November 10, 2026 | Vancouver, BC
The Centre for Digital Media (CDM) welcomed the Honourable Evan Solomon, Canada's Minister of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Innovation, to its Vancouver campus on November 10 for a federal announcement highlighting culture-related initiatives from Budget 2026.
During the announcement, Minister Solomon highlighted nearly $4 billion in proposed federal investments over five years through Budget 2026 to support Canadian culture, strengthen creative industries and expand access to arts and heritage across the country.
Key investments include $600 million to support Canada's audio and audiovisual sectors, $300 million over two years to strengthen CBC/Radio-Canada, and new tax measures to help Canadian producers and creators invest in equipment and emerging technologies. The budget also proposes initiatives to support sustainable careers for artists and strengthen Canadian storytelling, reinforcing the importance of creative talent, digital innovation and the continued growth of Canada's creative economy.
Ahead of the announcement, Minister Solomon toured CDM's campus and innovation hub, learning more about the Master of Digital Media (MDM) program, student projects and CDM's approach to AI-integrated education. The Minister enjoyed an interactive tour, experiencing student-developed projects firsthand, including a Maritime Museum St. Roch voyage experience and Fresh Tracks, a Canadian indie video game developed by Buffalo Buffalo in collaboration with CDM students.
The visit showcased CDM's unique role in connecting education, emerging technologies and industry to drive innovation and develop the next generation of creative and digital talent.
“Our responsibility is not simply to prepare graduates for the future of Canada's creative economy, but to equip them with the skills, confidence and opportunities to help shape it,” said Ted Gervan, President of the Centre for Digital Media. “We're excited to explore how our students can bring their creativity, technical expertise and fresh perspectives to making AI literacy more engaging, accessible and meaningful for Canadians and our industry partners.”
AI Education and Industry Innovation
As artificial intelligence reshapes industries, CDM is advancing its approach to education, integrating AI into teaching, creative development and industry-connected projects.
Through coursework such as Designing AI-Driven Products and Worldbuilding and Generative AI, MDM students explore generative AI, machine learning and responsible AI applications, while using emerging technologies to accelerate prototyping, experimentation and problem-solving.
“AI is changing how we approach creative problem-solving, and we're already seeing that in the way our MDM students work,” said Jason Elliott, MDM Faculty. “They're incorporating AI into their workflows, experimenting with new ways to prototype and develop ideas, and exploring how AI agents can support more interactive experiences.
“What's exciting is how quickly they can test ideas and push projects further. But the fundamentals haven't changed. Students still need to think critically, collaborate effectively and understand how to turn emerging technologies into something meaningful.”
This approach extends beyond the classroom through CDM's industry innovation partnerships, where interdisciplinary student teams collaborate with organizations to explore emerging technologies and tackle real-world challenges. Projects such as Wildlight with Accenture, which explores conversational AI for ecological restoration, demonstrate how CDM connects emerging talent with industry expertise to develop innovative solutions.
Through its unique model of applied education and industry collaboration, CDM is helping shape Canada's digital future, equipping graduates to lead innovation while providing organizations with access to fresh perspectives, emerging talent and new approaches to complex challenges.
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