They absolutely punch well above their weight, and I've found that the percentage debate—4% versus 96%—can sometimes come across as a bit simplistic or entitled.
I'm more interested in the quantum, where there's probably a right number the sector could absorb to keep on doing what they're doing, and I think the easiest vehicle to get that activity started on the ground would be the college and community innovation program administered by NSERC on behalf of the tri-council. Today that's a $123-million program that supports centres like the five centres at Niagara and then another 119 eligible colleges across the country.
On April 1, 2026, that program's funding gets cut by 45%, and that'll have a tremendous impact on the colleges, absolutely, but what worries me, frankly, is the students who will be missing out on experiential learning opportunities and the thousands of companies that will not get that support from objective innovation intermediaries like the technology access centres in the wider college sector.