Ministry of Health offers clarifications for businesses on Proof of Vaccination rules
The Ministry of Health has released an FAQ document for businesses detailing the requirements of the Proof of Vaccination rules which will take effect on the 22nd. Topics addressed include affected businesses, government support, vaccination policies for employees, retention of information, acceptable proof of vaccination, medical exemptions, and more.
Click here to see the list of clarifications.
Learn more about COVID-19 vaccines here.
Five major Niagara employers announce mandatory employee vaccination policy
Andrew Peller Ltd., Vintage Hotels, Arterra Wines Canada, Rankin Construction Inc., and Great Wolf Lodge Niagara Falls have announced that they will be introducing new health and safety policies to further protect employees and customers that make it mandatory for all employees to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19.
Each firm will develop its own individual policies in compliance with legislation, but all five firms recognize that vaccination is the most effective way to protect both employees and customers. Each company will fulfill its duties to accommodate employees who, for valid reasons such as medical conditions, cannot be vaccinated. Proven accommodations that do not put others at risk will be considered.
Click here to read the announcement (PDF link).
St. Catharines approves development charges bylaw
St. Catharines City Council has approved the re-introduction of development charges. After extensive public engagement with the community and stakeholders – including the development industry and the City’s Development Studies Task Force, Council approved a development charges background study and bylaw Monday night, paving the way for development charge bylaw to come into effect January 1, 2022. Development charges are fees imposed on land development and redevelopment projects to help pay for the cost of infrastructure required to provide municipal services to new development, such as roads; transit; water and sewer infrastructure; fire services infrastructure; and park amenities and community centres.
Click here for more information.
Inflation grows at fastest rate since 2003
The Consumer Price Index (CPI) rose 4.1% on a year-over-year basis in August, the fastest pace since March 2003, up from a 3.7% gain in July. The increase in prices mainly stems from an accumulation of recent price pressures and from lower price levels in 2020. Excluding gasoline, the CPI rose 3.2% year over year.
The Election Section
Niagara federal vote projections
[visualizer id=”27072″ lazy=”no” class=””]
Seats (Projection)
| Niagara Centre | Niagara Falls | Niagara West | St. Catharines | Canada (338canada) | Canada (CBC) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bloc Quebecois | 7% (32 seats) | 6.8% (31 seats) | ||||
| Conservative Party | 30% | 38% | 46% | 32% | 31.4% (126 seats) | 31% (119 seats) |
| Green Party | 3% | 3.7% | 3.9% | 3.5% | 3.4% (2 seats) | 3.5% (1 seat) |
| Liberal Party | 35% | 31% | 29% | 36% | 31.9% (148 seats) | 31.5% (155 seats) |
| New Democratic Party | 24% | 21% | 14% | 23% | 19.3% (31 seats) | 19.1% (32 seats) |
| People's Party | 7.6% | 6% | 6.5% | 5.8% | 6% (0 seats) | 7% (0 seats) |
| Christian Heritage | - | - | 1.1% | - | - | - |
Data are provided by 338canada.com and the CBC using an aggregate of polls. Projections are updated daily. Click here for more information and margins of error.
Download the Canadian Chamber’s policy tracker, which summarizes party commitments made to date.
Niagara’s Prosperity Matters: Build a modern economy
The post-COVID economy will need to be more flexible and responsive, with better data and support for resilient and non-traditional business models.
The GNCC is calling on all parties to undertake a comprehensive and independent tax system review. The Canadian tax code has been patched and amended for half a century. A comprehensive reform and simplification will ensure our country remains globally competitive and attractive for investment given the upcoming global tax regime changes being discussed at the OECD.
The GNCC also asks all parties to commit to making Canadian trade and import regimes competitive. Canadian border communities such as Niagara would benefit from tax- and duty-free zones for manufacturing and other value-additive processes. The government should develop such zones along the lines of those already seen in our trade competitors.
Click here to read more about the GNCC’s Niagara Prosperity Plan.
Canadians rush to early polls in election, mail-in ballots underwhelm
Reuters
Canadians voted in advanced polls in record numbers ahead of an upcoming election, some looking to beat crowds amid the coronavirus pandemic, according to data released this week, though an expected avalanche of mail-in ballots has failed to materialize.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who called the snap Sept. 20 election to try to secure a majority, is now fighting to keep his job with his Liberal party in a tight race against their main rival, the Conservatives.
Nearly 5.8 million Canadians voted early this election, up 18.5% from the 2019 vote, preliminary data from Elections Canada shows. Separately, a record 1.2 million mail-in ballots have also been issued, though that is far fewer here than the 2.3 million to 4.3 million range Elections Canada had predicted.
Reading Recommendations
Inflation rate spikes to 4.1% in August, highest since 2003
CBC News
Canada’s consumer price index touched its highest level in almost two decades last month, as the price of just about everything is up sharply compared to the lows of a year ago.
Statistics Canada reported Wednesday that the inflation rate hit 4.1 per cent in August, the highest level since 2003. That’s up from 3.7 per cent in July, which was already the highest rate in a decade.
Just about every type of good or service was a lot more expensive in August than it was a year earlier, including shelter (up 4.8 per cent), transportation (8.7 per cent) and food (2.7 per cent).
The homeowners’ replacement cost index, which is related to the price of new homes, rose by 14 per cent in the year up to August. That’s the sharpest jump in that metric since 1987.
Salaries set to rise the most in five years in 2022 — and these sectors will see the biggest raises
Financial Post
Canadian employers are planning to boost salaries in 2022 as the war for talent continues apace — but pay may no longer be what employees value most.
Employers are projecting salary increases in line with pre-pandemic levels and a sharp drop in salary freezes, reflecting growing certainty with the economic recovery and a need to compete for top talent, according to new surveys by consultancies Normandin Beaudry and Lifeworks Inc.
Normandin Beaudry found the national salary increase is expected to rise to 2.8 per cent, excluding freezes, in 2022, while Lifeworks projected 2.7 per cent increases, excluding freezes. Lifeworks said the actual base salary increase minus freezes in 2021 was 2.6 per cent.
Niagara COVID-19 statistics tracker
These data show the status of the COVID-19 pandemic in Niagara. The Province of Ontario is now using a provincewide approach to reopening, and these data no longer have any influence on Niagara’s restrictions. Lower numbers are better in all metrics.
| December 18 | December 25 | January 1 | January 8 | January 15 | January 22 | January 29 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reproductive number | 1.4 | 1.8 | 1.4 | 1.1 | 1.0 | 0.7 | 0.9 |
| New cases per 100,000 | 101.2 | 267.3 | 469.8 | 575.8 | 507.1 | 295.5 | 250.6 |
| New cases per day (not including outbreaks) | 60.7 | 178.7 | 311.7 | 376.9 | 325.4 | 182.7 | 145.7 |
| Percent of hospital beds occupied | 97% | 95.2% | 98.2% | 103.2% | 104.5% | 103.6% | 106% |
| Percent of intensive care beds occupied | 78.8% | 77.3% | 87.9% | 87.9% | 90.9% | 89.4% | 93.9% |
| Percentage of positive tests | 6.1% | 15.6% | 28.1% | 28.6% | 26.6% | 21.2% | 16.2% |
Last updated: September 4, 2021
Click here for definitions of terms used in this table.
On September 14, there were 13 patients admitted to Niagara Health with COVID-19, of which 12 were unvaccinated, 0 were partially vaccinated, and 1 was fully vaccinated. There were 4 patients with COVID-19 in a Niagara Health Intensive Care Unit.
Over the last 28 days, a Niagara resident vaccinated with 1 dose was 4.2 times more likely to contract COVID-19, and an unvaccinated person was 7.5 times more likely.
Data are drawn from Niagara Region Public Health and Niagara Health.
Niagara COVID vaccination tracker
Niagara’s most up-to-date vaccination numbers are presented below, along with comparison data from Ontario, Canada, and G7 countries.
| Percentage of population with one dose | Percentage of population fully vaccinated | |
|---|---|---|
| Niagara | 82.7% | 78.2% |
| Ontario | 84.6% | 79.1% |
| Canada | 84.7% | 78.6% |
| United States | 75% | 64% |
| United Kingdom | 78% | 72% |
| Germany | 76% | 74% |
| France | 80% | 77% |
| Italy | 83% | 76% |
| Japan | 80% | 79% |
| World | 63% | 53% |
Total doses administered in Niagara: 682,181
New daily doses administered to Niagara residents: 1,138
Last updated: September 14, 2021
Data are drawn from Niagara Region, the Government of Ontario, and Oxford University’s Our World in Data project.
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.
Information on government grants, resources, and programs, policies, forms, and posters for download and use, are available here. The GNCC is here to support you. Contact us with any questions you have.
Through the Daily Updates, the GNCC aims to deliver important business news in a timely manner. We disseminate all news and information we feel will be important to businesses. Inclusion in the Daily Update is not an endorsement by the GNCC.
