Timeline

Bill C-16 (Protecting Victims Act) receives royal assent

Bill C-16, the Protecting Victims Act, receives royal assent and is enacted as Statutes of Canada 2026, c. 19. Its non-consensual intimate-image provisions — amended in committee to explicitly capture AI-generated and "nearly nude" images — come into force as part of the Criminal Code.

Bill C-36 (Protecting Privacy and Consumer Data Act) introduced in the House of Commons (first reading)

The Protecting Privacy and Consumer Data Act (Bill C-36) is introduced and receives first reading in the House of Commons, tabled by Evan Solomon, Minister of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Innovation. It would enact the PPCDA, amend PIPEDA, and establish a Digital Safety and Data Protection Commission of Canada. Framed as a cornerstone of the AI for All national strategy, it regulates automated decision-making systems and carries forward the privacy reforms of the former Bill C-27 without re-introducing AIDA.

Bill C-34 (Safe Social Media Act) introduced in the House of Commons (first reading)

The Safe Social Media Act (Bill C-34) is introduced and receives first reading in the House of Commons, tabled by Marc Miller, Minister of Canadian Identity and Culture. It would enact the Digital Safety Act and the Digital Safety Commission of Canada Act and is the first Canadian legislation to directly regulate AI chatbot services — subjecting them to a duty to act responsibly alongside a minimum social media account age of 16 and a new Digital Safety Commission of Canada.

Prime Minister Carney launches AI for All: Canada's new national AI strategy

In Toronto, Prime Minister Mark Carney launches "AI for All," Canada's renewed national artificial intelligence strategy, alongside Evan Solomon, Minister of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Innovation.

INDU Meeting 41 — Opportunities, Risks, and Regulation of AI in Canada's Strategic Industries

Meeting 41 of the Standing Committee on Industry and Technology (INDU) as part of its study on "Opportunities, Risks, and Regulation of AI in Canada's Strategic Industries" — the last meeting of the study before the launch of Canada's National AI Strategy on June 4, 2026. The session ran from 3:40 p.m. to 5:45 p.m. EDT and was webcast. The first panel covered AI and copyright law and the space industry; the second panel, appearing by videoconference, included cultural-sector representatives, ControlAI, and AI sustainability researcher Sasha Luccioni.

Cross-party MPs and senators back ControlAI campaign to prohibit superintelligent AI

ControlAI launches the Canadian arm of its campaign calling on Canada to negotiate an international "trust but verify" regime to prohibit the development of superintelligent AI. A multipartisan group of more than 30 MPs and senators lends its support, days before the federal government releases its national AI strategy.

OECD launches Hiroshima AI Process Reporting Framework 2.0

The OECD launches a streamlined version 2.0 of the Hiroshima AI Process Reporting Framework at a Tech7 event alongside the G7 Digital and Tech Ministerial Meeting in Paris. The revision lowers the reporting burden so small and medium-sized enterprises can report on how they apply the G7 Code of Conduct for advanced AI development; more than 50 organizations pledged to submit reports, requested by 1 September 2026 for the next analytical review.

INDU Meeting 40 — Opportunities, Risks, and Regulation of AI in Canada's Strategic Industries

Meeting 40 of the Standing Committee on Industry and Technology (INDU) as part of its study on "Opportunities, Risks, and Regulation of AI in Canada's Strategic Industries." The public AI portion ran from 11:00 a.m. to 12:07 p.m. EDT and was webcast; the committee then moved in camera to consider its draft report on U.S. tariffs. Witnesses covered AI economic policy, copyright and music licensing, and government data analytics.

Minister Solomon announces first 44 recipients of the AI Compute Access Fund

In Vancouver, Evan Solomon, Minister of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Innovation, announces support for 44 projects through the AI Compute Access Fund — representing $66 million of the $300-million fund — to help Canadian small and medium-sized enterprises offset the cost of the high-performance computing they need to train models and build AI products. Launched under Canada's Sovereign AI Compute Strategy, the fund targets companies across life sciences, health care, energy, advanced manufacturing, agriculture, finance, natural resources, and transportation, with further funding offers to follow as assessments are finalized.

Unions press Ottawa to mandate worker consultation before workplace AI

Labour leaders from major unions — including Unifor, the United Food and Commercial Workers, and the Canadian Union of Public Employees — meet with Evan Solomon, Minister of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Innovation, to press the government to legislate worker consultation on workplace AI. The unions call for new clauses in the Canada Labour Code that would compel employers to consult and be transparent with employees before introducing AI systems, arguing the national AI strategy gives too little weight to worker input and job-loss risk. A day later, Minister Solomon announces that the government will create an AI and Labour Advisory Council to give workers and unions a voice in shaping AI policy.

INDU Meeting 38 — Opportunities, Risks, and Regulation of AI in Canada's Strategic Industries

Meeting 38 of the Standing Committee on Industry and Technology (INDU) as part of its study on "Opportunities, Risks, and Regulation of AI in Canada's Strategic Industries." The session ran from 11:01 a.m. to 1:02 p.m. EDT and was webcast. Witnesses represented the Centre for Designing Change, INQ Law, Oracle, the Council of Canadian Innovators, Hypertec Group, and Photonic, covering AI adoption, legal and regulatory questions, compute and data-centre infrastructure, and quantum technology.

INDU Meeting 36 — Opportunities, Risks, and Regulation of AI in Canada's Strategic Industries

Meeting 36 of the Standing Committee on Industry and Technology (INDU) as part of its study on "Opportunities, Risks, and Regulation of AI in Canada's Strategic Industries." The public AI portion ran from 11:01 a.m. to about 1:06 p.m. EDT and was webcast; the committee then moved in camera to give drafting instructions for its report on U.S. tariffs. Witnesses included CIGI founder Jim Balsillie, labour representatives appearing for the Canadian Telecommunications Workers Alliance, and leaders from Quantum Industry Canada and Qu Data Centres.

Canada and Finland sign Joint Statement on Sovereign Technology and AI Cooperation

Prime Minister Mark Carney and President of Finland Alexander Stubb sign a joint statement in Ottawa on sovereign technology and AI cooperation.

INDU Meeting 31 — Opportunities, Risks, and Regulation of AI in Canada's Strategic Industries

Meeting 31 of the Standing Committee on Industry and Technology (INDU) as part of its study on "Opportunities, Risks, and Regulation of AI in Canada's Strategic Industries." The session ran from 3:32 p.m. to 5:43 p.m. EDT and was televised. Witnesses represented Bell Canada, Bell AI, the Vector Institute, Cohere Inc., TELUS, and Next Generation Manufacturing Canada, discussing AI regulation and its implications for Canadian industry.

Liberal Party members adopt a Canadian AI Act resolution at the 2026 convention

At the Liberal Party of Canada's 2026 National Convention in Montréal, members vote in favour of a policy resolution calling for a Canadian Artificial Intelligence Act modelled on the EU AI Act, alongside a related non-binding resolution to set 16 as the age of majority for social media use. Party resolutions are non-binding on the government.

Minister Solomon and ISED meet Anthropic over the Claude Mythos model

After Anthropic decided not to release its powerful new Claude Mythos model to the general public — citing its ability to detect and exploit software vulnerabilities, and instead offering a preview to a select group of critical infrastructure operators under a program dubbed "Project Glasswing" — the Canadian government engages with the company. Officials from Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada meet Anthropic on April 8, and Minister of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Innovation Evan Solomon meets Anthropic on April 9, 2026. Solomon calls Anthropic's "defenders first" approach the responsible path and says the company and the government are in constructive, ongoing discussions. Canada later joins Project Glasswing through the Canadian Centre for Cybersecurity, giving some Canadian organizations access to the model to strengthen their cyber defences.

INDU Meeting 29 — Opportunities, Risks, and Regulation of AI in Canada's Strategic Industries

Meeting 29 of the Standing Committee on Industry and Technology (INDU) as part of its study on "Opportunities, Risks, and Regulation of AI in Canada's Strategic Industries." The session ran from 3:32 p.m. to 5:51 p.m. EDT and was webcast. Witnesses appeared as individuals or on behalf of the University of Guelph, covering AI law, privacy, copyright, and cybersecurity — including prominent AI researcher Yoshua Bengio, law professor Michael Geist, and privacy scholar Colin Bennett.

Munk School publishes "Sovereign by Design" on Canadian AI sovereignty

The AI Competitiveness Project at the University of Toronto's Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy publishes "Sovereign by Design: Strategic Options for Canadian AI Sovereignty," a layer-by-layer assessment of Canada's position across the AI technology stack that warns of vulnerabilities in cloud infrastructure and compute and sets out strategic options for reducing foreign leverage.

INDU Meeting 27 — Opportunities, Risks, and Regulation of AI in Canada's Strategic Industries

Meeting 27 of the Standing Committee on Industry and Technology (INDU) as part of its study on "Opportunities, Risks, and Regulation of AI in Canada's Strategic Industries." The public session ran from 3:41 p.m. to 5:32 p.m. EDT (5:20 p.m. for public witnesses, followed by an in-camera session on a separate matter) and was webcast. Witnesses included academics and industry representatives covering AI governance, AI safety, computer vision, information law, and applied AI, as well as the CEO of Scale AI and the founder of AI Governance and Safety Canada.

Canada and Germany sign AI Joint Declaration and launch the Sovereign Technology Alliance

On the margins of the Munich Security Conference, Minister Evan Solomon and Germany's Minister Karsten Wildberger sign the Joint Declaration of Intent on Artificial Intelligence and announce the launch of the Sovereign Technology Alliance.

CIGI publishes AI and National Security Scenarios Workshop Summary Report

The Global AI Risks Initiative at CIGI publishes the summary report from the AI National Security Scenarios Workshop co-hosted with the Privy Council Office of Canada.

ISED publishes summary of inputs from 30-day AI Sprint

ISED publishes "Engagements on Canada's next AI Strategy: Summary of inputs," the report synthesizing feedback from the October 2025 30-day national AI Sprint.

DSIT publishes International AI Safety Report 2026 (Bengio et al.)

The UK Department for Science, Innovation and Technology publishes the International AI Safety Report 2026, led by Yoshua Bengio and produced by over 100 independent experts from more than 30 countries.

Bill C-16 (Protecting Victims Act) introduced in the House of Commons (first reading)

The Protecting Victims Act (Bill C-16) is introduced and receives first reading in the House of Commons, tabled by Sean Fraser, Minister of Justice. The omnibus criminal-law bill is tracked here for its provisions on non-consensual intimate images, later strengthened in committee to explicitly capture AI-generated and "nearly nude" depictions.

Canada and Germany announce the Canada-Germany Digital Alliance

On the margins of the G7 Industry, Digital and Technology Ministers' Meeting in Montréal, Minister Evan Solomon and Germany's Minister Karsten Wildberger announce the Canada-Germany Digital Alliance.

AIGS publishes "Preparing for the AI Crisis: A Plan for Canada" (2025)

AI Governance and Safety Canada (AIGS) publishes its 2025 white paper on preparing Canada for the AI crisis.

Government of Canada launches 30-day AI Sprint and AI Strategy Task Force

Minister Evan Solomon (Minister of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Innovation) announces a 30-day national sprint (October 1–31, 2025) inviting Canadians to share views on Canada's next national AI strategy via the Consulting Canadians portal. Simultaneously, an AI Strategy Task Force of 40 leaders from academia, industry, civil society, and government is constituted to provide actionable insights and recommendations across nine thematic areas. Over 11,300 Canadians participate and the Task Force produces 28 reports.

ISED discloses a Question Period note on the Canadian AI Safety Institute

Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada releases, through proactive disclosure, a Question Period note (reference AIDI-2026-QP-00001) prepared for Evan Solomon, Minister of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Innovation, explaining why the government created the Canadian Artificial Intelligence Safety Institute (CAISI) and summarizing its mandate, partners, and research priorities.

AI National Security Scenarios Workshop

A full-day, in-person scenarios workshop co-hosted by the Global AI Risks Initiative at CIGI and the Privy Council Office of Canada, exploring existing and emerging national security implications of next-generation AI systems.

Parliament prorogued — Bill C-27 dies on the Order Paper

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announces his resignation and Parliament is prorogued by proclamation of the Governor General. All legislation on the Order Paper, including Bill C-27 (and with it AIDA), dies. INDU's clause-by-clause study of the bill ceases.

AIGS publishes "Governing AI: A Plan for Canada (2024 Update)"

AI Governance and Safety Canada (AIGS) publishes the 2024 update to its annual white paper on AI governance in Canada.

AIGS publishes "Governing AI: A Plan for Canada" (2023)

AI Governance and Safety Canada (AIGS) publishes its inaugural white paper on AI governance in Canada.

Minister Champagne launches Voluntary Code of Conduct for Advanced Generative AI

ISED launches consultation on Canadian Guardrails for Generative AI

G7 leaders launch the Hiroshima AI Process

At the Hiroshima Summit under Japan's presidency, G7 leaders establish the Hiroshima AI Process to develop international governance of generative and advanced AI — the workstream that later produces the International Code of Conduct for Organizations Developing Advanced AI Systems and the OECD-run HAIP Reporting Framework.

Bill C-27 introduced in the House of Commons (first reading)

The Digital Charter Implementation Act, 2022 (Bill C-27) is introduced and receives first reading in the House of Commons. The bill bundles three components: the Consumer Privacy Protection Act, the Personal Information and Data Protection Tribunal Act, and the Artificial Intelligence and Data Act (AIDA) — the first proposed federal AI-specific legislation in Canada.

Federal Budget 2021 renews Pan-Canadian AI Strategy with $443.8M Phase 2

Budget 2021 committed $443.8 million over ten years to launch Phase 2 of the Pan-Canadian Artificial Intelligence Strategy. The renewal significantly expanded the strategy's scope beyond the Phase 1 focus on research and talent, adding pillars for responsible AI development and commercialisation. CIFAR continued as administrator, with the three national institutes (Vector, Mila, Amii) each eligible for up to $20 million over five years from the new envelope. Additional funding supported the Standards Council of Canada ($8.6M) and the Digital Research Alliance ($40M) as part of the broader package.

Federal Budget 2017 launches Pan-Canadian Artificial Intelligence Strategy

Budget 2017 committed $125 million over five years to establish the Pan-Canadian Artificial Intelligence Strategy — Canada's first dedicated national AI program. The federal government appointed CIFAR (Canadian Institute for Advanced Research) as administrator. Funding was directed to three newly designated national AI institutes: the Vector Institute (Toronto), Mila – Quebec AI Institute (Montréal), and Amii (Edmonton). The strategy's initial mandate focused on attracting and retaining world-leading researchers, increasing AI-skilled graduates, and building a cohesive national research community.