Free rapid COVID-19 testing kits are now available to businesses

Visit gncc.ca/workplace-self-screening-kits to learn more and reserve kits for your organization.

Ontario expanding eligibility for second COVID-19 vaccine doses

With a majority of Ontario adults having received a first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine and over three million doses of the Moderna vaccine arriving in June, the province is continuing to accelerate its vaccine rollout by expanding eligibility for second doses ahead of schedule.

• As of Monday, June 21, 2021 at 8:00 a.m., all Ontarians who received their first dose of an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine on or before May 9, 2021 will be eligible to book or rebook their second dose appointment at a shortened interval.
• As of Wednesday, June 23, 2021 at 8:00 a.m., individuals who received their first dose of an mRNA vaccine on or before May 30, 2021 and who live in the catchment area of one of the 10 public health units identified as Delta hot spots (Durham, Halton, Hamilton, Peel, Porcupine, Simcoe-Muskoka, Toronto, Waterloo, Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph, and York public health units) will be eligible to book or rebook their second dose appointment at a shortened interval.
• Starting the week of June 28, 2021 (days / sequence to be confirmed) all Ontarians aged 18 and over who have received their first dose of an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine will be eligible to book their second dose appointment. The appointment will be scheduled at least 28 days after the first dose, per the recommended interval.

Infrastructure Canada and Community Foundations of Canada announce funding in support of Niagara Region communities

Today, the Honourable Catherine McKenna, Minister of Infrastructure and Communities, joined Vance Badawey, Member of Parliament for Niagara Centre and Chris Bittle, Member of Parliament for St. Catharines to announce federal funding for projects in the Niagara Region as part of the Canada Healthy Communities Initiative.

Recipients included the Niagara-on-the-Lake Museum, St. Catharines Public Library, Royal Canadian Legion Branch #230, Heartland Forest Nature Experience, and Gallery Players of Niagara.

A second call for applications for funding under the Canada Healthy Communities Initiative is open until close on June 25, 2021, at 5:00 p.m. PST. Applicants can apply for funding ranging from $5,000 to $250,000 for eligible projects. Applicants wishing to apply for the second round can access further details on the Community Foundations of Canada website.

St. Catharines waives 2022 business licensing fees, sidewalk patio fees, for hard-hit sectors

In an effort to support business recovery, St. Catharines City Council has approved the waiving of business licensing and sidewalk patio fees in 2022 for businesses in certain sectors most impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The move continues efforts that saw fees waived in 2020 and 2021.

Business licensing fees will be waived for:

• Amusement arcades
• Auctioneers
• Hawkers / peddlers such as food trucks
• Public halls
• Refreshment stands
• Restaurants
• Theatres

In addition, businesses operating sidewalk patios will not have to pay City fees typically associated with such operations.

Positive Living Niagara to hold Naloxone and Harm Reduction virtual workshop

Positive Living has partnered with OPIRG Brock, Niagara CUPE Council, and CUPE 4207 to create and facilitate the virtual workshop Incorporating Naloxone and Harm Reduction into our Activism.

This training will provide a Niagara context for substance use and overdoses, education on addictions, debunking myths and stereotypes about substance use, and Narcan training.

The workshop is being held on June 29^th at 2pm.. Registration on Eventbrite is required and can be done at https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/incorporating-naloxone-harm-reduction-into-our-activism-tickets-159522824061.

Number of Canadians receiving regular EI benefits rose to 1.6 million in April

The number of Canadians receiving regular EI benefits rose 9.8% (+144,000) to 1.6 million in April. Results from the Labour Force Survey (LFS) indicate that employment fell by 207,000 in April, while unemployment rose to 1.6 million, including 1.4 million people who were looking for work and 200,000 who had a connection to a job, because they either were on temporary layoff or had arrangements to begin a new job in the near future.

In late September, temporary changes were introduced to the EI program, including a reduction in the number of insurable hours required for EI eligibility. In April, the proportion of regular EI beneficiaries qualifying for EI under these new eligibility rules increased in all provinces compared with when the new rules took effect.

The number of regular EI beneficiaries increased in seven provinces in April, led by Ontario (+101,000; +19.1%) and British Columbia (+20,000; +12.1%). Ontario accounted for 70.5% of the monthly increase in total regular EI beneficiaries, reflecting both the reintroduction of strict public health measures and the spring break closure of schools in the province.

Reading Recommendations

Canadian regulator lifts banks’ capital buffer to record, priming for post-pandemic world

Reuters

Canada’s financial regulator raised the amount of capital the country’s biggest lenders must hold to guard against risks to a record 2.5% of risk-weighted assets, from 1% currently, in a surprise move that could pave the way for them to resume dividend increases and share buybacks.

The new measures, which take effect on Oct. 31, is a sign that the economic and market disruptions stemming from the coronavirus pandemic have abated and banks’ capital levels have been resilient, the Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions (OSFI) said in a statement.

But the regulator acknowledged that key vulnerabilities, including household and corporate debt levels, as well as asset imbalances caused by steep increase in home prices over the past year, remain.

Central bankers play down soaring cost of living

CBC News

How big of a raise did you get last year? In Canada or the U.S., if it wasn’t in the four to five per cent range you really did not get much of an increase at all.

On Wednesday, after a year of repeating that he wasn’t going to discuss cutting back on monetary stimulus, the world’s most powerful central banker, Jerome Powell, finally changed his tune.

The chair of the U.S. Federal Reserve said he and advisors are now “talking about talking about” cutting back on bond buying — a key part of stimulus during the pandemic, and the bank signalled interest rates hikes could come in 2023.

But as prices in Canada soared by 3.6 percent, hot on the tail of U.S. inflation currently running at five per cent after that economy opened up sooner, it is by no means clear those efforts will give you back the money you’ve lost.