Celebration of Women in Computing – CS-CAN

Welcome to CAN-CWiC 2026

CAN-CWiC 2026

Canada’s gathering for computing talent and innovation

Bringing together students, educators, researchers, and industry leaders from across Canada for meaningful conversations, mentorship, learning, and opportunity.

Connect. Learn. Be inspired.

A place to connect, learn, and lead

Since 2011, CAN-CWiC has brought Canada’s computing community together to support emerging talent and strengthen participation in technology. The conference creates space for honest conversations, new ideas, mentorship, and relationships that continue long after the event.

Why attend

Build your network, exchange ideas, and hear candid stories from people shaping computing across Canada.

Who it is for

Students, educators, researchers, professionals, mentors, and allies building a stronger computing community.

Students: Check with your department, as it may coordinate group attendance. Individual registration details will be available through this website when registration opens in late September.

Registration

Fee Structure

All prices are in Canadian dollars, plus HST.

Please see the descriptions of registration categories below the table of fees.

Post-Secondary Students

Sponsored Student*
(full conference, need discount code)
$25 + HST On sale: Sept 15 to Oct 15, 2026
Unsponsored Student
(full conference, including $50 hotel add-on)
$200 + HST On sale: Oct 1 to Oct 15, 2026
Unsponsored Student
(full conference, no hotel)
$150 + HST On sale: Oct 1 to Nov 9, 2026
Unsponsored Student
(single day, no hotel)
$125 + HST On sale: Oct 1 to Nov 9, 2026

Faculty

Description of Registration Types

Post-Secondary Student Registrations

Sponsored Student* (full conference, need discount code)

Registration code provided by sponsoring institution is required to purchase.

Access to all Friday and Saturday Programming
Shared hotel accommodations arranged by CAN-CWIC ¹
Round-trip bus transportation for Southern Ontario and Montreal-based schools ²
Reimbursement of ground transportation between airport and hotel accommodations for students flying to the conference
Shuttle between CAN-CWIC hotel accommodations and conference location
All Conference Meals (Friday Night Reception, Saturday Lunch, Saturday Coffee Break) ³

¹ Excludes University of Waterloo and University of Guelph Students
² University of Waterloo students are responsible for their own transportation to and from the conference
³ Students staying in CAN-CWIC arranged hotels will also receive complimentary Saturday breakfast at their hotel

Unsponsored Student (full conference, including hotel)

Access to all Friday and Saturday Programming
Round-trip bus transportation for Southern Ontario and Montreal-based schools (subject to availability)
Shared hotel accommodations arranged by CAN-CWIC (must select $50 Hotel add-on to Unsponsored Student registration)
Reimbursement of ground transportation between airport and CAN-CWIC arranged hotel
Shuttle between CAN-CWIC hotel accommodations and conference location
All Conference Meals (Friday Night Reception, Saturday Lunch, Saturday Coffee Break)

Unsponsored Student (full conference, no hotel)

Access to all Friday and Saturday Programming
Round-trip bus transportation for Southern Ontario and Montreal-based schools (subject to availability)
All Conference Meals (Friday Night Reception, Saturday Lunch, Saturday Coffee Break)

Hotel accommodations are not included in this registration. Students who need a hotel room should register for the “Unsponsored Student (full conference, including hotel)” category instead.

Unsponsored Student (single day, no hotel)

Access to all CAN-CWIC programming on selected day (Friday OR Saturday)
All Conference Meals on selected day

Friday Ticket:

Bus Transportation TO Waterloo from Southern Ontario & Montreal Schools (subject to availability)
Round-trip transportation for University of Guelph Students

Saturday:

Bus Transportation FROM Waterloo to Southern Ontario & Montreal Schools (subject to availability)
Round-trip transportation for University of Guelph Students

Faculty Registration

Faculty - Full Conference

Access to all Friday and Saturday Programming
All Conference Meals (Friday Night Reception, Saturday Lunch, Saturday Coffee Break)
Access to our preferred conference rate at Delta Hotel Waterloo (subject to availability)

Faculty - Friday Only

Access to all Friday programming (including the evening reception)
Access to our preferred conference rate at Delta Hotel Waterloo (subject to availability)

Faculty - Saturday Only

Access to all Saturday programming
Lunch and Coffee Break Refreshments
Access to our preferred conference rate at Delta Hotel Waterloo (subject to availability)

Sponsor Registration

Sponsors whose package includes registration will be given a code to redeem for complimentary registration.

Sponsor - Full Conference

Access to all Friday and Saturday Programming
All Conference Meals (Friday Night Reception, Saturday Lunch, Saturday Coffee Break)
Access to our preferred conference rate at Delta Hotel Waterloo (subject to availability)

Sponsor - Friday Only

Access to all Friday programming (including the evening reception)
Access to our preferred conference rate at Delta Hotel Waterloo (subject to availability)

Sponsor - Saturday Only

Access to all Saturday programming (including Networking Fair)
Lunch and Coffee Break Refreshments
Access to our preferred conference rate at Delta Hotel Waterloo (subject to availability)

Transport & Accommodations

Transportation to Waterloo

Southern Ontario & Montreal Area Schools

excluding Guelph & Waterloo Schools

CAN-CWIC will provide round-trip bus transportation from post-secondary schools with sponsored students in Southern Ontario and the Montreal Area. Students who indicated during registration that they require transportation AND are sponsored by their institution are guaranteed a spot on the bus. Transportation for self-funded students is subject to seat availability; if you need transportation, please indicate this on your registration form.

Further details regarding pick-up locations, schedules, and travel instructions will be shared with registrants closer to the conference date. Attendees are expected to arrive at designated pick-up locations on time to help ensure transportation services operate smoothly and on schedule.

If you did not request transportation during registration, you are responsible for arranging your own travel.

University of Guelph

CAN-CWIC will provide round-trip bus transportation each day of the conference between UGuelph and the conference venue. Please indicate on your registration form if you want to take advantage of this.

University of Waterloo

UWaterloo students are responsible for arranging their own transportation to and from the conference venue on UWaterloo’s main campus.

Out of Province / Northern Ontario Schools

Students travelling from outside of Southern Ontario are responsible for arranging their own transportation to and from Waterloo. CAN-CWIC will reimburse students for their ground transportation costs between the airport and their assigned hotel.

Hotel to Conference Shuttles

All students staying at CAN-CWIC arranged hotels will have bus transportation between their hotel and the conference venue. Detailed transportation information, including travel to and from hotels, shuttle service after Friday’s reception, and transportation pick-up and drop-off locations, will be provided directly to registered attendees closer to the conference date.

Student Accommodations

Students whose registration includes hotel accommodations will receive a one-night hotel stay, shared with another student, as part of their registration package. All hotel reservations are coordinated by CAN-CWIC. Please do not contact the hotel directly regarding your reservation; reservation details will be provided by the conference organisers closer to the event.

Please note that hotel accommodations are not provided for University of Waterloo and University of Guelph students.

Room Assignments

Students will be assigned to a shared room with another student attendee. Room assignments will be coordinated by CAN-CWIC in consultation with participating institutions, to pair students from the same institution whenever possible. While every effort will be made to fulfil accommodation requests, they cannot be guaranteed. Any changes in room assignments must be arranged AFTER check-in and directly between attendees.

Friday Check-In

Students travelling on a conference-arranged bus will be transported directly to their designated hotel on Friday. Hotel arrival and check-in are at approximately 3:00 p.m. Valid Photo ID is required for check-in. Buses from the hotel to the conference will depart at approximately 4:00 p.m.

Students arranging their own transportation to Waterloo should plan to arrive at their hotel for check-in anytime after 3:00 pm on Friday.

Saturday Check-Out

On Saturday morning, breakfast will be served at the hotel. Attendees staying in conference-arranged accommodations will be required to check out of their rooms before departing. Transportation to the conference venue will depart at approximately 8:00 a.m. Attendees should bring all luggage with them at that time. Luggage will be stored in the luggage hold of the same bus that will transport you home at the end of the conference (Southern Ontario schools). For those who are from Montreal, Ottawa, or flying home, you can store your luggage in coat check at the conference.

Hotel Locations

Students requiring accommodations will be assigned to one of the following hotels. Hotel assignments will be communicated directly to attendees before the conference.

Hampton Inn & Suites Waterloo

55 Benjamin Road, Waterloo · View hotel

Courtyard by Marriott Waterloo St. Jacobs

50 Benjamin Road, Waterloo · View hotel

Homewood Suites by Hilton Waterloo/St. Jacobs

45 Benjamin Road, Waterloo · View hotel

Waterloo Suites Hotel

547 King Street North, Waterloo · View hotel

Quality Inn

2899 King Street East, Kitchener · View hotel

Courtyard by Marriott Kitchener

2960 King Street East, Kitchener · View hotel

Please note that hotel assignments are determined by CAN-CWIC based on room availability and transportation logistics. Requests for specific hotels cannot be accommodated.

Faculty / Sponsor Accommodations

Delta Hotel Waterloo

Faculty and Sponsors may reserve a room through the CAN-CWIC hotel block at the Delta Hotel Waterloo at a preferred conference rate ($225 per night, plus applicable taxes and fees), subject to availability.

To receive the conference rate, faculty/sponsors must register using the registration link below and must make their hotel reservations by October 20th, 2026.

Book your group rate for CS-CAN/INFO-CAN Room Block

Friday Evening Event

All registered students will have an opportunity to attend the amazing CAN-CWiC reception and event. There are fun photo booths and we have some amazing keynote speakers lined up. It’s a great opportunity to dress up, enjoy some food and drinks, mingle, meet other students from across Canada and have fun evening of food and entertainment.

Chair

Program Chair

Steering Committee Members

2026 Program

The 2026 Program will be available in mid-October.

Speakers List Profiles

Full speaker list will be available in October

Speaker List Profiles

Keynote Speakers

Parallel Session Speakers

Lightning Talk Speakers

Share Your Work at CAN-CWiC 2026

Share your research, ideas, experiences, and innovations with the Canadian computing community at the 2026 Canadian Celebration of Women in Computing (CAN-CWiC).

There are two ways to contribute to the CAN-CWiC 2026 program: Lightning Talks and Session Presentations.

Lightning Talks

CAN-CWiC 2026 Lightning Talks invite undergraduate and graduate students to present their work in a concise, engaging 10-15 minute talk. Lightning talks offer an opportunity to share your work with fellow students, researchers, and professionals from academia and industry, receive feedback, make new connections, and contribute to conversations across the computing community.

We welcome talks on research, works in progress, course or capstone projects, and other academic or technical work in computing and related fields. No previous conference presentation experience is required. CAN-CWiC offers a welcoming environment for students to develop their communication skills and gain experience presenting their work to a broader audience.

Session Presentations

CAN-CWiC 2026 Presentations are open to members of the computing community at all career stages, including students, faculty, researchers, and industry professionals. Presentations provide an opportunity to share knowledge, perspectives, and experiences on topics such as technology and innovation; career and professional development; diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging; social impacts and ethics; and student and early-career development, as well as other topics relevant to the CAN-CWiC community. Suggested topics are listed at the bottom of this page.

Presentations may be academic, technical, or experiential and may involve one or more presenters. We welcome a variety of formats, including traditional talks, panel discussions, and interactive sessions.

Presentations will take place in parallel sessions and will be 50 minutes in length, including time for questions and discussion.

Submission Instructions

Proposals for Lightning Talks and Presentations should be submitted as abstracts of up to 400 words (see the abstract template below for formatting instructions).

Submit your proposal through EasyChair using the button below.

Please note: Abstracts for accepted Lightning Talks and Session Presentations will be published in the CAN-CWiC 2026 conference abstract collection.

Important Dates

Proposals for Lightning Talks and Session Presentations due: September 21, 2026
Notification of Acceptance: October 9, 2026
Last date for students to Register for CAN-CWiC 2026, with hotel: October 15, 2026
Last date to Register for CAN-CWiC 2026, without hotel: November 9, 2026
CAN-CWiC 2026 conference: November 20-21, 2026

Questions? Contact:

Kelly Lyons, Professor, Faculty of Information, University of Toronto

Technical Topics

Artificial Intelligence / Machine Learning
Cybersecurity / Privacy
Data Science / Big Data / Analytics
Cloud Computing / DevOps
Software Engineering / Development Practices
Human-Computer Interaction
Quantum Computing
Hardware / Embedded Systems
Open Source Technologies

Career & Professional Development

Leadership skills for women in tech
Career transitions and advancement
Building personal brand and executive presence
Negotiation and salary transparency
Entrepreneurship and startup journeys
Technical interviewing and resume tips

Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging (DEIB)

Academic Research & Innovation

Social Impact & Ethics

Student & Early Career Focus

Sponsor CAN-CWiC 2026

Thank you for your interest in the 16th Celebration of Women in Computing Conference. Join us in shaping the future of computing through sponsorship.

Sponsorship Benefits:

CAN-CWIC is funded by sponsorship by industry, government and universities/colleges. Becoming a sponsor of the CAN-CWIC affords your organization the opportunity to:

Influence and attract tomorrow’s computing professionals.
Showcase your commitment to diversity.
Provide opportunities for your technical women to mentor and network with the next generation of women.
Participate in the networking fair.
Promote your organization
Strengthen relationships with participating universities, scope out potential collaborations.
Support a program that improves the climate for the sector at large.
Academic Sponsors - recruit Graduate Students.

Statistics from 2025: