U of T receives $42.5 million in federal funding for AI infrastructure

Junia Alsinawi, Deputy News Editor

On Friday, Artificial Intelligence and Digital Innovation Minister Evan Solomon announced $42.5 million in federal funding for the university’s AI infrastructure, funded through the Canadian Sovereign AI Compute Strategy. This investment is aimed towards Canadian researchers using AI to advance medicine, the sciences, technology, engineering, and the humanities, among other fields. The university is contributing $100,000 to the initiative and will receive $40 million in funding this year, with an additional $2.5 million distributed over the next two fiscal years.

An overriding policy goal of Prime Minister Mark Carney is to decrease Canada’s reliance on foreign resources by strengthening domestic infrastructure. In his Friday announcement, Solomon explained that Canadian researchers must often employ foreign compute resources and stressed the importance of “Canadian discovery powered by Canadian infrastructure” as a way to safeguard Canadian data sovereignty and establish the country as a research leader in the field.  

At the announcement, U of T President Melanie Woodin framed this initiative in terms of Canada’s place on the global stage, “in this time of disruptive change around the world.” 

Grad students to vote on new fee to fund food security programming

Junia Alsinawi, Deputy News Editor

From December 2–5, graduate students can vote in the Food Equity and Education Drive (FEED) referendum on the creation of a new fee to fund food security initiatives. The referendum is organized by the University of Toronto Graduate Students’ Union (UTGSU) and, if successful, the fee will fund initiatives like emergency food relief grants and subsidized and free food programs. 

The proposed fee, which would be refundable and managed by the union, is $4.00 per semester for full-time students and $2.00 per semester for part-time students. If adopted, the fee will start in the Fall 2026 term and be subject to annual adjustment based on inflation and food costs. 

Residential Tenancies Act in Bill 60

Hilary Cheung, Lead Copy Editor

Bill 60, formally titled Fighting Delays, Building Faster Act, 2025, passed in Ontario last Monday, November 24. The government says this legislation is aimed at speeding up decisions at the Landlord and Tenant Board and increasing the supply of rental housing in the province.

The Bill introduces measures to reduce delays in resolving rental disputes and changes the eviction rules, allowing landlords to evict tenants under shorter notice and gives tenants less time to appeal eviction orders. This has caused concern among tenants, and housing advocates warn that Bill 60 weakens tenant protection and may bring housing instability, particularly affecting students. 

Student renters are especially at risk due to low incomes and potential exposure to predatory landlords. Toronto City Council expressed strong opposition against Bill 60, reiterating calls to reinstate rent control on rental homes first occupied after 2018, and requested that the City Solicitor explore legal options.