Provincial elections will take place in British Columbia, Saskatchewan and New Brunswick this fall. Campaigning is well underway in all three provinces, with tight political races shaping up in each province.

In British Columbia, Annabree Fairweather, Executive Director of the Confederation of University Faculty Associations of BC (CUFA-BC), says her organization is working to ensure “all parties are committed to addressing the multiple crises that are impacting post-secondary institutions in B.C. From budget deficits to layoffs to chronic understaffing, the next provincial government has a lot of work to do.”

Academic staff in Saskatchewan are facing similar issues. Affordability is a central concern, as students paid the second highest tuition fees in the country in 2023-2024 — about $2,156 more on average than elsewhere in Canada. Academic staff are also advocating for better funding and resources to support their work and improve the quality of education.

In New Brunswick, the Federation of New Brunswick Faculty Associations (FNBFA) is planning to ensure that politicians and voters get the message that a strong New Brunswick needs strong universities and colleges.

Brunswick needs strong universities and colleges. In addition to the elections already scheduled, there are signals that several other provinces could also go to the polls in the coming months, including in Ontario, Nova Scotia and Newfoundland and Labrador.