.

The body maintains this delicate protein balance through an elegant molecular system, one that nanomedicine is now learning to control.

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Immunity and Society is a new series from The Conversation Canada that presents new vaccine discoveries and immune-based innovations that are changing how we understand and protect human health. Through a partnership with the Bridge Research Consortium, these articles — written by experts in Canada at the forefront of immunology, biomanufacturing, social science and humanities — explore the latest developments and their impacts.

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RNA’s balancing act

How does your body make proteins? Think of your cells as factories, with DNA as the operating manual.

In order to make the proteins it needs, your body’s cells act as factories, with DNA as the operating manual. The blueprints are safely locked away in the nucleus, and cells can’t make anything directly from the precious original.

Instead, when the cell needs a specific protein, it makes a temporary copy of the blueprint, called messenger RNA (mRNA). This single strand of nucleic acids carries the instructions to the cytoplasm, or the factory floor. There, molecular machines called ribosomes read the instructions and build amino acids into a protein.

This is the central dogma of molecular biology: DNA → RNA → protein.

When the body needs proteins, it makes mRNA copies and transfers them to the cytoplasm. The factory foreman is a mechanism called RNA interference, which ensures proteins are not over-produced or under-produced.

For example, small interfering RNA (siRNA) or Antisense oligonucleotides (ASO) molecules can stop the production of proteins by silencing genetic instructions from DNA and cutting target mRNA apart. In both cases, the mRNA degrades and protein production stops, like hitting the emergency button on a conveyor belt.

Turning RNA into drugs

What does this mean for future disease treatment? Unlike small-molecule drugs such as antibiotics or protein-based drugs like insulin, RNA drugs work upstream, at the instruction level itself.

As scientists in nanomedicine, we harness cellular machinery to treat diseases with RNA drugs by dialing up or dialing down protein production. Want more of a beneficial protein? Deliver more mRNA. Want less of a harmful one? Use siRNA or ASO to silence the gene.

Teaching cells to make what’s missing

When the human body lacks an essential protein, disease follows. In hemophilia A, the problem lies in the blueprint. A mutation in the DNA means the gene for factor VIII contains errors, like a typo in a recipe that calls for salt instead of sugar. The cell follows this flawed instruction, and makes messenger RNA that produces either a broken protein or none at all.

Without functional factor VIII, a simple nosebleed can last for hours, not minutes and a little bump can lead to a big bruise that takes a long time to heal. Even a minor cut can lead to prolonged bleeding.

Scientists can now synthesize mRNA in the lab — for example, by making a correct, error-free copy of the instructions for factor VIII — and package it in lipid nanoparticles, which are little protective bubbles of fat.

As a materials scientist at UBC working with researchers Anna Blakney and Pieter Cullis, I design formulations of lipid nanoparticles. When these particles are infused intravenously, they deliver the synthetic mRNA to liver cells, which then read the instructions and manufacture fresh factor VIII protein. The cell becomes its own pharmacy.

Silencing the trouble-makers

Over-expression of some proteins can also cause disease, for example, in familial chylomicronemia syndrome where the messenger RNA makes too much apolipoprotein C3.

ApoC3 helps regulate fat metabolism, but too much of it blocks the body’s ability to clear triglycerides from the bloodstream. The instructions from the DNA manual may be correct, but small interfering RNA molecules are not doing their job to keep production in check. Like an out-of-control assembly line, fat accumulates in the blood. If it reaches dangerous levels it can cause acute pancreatitis — a painful and potentially fatal inflammation of the pancreas.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration and Health Canada recently approved Plozasiran, an injectable drug that treats familial chylomicronemia syndrome by delivering small interfering RNA to liver cells.

This siRNA molecule is a short double strand of nucleic acids to be unzipped as two single strands, one of which complements ApoC3 mRNA, like a key fitting a lock. The binding event will be recognized by the cellular machinery to cut the mRNA apart. No mRNA means no protein production.

The same technology offers different levers: mRNA amplifies production of beneficial proteins like factor VIII; siRNA silences production of harmful proteins like ApoC3. Together, they represent medicine’s new ability to program biology, turning genes up or down as precisely as adjusting the volume on a stereo.

Suiyang Liao is affiliated with the University of British Columbia.

– ref. How nanomedicine gets inside your cells and treats you from the inside out – https://theconversation.com/how-nanomedicine-gets-inside-your-cells-and-treats-you-from-the-inside-out-270414

Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Joanna Pozzulo, Chancellor’s Professor, Psychology, Carleton University

Reading is experiencing a resurgence among Gen Z and millennials, many of whom are actively seeking alternatives to “doomscrolling” and the mental fatigue associated with constant social media use.

In North America, an estimated 57 to 61 per cent of Gen Z and millennials identify as readers, averaging 3.5 to 4.5 books per year, with a preference for physical books. Younger readers are also more likely to purchase books in a bookstore and be active library users, which is notable in an era dominated by digital media.

Although reading is often viewed as a solitary activity, it can also foster meaningful connections with others. Participation in a reading community can reduce social isolation, alleviate loneliness and increase a sense of belonging and connectedness — something younger generations report struggling with.

Book clubs can serve as a natural extension for those seeking the benefits of reading and community. Among younger adults, interest in book clubs is growing: about 21 per cent of Gen Z and 29 per cent of millennials report belonging to one, but they’re putting their own spin on them.

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Hobbies can bring joy, well-being, and focus to our busy lives, but so many of us don’t have one. If you’re ready to replace scrolling with stitching, or hustle with horticulture, The Hobby Starter Kit (a new series from Quarter Life) will help you get going.

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A brief history of book clubs

Book clubs aren’t new. They can be traced back at least to the 16th century, when groups — often women — gathered for education and debate, often about religious texts.

In later centuries, reading groups became important spaces for women’s intellectual lives at times when formal education was limited.

In more recent popular culture, however, book clubs have often been portrayed through the lens of the so-called “wine mom” stereotype. These clubs are typically depicted as gatherings of mothers using the meeting as a rare night off from parenting, where alcohol and socializing take precedence and discussion of the book itself becomes secondary.

While this portrayal can be reductive and overlooks the real emotional and intellectual value those clubs provide, it has nonetheless shaped perceptions of what book clubs are and who they are for.

A new generation rewrites the rules

Gen Z and millennials are moving away from, or at least expanding beyond, the “wine-and-gossip” model to better fit their lives, values and energy levels.

One of the fastest-growing formats is the silent book club, where members gather in public spaces such as libraries or cafés to read their own books quietly. After about an hour, readers may choose to socialize with the others or leave.

It gives members an opportunity to read as part of a community without the other demands associated with book clubs of the past. Silent book clubs now span 60 countries with over 2,000 chapters worldwide.

In addition to silent clubs, niche book clubs have grown among younger readers, including groups centred on specific identities such as queer, BIPOC, Indigenous and disability-focused clubs, or interests like genre-specific clubs.

Book clubs going digital

Social media has reshaped how readers find each other and decide what books to read. Hashtags like #BookTok and #Bookstagram are now influencing club selections more, favouring genres such as fantasy, romance and horror, rather than celebrity-endorsed bestsellers.

Unlike traditional local clubs, digital platforms can act as virtual hubs where readers join discussion groups, share recommendations and participate in other activities without geographic limits.

These clubs often place a greater emphasis on understanding the book with facilitated discussions, and sometimes include a question-and-answer format with the author.

For many young adults, this flexibility makes book clubs more accessible and better suited to busy and mobile lifestyles. If you’re struggling to find the time and energy to attend in-person clubs, a digital one might be just what you’re looking for.

Reading for mental health

This reading resurgence matters because Gen Z and millennials report higher rates of anxiety and depression than previous generations. Many are actively seeking low-cost, sustainable ways to support their mental health, and reading fits that bill.

The therapeutic use of books, known as bibliotherapy, is supported by clinical guidelines. The Canadian Network for Mood and Anxiety Treatments recommends books as a supportive, second-line treatment for certain mild to moderate emotional difficulties.

Book clubs amplify these positive effects. One survey found that 98 per cent of respondents said it improved their mental health and helped them cope during difficult periods.

Given this connection, I created and run the Reading for Well-Being Community Book Club at Carleton University, which focuses on evidence-based books about mental health and personal growth. The club operates digitally and is open beyond campus, and roughly half of participants are Gen Z or millennials.

Finding a book club that suits you

For those looking to engage more deeply with reading, book clubs offer a flexible way to connect with like-minded readers and build community. Here are some tips for how to start:

1. Identify your reading interests and type of community connection desired. Consider the genres you enjoy, how often you’d like to meet and the type of social connection you’re seeking.

2. Explore online communities such as Goodreads, Bookclubs and Book Club Hub, which host a wide range of virtual and in-person groups.

3. Consider trying alternative formats, such as hybrid or silent book clubs, if a traditional book club doesn’t work for you.

4. Check your local libraries and independent bookstores, many of which host free, community-focused book clubs.

5. Start your own. If you can’t find a book club that suits your needs, resources from organizations like public libraries or tips from professionals can help you create your own.

Engaging with reading in these ways not only stimulates your mind but also help you build community, belonging and mental well-being.

Joanna Pozzulo receives funding from Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council.

– ref. Is reading your favourite hobby? A new era of book clubs is reshaping how we read – https://theconversation.com/is-reading-your-favourite-hobby-a-new-era-of-book-clubs-is-reshaping-how-we-read-274406

Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Christina Fawcett, Instructor, Department of English, University of Winnipeg

Cozy is a vibe. So much so that even video games have been getting cozy.

“Cozy gaming” — a genre of low-stress, relaxing video games focused on comfort and non-violent gameplay, such as farming or decorating — has grown into one of the medium’s most popular and commercially successful trends.

In 2016, ConcernedApe released Stardew Valley and introduced us to the pastoral pleasures of farming parsnips and foraging for berries. The lightning-in-a-bottle moment for cozy gaming, however, hit in 2020 with Nintendo’s Animal Crossing: New Horizons. It offered players an escape, if only virtually, from the confines of COVID-19 quarantine.

In many ways, this genre subverts typical video game traits by focusing on comfort over high scores, celebrating connection over competition.

But while cozy games offer players the comfort and connection of a social circle, they also structure relationships through systems of exchange where care, friendship and intimacy are earned through repeatable actions.

Rewarding repetition

So, what counts as a cozy video game?

Daniel Cook and other game designers agree that cozy games tend to have high emotional investment: they invite us to care. They also promote a slow pace of play and a focus on sociability, encouraging us to explore these game worlds and pay attention to feelings — not just our own, but also those of the fictional characters we meet.

Repetitive tasks, as the bane of the modern work world, paradoxically make games cozy. Completing small, simple tasks gives us a dopamine rush of satisfaction and achievement, especially when that success isn’t tied to real-world stability.

While video game studies scholars have long argued that repetition helps players master difficult challenges in “hard-core” games, repetitive, easy actions in casual gaming can also make play feel meaningful — just in a different way.

Stardew Valley and Animal Crossing: New Horizons, two of the best known cozy games of the past decade, demonstrate that planting digital crops and harvesting virtual friendships help us feel invested. Seemingly small gestures in these spaces have a big emotional impact: they remind us it’s the little things that matter.

Simulating community

In Stardew Valley — rendered in nostalgic 8-bit graphics — your grandfather bequeaths you his small farm. Settling into the community, you quickly discover how gift-giving, reciprocity and everyday conversation build friendships and potential romances.

Farming, fishing, mining and forestry fit around your daily rounds as you interact with the townsfolk. Each inhabitant of Stardew Valley has their own favourite items, which you can offer to winnow your way into these characters’ hearts.

Similarly, Animal Crossing: New Horizons encourages you to connect with your fellow islanders on a lush, deserted island getaway. Its universe is populated with an array of randomly assigned anthropomorphic characters (who also enjoy gifts). Everything, from bunches of weeds to harvested fruit, will earn positive responses, and you’re likely to receive luxuries like clothing and furniture in return.

Animal Crossing also facilitates a digital community through island visits. Through Nintendo Switch Online, players can hang out on other people’s islands.

This proved a boon during the COVID-19 pandemic, when its popularity skyrocketed — more than 49 million copies have now been sold. Virtually dropping in on real friends while the world socially distanced and restricted travel made many players feel less lonely.

Nintendo has banked on players wanting more of these repetitive tasks and social game play with its recent release, Pokémon Pokopia. As an addition to its lucrative Pokémon franchise, Pokémon Pokopia reframes its capture-and-battle game series about magical creatures through the cozy comforts of gardening, crafting and farming.

Players can curate a charming rural space, befriending Pokémon along the way. Pokémon Pokopia’s promotional material exhorts players to “Get to know your Pokémon pals at your own pace as you all work together to build a cozy utopia,” using the marketable language of community and comfort.

Quantifying connections

Comfort, escapism and community have obvious market and player appeal.

And in this way, the rise of the cozy games genre may seem all positive, but these games also offer social ideals that need to be considered critically. Stardew Valley and Animal Crossing: New Horizons, for example, encourage users to see intimacy and relationships as quantifiable, even transactional.

Players that accrue friendship points in Animal Crossing: New Horizons get interpersonal perks like nicknames and personal visits. While many neighbourly actions have point value, islanders prefer gifts. Friendship points are invisible in game play, but online guides track the six levels of friendship available. Maxing out friendships gets you gifts in return, and this pattern of investment and exchange shapes the player’s activities.

Stardew Valley puts friendship progress on display through bright red heart icons. The game’s “Gift Log” formalizes the expectation that players will buy villagers’ favour, and its catalogue of loves, likes, neutrals and dislikes ensures gifting is impactful and cost-effective. With trackers built directly into the interface, friendships and romances are represented as achievable tasks, gamified to return new conversations, storylines and yet more gifts.

Managing and maximizing cozy community games’ friendship systems may take time, but the end result is material gain.

The Pokémon Pokopia world is no exception. It locks players’ access to valuable game resources behind friendships with particular Pokémon: Scyther has the chops to harvest lumber, and Hitmonchan knows how to smash rocks and might just teach your Ditto. By turning friendships into goals, players approach interpersonal connections as extractive, a way to advance in the game and not just a pleasure in itself.

This kind of cozy gaming is clearly big business. For instance, even with its $99.99 retail price, Pokémon Pokopia sold 2.2 million units in its first four days. The genre’s broad appeal makes community seem accessible (even if the pricetags aren’t).

As a respite from social isolation, economic anxiety or geopolitical instability, cozy games provide players with a soothing fantasy — which might say as much about their anxieties as it does about their needs — one handful of parsnips at a time.

Christina Fawcett does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article.This research is funded by a 2025-27 SSHRC Insight Development Grant.

Andrea Braithwaite receives funding from a SSHRC Insight Development Grant. She is the President of the Canadian Game Studies Association.

– ref. The transactional — and optimizable — connections of ‘cozy video games’ – https://theconversation.com/the-transactional-and-optimizable-connections-of-cozy-video-games-274610

Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Robert William Smith, Professor of History, University of Alberta

Do aliens exist? Could Earth really be the only planet hosting intelligent life?

Debates over the existence of extraterrestrials date back to the earliest Indigenous and western thought.

The tools generating the evidence within western science, however, have changed — from the philosophical and theological arguments of the Ancient Greeks to the development of increasingly sophisticated telescopes and space travel and exploration.

These include NASA’s missions to Mars, using a fleet of robotic orbiters, landers and rovers, and the development of the James Webb Space Telescope, which orbits the sun 1.5 million kilometres away from the Earth.

Philosophy and theology

Aristotle’s views on the nature of the cosmos dominated the Ancient Greek world. He argued that there’s only one world, at the centre of which is an immobile Earth. The planets move around the Earth. Beyond them is the sphere of the stars, or heaven.

“It is clear then that there is neither place, nor void, nor time, outside the heaven,” he wrote in On the Heavens. “Hence whatever is there, is of such a nature as not to occupy any place, nor does time age it.”

Aristotle’s teachings later created a storm in the Catholic Church, with various theologians worrying that Aristotle’s ideas were becoming too dominant. Étienne Tempier, bishop of Paris, responded to these criticisms by issuing the Condemnation of 1277, prohibiting the teaching of some 219 propositions — many of them derived from the teachings of Aristotle — and warning that those who disobeyed could be excommunicated.

In Proposition 34, Tempier took aim at those who, following Aristotle, claimed God could not have created other worlds. He argued that to adopt this position was to deny God’s omnipotence.

One theologian who pushed the argument about omnipotence further was Nicholas of Cusa. In his book, Of Learned Ignorance, published in 1440, he explicitly speaks of a plurality of inhabited worlds.

The invention of the telescope

A century later, Nicholas Copernicus lifted the Earth into the heavens in his book, On the Revolutions of the Heavenly Spheres, as the first thinker to suggest the Earth revolved around the sun. The Earth thus became a planet. And if planet Earth contains life, then was it not reasonable to argue that the other planets could also contain life?

The invention of the telescope in the early 17th century gave this notion further impetus. The telescope revealed, for example, that the moon is not perfectly spherical as Aristotelians believed, but is covered by craters and mountains and so is quite Earth-like.

By the end of the century, Bernard Le Bovier de Fontenelle had penned the first “scientific blockbuster,” Conversations on the Plurality of Worlds. Fontenelle speculated about living beings on all the planets of our solar system, as well as on planets orbiting other stars.

There was, however, little empirical evidence for these claims — a situation that would persist until after the Second World War.

The race to Mars

After the Second World War, national governments started to pour money into science, which was now seen as crucial to national well-being, and both astronomy and planetary science boomed.

In the United States, the space race with the Soviet Union and the battle for prestige also propelled spacecraft throughout the solar system.

At the beginning of the 20th century, a controversy had raged around some long, straight markings that people claimed to see on the surface of Mars. Some people believed that Martians had constructed canals to bring water from the planet’s poles to arid desert regions.

In 1964, the U.S. launched the Mariner 4 on a mission to Mars. The spacecraft flew by Mars in July 1965, taking the first photos of another planet from space. Instead of evidence of canals, these 21 photographs revealed the planet to have a cratered, moon-like surface.

By 1976, two American spacecraft were orbiting Mars, while on the planet’s surface, two other spacecraft conducted experiments, including scooping up and analyzing Martian soil to search for signs of life.

The James Webb Telescope

We now tackle the question of extraterrestrial life with even more powerful scientific tools. In 1995, astronomers Michel Mayor and Didier Queloz discovered the first planet orbiting a sun-like star, named “51 Pegasi b” or “Dimidium.”

As of now, NASA has confirmed more than 6,000 exoplanets, or planets outside our solar system, and billions are believed to exist.

The James Webb Space Telescope, located beyond the moon and some 1.5 million kilometres from Earth, is investigating the atmospheres of some of these exoplanets.

The Earth’s atmosphere blocks most of the infrared light from astronomical objects reaching Earth-bound telescopes. But the James Webb’s location enables its giant mirror to gather infrared light, which the spacecraft’s instruments then analyze, allowing astronomers to learn about the composition of exoplanet atmospheres.

The telescope has also employed instruments that block the light of the star around which an exoplanet is travelling so that the exoplanet itself can be imaged. There is as yet no confirmed evidence of life in an exoplanet’s atmosphere.

In 2025, however, a paper published in Nature claimed that a rock sample taken from an ancient dry riverbed in Jezero Crater on Mars by NASA’s Perseverance Mars rover could contain “potential biosignatures” of ancient microbial life.

So what are we to make of this ongoing search for extraterrestrial life? A quotation often attributed to science-fiction writer Arthur C. Clarke puts it well: “Sometimes I think we’re alone in the universe, and sometimes I think we’re not. In either case, the idea is quite staggering.”

Robert William Smith does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

– ref. Are aliens real? Scientists have been hunting for extraterrestrial life since the time of Aristotle – https://theconversation.com/are-aliens-real-scientists-have-been-hunting-for-extraterrestrial-life-since-the-time-of-aristotle-279727

Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Roberta Lexier, Associate Professor, Departments of General Education and Humanities, Mount Royal University

Democratic socialism, David Lewis reportedly told his son, Stephen, may not triumph in his lifetime, but perhaps for his children. “Recently,” said grandson Avi Lewis, “my Dad told me the same thing: not in my lifetime, maybe in yours.”

But the newly elected leader of the federal New Democratic Party added in his victory speech that he refuses to tell his own child the same thing: “We can’t wait another generation. We’ve got to start winning now.”

Stephen Lewis died just two days after his son’s historic, first-ballot win. Lewis joked that his father’s timing provided him with one news cycle before the inevitable flood of tributes for his father shifted the spotlight from a campaign that promoted a wealth tax, public investments in the economy and a Green New Deal.

I’m an expert on the left in Canada, currently writing a book on the Lewis family.

Almost exactly 55 years prior to Avi Lewis’s recent win — on April 24, 1971 — David Lewis, Lewis’s grandfather, assumed the same position in the party he had forged, a decade prior, as an alliance between the Canadian Labour Congress (CLC) and the struggling Cooperative Commonwealth Federation (CCF). He required four ballots to defeat the Waffle candidate, James Laxer.

Stephen Lewis ultimately claimed full responsibility for the 1972 expulsion of the insurgent Waffle group. His father, Stephen Lewis insisted, “was anti-Waffle, but he would never have agreed to expulsion. In fact, he called me and begged me not to do it. It was one of our infrequent tussles.”

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Read more:
The NDP turns 60: It’s never truly been the political arm of organized labour

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David Lewis

The eldest Lewis, a Bundist Jewish immigrant from Eastern Europe and a Rhodes Scholar, was a controversial figure: he feared and intimidated those unable to match his intellect and persuasiveness; he was viewed with suspicion by groups seeking to radicalize the electoral left; and he was respected by both peers and opponents for his lifelong dedication to the fight for justice and equality.

From the 1930s to the 1950s, Lewis criss-crossed the country, almost single-handedly building the CCF, and his 1943 best-seller, Make This Your Canada, co-written with poet and intellectual, Frank R. Scott, popularized the socialist platform and contributed to electoral success in Ontario and Saskatchewan

Liberals and Conservatives countered growing CCF support by accepting government intervention in the economy and an expanded social safety net. Later, the 1972 Corporate Welfare Bums campaign earned the NDP their highest seat total to date and gave the party the balance of power in a minority government.

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Read more:
Corporate welfare bums: It’s payback time

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Stephen Lewis

Stephen Lewis, too, was committed to electoral politics. In 1963, at just 25, he was elected to the Ontario legislature. In 1970, he was chosen leader of the Ontario NDP which, in 1975, became the Official Opposition and forced rent control, mental health supports and occupational health and safety regulations.

But Stephen Lewis reportedly found Canadian politics boring, parochial and frustrating due to its technocratic pettiness; he wanted to focus on broader issues. The NDP, hamstrung by a de-radicalized labour movement and, ironically, the success of their co-opted programs, could not contain his ambitions.

He happily accepted an appointment as ambassador to the United Nations where he aided the struggle against South African apartheid and, as special envoy, raised awareness about the HIV/AIDS epidemic ravaging Africa, though he later said “the death gets to you.”

Others in the Lewis family

Avi Lewis’s campaign for the federal leadership marks the long-anticipated return of the family to electoral politics, though the journalist, documentary filmmaker and activist promotes policies more closely aligned with the socialist CCF than the moderate, centre-left NDP.

But it’s not only these high-profile members of the family who contribute to the Lewis legacy.

Stephen Lewis’s wife for more than 60 years, Lewis’s mother, is path-breaking feminist journalist Michele Landsberg.

His brother, Michael Lewis, organized dozens of successful election campaigns across the country and transformed political action efforts within the labour movement. His sister, Janet Solberg, held almost every possible position within the NDP, including president of the Ontario wing, and participated in nearly every election in her lifetime.

Stephen Lewis’s eldest daughter, Ilana, ran the Stephen Lewis Foundation for nearly 20 years, and his youngest, Jenny, was the casting director for the smash hit Heated Rivalry. Often overlooked, Stephen Lewis wrote in a 2024 email to me: “She is far and away the most politically astute of our three kids.”

Avi Lewis is married to author and activist Naomi Klein.

As I researched my book, Stephen Lewis told me his was “a family that took positions … believed in them, fought them through. They were tenacious, they were indefatigable, they were uncompromising.”

Avi Lewis agreed. He told me in a recent interview: “The job … was to fight. Win occasionally, lose a lot and never stop fighting.”

Roberta Lexier receives funding from SSHRC. She is affiliated with the New Democratic Party.

– ref. The Lewis dynasty makes a third bid to shape democratic socialism in Canada – https://theconversation.com/the-lewis-dynasty-makes-a-third-bid-to-shape-democratic-socialism-in-canada-280197

Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Evren Altinkas, Adjunct Professor, Department of History, University of Guelph

The Canadian government launched the Global Impact+ Research Talent Initiative in December 2025 designed to entice international researchers to come to Canada.

The initiative, which the government says will “invest up to $1.7 billion over 12 years to attract and support more than 1,000 leading international and expatriate researchers,” is a significant investment.

This is especially important amid declining cross-country budgets for post-secondary education and research.

But our work shows there are important challenges with recruiting and retaining internationally trained researchers.

Problems with points

International researchers face limited specific immigration pathways.

The comprehensive ranking system (CRS), also known as the point system), is the primary mechanism for skilled workers to attain permanent residence in Canada. The CRS ranks prospective immigrants based on their scores in relation to age, education, language and work experience. The federal government then invites candidates at or above a certain cutoff score to apply for permanent residency.

However, research by Christina Clark-Kazak, the second author of this story, shows how age-based points are inconsistent with the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Section 15 of the Charter, on equality rights, prohibits discrimination on the basis of age.

At the same time, these age-based points don’t make sense alongside work experience points. The result? An incoherent policy.

It takes many years to obtain a PhD. In Canada’s immigration ranking system, a PhD only yields 14-15 more points than a Master’s and 28-30 more than a Bachelor’s degree.

At the same time, applicants aged 30-40 years lose five points per year. After they turn 45, they receive no points.

The average age of a PhD graduate is 35. It can take several years to land an academic job in Canada.

Due to this age discrimination and undervaluing of education in the CRS, many talented colleagues with extensive training and experience don’t meet the points threshold.

To partially address this issue, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) introduced new categories for express entry in February 2026. These include a category for “researchers and senior managers with Canadian work experience.”

Immigration Minister Lena Metlege Diab has described the new categories as a way to “drive innovation and growth.”

However, in a March 4 announcement of invitations to apply for permanent residence under the revamped Express Entry system (the only draw to date since IRCC introduced new categories), only 250 invitations were announced, and none went to researchers.

Immigration status is an equity issue

Evren Altinkas, the first author of this story, has analyzed collective agreements across Canadian universities. This analysis demonstrates a systematic absence of immigration status as a recognized equity category within hiring frameworks.

Across dozens of institutions — including institutions that have significant global rankings, like the University of Toronto, University of British Columbia and McGill University — there is no explicit contractual language addressing internationally trained or displaced scholars.

Many collective agreements contain general employment equity or diversity clauses. But these overwhelmingly focus on domestically recognized categories such as gender, race and Indigeneity, leaving immigration status unaddressed.

This omission reflects a broader pattern of “invisibility” of non-status and precarious migrants in Canadian institutional frameworks.

Even where limited references exist — such as provisions connected to the Scholars at Risk Network at institutions like University of Ottawa or the University of Guelph — these remain exceptional rather than systemic.

Policies and agreements are barriers

Current equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) policies and collective agreements therefore pose interconnected practical, legal and behavioural barriers to recruiting and retaining internationally trained researchers.

Pervasive hiring norms include asking about Canadian experience — only recently set to change for some employers in Ontario
— and contribute to underemployment and skill mismatch.

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Read more:
‘Canadian experience’ keeps skilled immigrants out of the labour market

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The limited recognition of foreign credentials also systematically disadvantages immigrants.

Legally, immigration regimes create uncertainty that institutions and unions are not structurally equipped to accommodate. This is particularly the case with Canada’s increasingly complex “two-step” system of temporary to permanent residency.

The absence of immigration status within EDI discourse reinforces a narrow conception of diversity. This overlooks transnational academic trajectories.

Research shows that internationally educated researchers face persistent labour market barriers. These include visa precarity and limited institutional pathways into stable academic employment.

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Read more:
Internationally experienced teachers: An overlooked resource to address teaching shortages

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Even when funding mechanisms exist to support EDI-related scholarship or professional development, these are rarely designed to address structural constraints faced by internationally trained researchers.

This gap ultimately reveals a misalignment between Canada’s reliance on highly skilled immigrants and the institutional barriers embedded within academic labour systems.

Talented researchers voting with their feet

In this context, research shows both underemployment of talent and the departure of university-educated immigrants from Canada.

The Institute for Canadian Citizenship demonstrates “those with doctorates are nearly twice as likely to leave as those with a bachelor’s degree.”

The Canadian economy cannot afford to lose internationally trained academic and research talent. This is particularly true amid ongoing trade tensions with the United States and broader global economic uncertainty.

Canada’s competitiveness increasingly depends on its ability to attract and retain highly skilled workers in research, innovation and higher education.

Reports from the federal government emphasize that immigrants account for a significant share of growth in the highly educated labour force, especially in STEM and knowledge sectors.

Canada needs domestic innovation

Trade disruptions and protectionist policies — particularly in relation to the United States — have heightened the need for domestic innovation capacity.

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Read more:
Why international students could be a critical factor in bolstering Canada’s economic resilience

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Failing to integrate internationally trained researchers into stable academic positions risks exacerbating “brain waste,” where highly skilled people are underemployed despite labour shortages.

In a period marked by inflation, supply chain instability and shifting global alliances, retaining global talent is not only an equity issue but an economic imperative.

Canada’s long-term resilience depends on aligning immigration policy with institutional hiring practices in higher education and research sectors.

A path forward

We recommend three key changes to immigration policy and hiring practices.

First, along with more than 100 signatories of an open letter to the federal government organized through the interdisciplinary research partnership network UnborderED Knowledge (the “ED” in the name emphasizes education), we call for designated permanent residence pathways for internationally trained researchers.

The February 2026 Express Entry announcement provides an opportunity for IRCC to make a specific draw for researchers with a point threshold that redresses age biases in the CRS. They should do so as soon as possible.

Second, hiring practices in research institutions must acknowledge and accommodate immigration status as an equity issue, as outlined in the Tri-Agency Best Practices Guide for Recruitment, Hiring and Retention.

Third, in line with findings from the Ontario Human Rights Commission, federal and provincial governments should work with employers across all sectors to ensure that international researchers are not unfairly penalized for foreign credentials and experience.

Christina Clark-Kazak receives funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada.

Evren Altinkas does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

– ref. Canada cannot afford to lose international research talent — here’s what needs to change – https://theconversation.com/canada-cannot-afford-to-lose-international-research-talent-heres-what-needs-to-change-276799