The need didn't go away. The funding did.
In March 2026, the CFS+ program was eliminated, cutting device supply and internship funding.

For over 30 years, Computers for Schools Manitoba partnered with Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED) under the federal CFS+ program to refurbish government devices for communities in need, while providing paid IT internships and operational support to youth. Under this model, end-of-life government assets went directly back into communities that needed them; that pathway is now gone.

In January 2026, we were notified that the program would end on March 31, 2026 despite the most recent formal evaluation, in 2023, finding it was still needed.

The loss represents roughly $600,000 in annual funding, along with the device supply the program provided. With that support gone, we're no longer able to offer devices at the same low-cost tiers, and the day after funding ended, our lowest-cost device rose by an average of 20%.

Who this affects

Families. For more than half the households we serve, the device they get from us is the only one they have. Our free tier used to mean a family facing financial difficulties could still get a computer. That tier is gone.

Youth. For years, high school students, including those in alternative education programs, have trained with us through long-term internships, working hands-on with hardware, software, and networking. That pathway now runs on far less. We used to offer 12-15 paid IT internships a year. Now we can offer about six at a reduced experience.

Northern Manitoba. Our satellite at UCN in The Pas supports Indigenous women entering IT. Programs like it depend on the device supply and intern funding that ended in March.

A Unique Example. With federal devices, we could put phones where they mattered most. One of the places we chose was women's shelters, so that women leaving dangerous situations had a working phone and a lifeline if they needed one. When CFS+ ended, so did that program. The shelters didn't stop needing phones; we stopped being able to provide them.

We supply about 5000 devices a year to our community. That need hasn't changed, what we can do has.

ISED - Evaluation of Computers for Schools Plus Program

Read our Executive Director's opinion piece here

Restore Computers for Schools Plus and its internship program, so surplus federal computers go back to families and students who need them, and young people keep getting paid, hands-on IT experience.

MPs represent your interests in Ottawa, hearing directly from constituents helps shape the decisions they make. A short, personal email can make a real difference, especially when a policy affects your community directly.

Use this tool here, or you can use the table and map below to find your MP and reach out directly.

Media Coverage

CBC Manitoba - Back To School shopping harder this year (Article)

CBC Manitoba - Rising tech prices help drive up back to school costs (Video)

CBC Manitoba - Affordable tech for Manitoba students (Radio)

CBC Saskatchewan - Federal cut ends free computers (Radio)

Global Saskatchewan - Federal cuts end free computers (Video)

This series is an audio companion to our Executive Director's opinion piece, CFS+: A Program Worth Restoring. It explains how the program ended, shares first-hand stories from the people it served, and looks at what has been lost and what we're seeing as we look for answers and resolution.