Have your say on Niagara transit consolidation
Built on years of public consultation and feedback, Niagara’s proposal for a consolidated transit system includes a governance structure and a Service Standards Strategy that would provide service to all of Niagara. It also includes a financial model that aligns with this plan.
An efficient and effective public transit system is vitally important to businesses and the economy. It enables people to access jobs, education, stores, and leisure, driving business activity across the region.
Please help to improve public transit service in Niagara by completing this survey from the Linking Niagara Transit Committee.
Province celebrates Manufacturing Day
The Ontario government, in partnership with Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters (CME), has announced October 1 as Manufacturing Day. The day celebrates Ontario’s manufacturers, their hard-working employees, and a collective commitment to ensuring that Ontario maintains its status as the economic engine of Canada.
The celebration will lead up to a virtual event on October 29, with virtual open-door plant tours, allowing young people and educators to learn about the sector’s successes and strengths from local manufacturers and suppliers, as well as an industry panel discussion
The government is encouraging young people to consider an exciting career in a sector that in 2020 accounted for 650,000 jobs and close to 12 per cent of the province’s Gross Domestic Product.
Click here for more information.
2022 Budget Engagement begins at City of Niagara Falls
As the City of Niagara Falls prepares for the 2022 budget, members of the public are invited to participate in a public engagement process to gather feedback on priorities and key considerations.
The 2022 Budget page on Let’s Talk Niagara Falls is a one-stop shop for the latest news, updates, and engagement opportunities relating to next year’s budget.
Engagement kicks off today with an online survey.
Click here for more information.
Lieutenant Governor to deliver Ontario Speech from the Throne
Her Honour the Honourable Elizabeth Dowdeswell, Lieutenant Governor of Ontario, will deliver the Speech from the Throne to open the Fall Session of the 42nd Parliament of Ontario at 9:00 a.m. on Monday, October 4th.
Watch the livestream with English closed captioning on the Government of Ontario YouTube Channel or with French closed captioning at Chaîne YouTube du gouvernement de l’Ontario.
Ontario recommends the use of Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for individuals aged 18-24
Out of an abundance of caution, Ontario is issuing a preferential recommendation of the use of Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for individuals aged 18-24 years old effective immediately based on the current available analysis from Ontario’s adverse events following immunization (AEFI) surveillance system.
This recommendation was based on the advice of Ontario’s Children COVID-19 Vaccine Table, Ontario Vaccine Clinical Advisory Group, and Public Health Ontario and is due to an observed increase in Ontario of the very rare heart condition called pericarditis/myocarditis following vaccination with Moderna compared to Pfizer in the 18 to 24 year old age group, particularly among males. The majority of reported cases have been mild with individuals recovering quickly, normally with anti-inflammatory medication. Symptoms have typically been reported to start within one week after vaccination, more commonly after the second dose.
Click here to read the statement from Ontario’s Chief Medical Officer of Health.
Reading Recommendations
Canada’s economy seen rebounding on hospitality sector growth
Reuters
Canada’s economy likely rebounded in August from a slight contraction in July, buoyed by growth in the hospitality industry, though a withering drought will continue to drag on the important agriculture sector, data showed on Friday.
The Canadian economy contracted 0.1% in July, just beating analyst estimates of a decline of 0.2%, but likely grew by 0.7% in August on jumps in services and manufacturing, Statistics Canada said. The August number is a preliminary estimate.
With the expected rise in August, total economic activity is about 1% below pre-pandemic levels, Statscan said.
“The slightly smaller-than-expected setback in July and nice pop in August suggest that the economy managed to grind out some moderate growth in the summer quarter as a whole,” Doug Porter, chief economist at BMO Capital Markets, said in a note.
Kingston pub loses liquor licence for breaking pandemic rules
CBC News
A Kingston, Ont., sports pub can no longer serve alcohol as Ontario’s alcohol licensing agency, the AGCO, has removed its licence for breaking pandemic rules.
The decision comes about a week after J.A.K.K. Tuesdays shared on Facebook it wouldn’t enforce the province’s proof-of-vaccine rules, which came into effect Sept. 22.
The AGCO said in a Thursday news release officials with the pub told the agency on Sept. 10 it wouldn’t enforce the Reopening Ontario Act, which covers vaccine rules along with what’s allowed under Step 3 of the province’s reopening plan.
The pub also posted signs saying it wouldn’t follow the rules.
Featured Content
The Workforce Equation
Niagara Workforce Planning Board
Recently, job vacancies have become a common topic of conversation surrounding the world of work. This week, the Financial Post published an article demonstrating that difficulties finding employees are not only experienced in one particular sector, but is a trend seen across multiple industries – likely for a variety of reasons. NWPB has been hearing similar insights from employers, and our local job demand project shows that there are available jobs across many industries.
Pairing these employer experiences with local unemployment rates, which still surpass those seen prior to the pandemic, points to further conversations that may need to occur around workforce development. These conversations should incorporate strategies such as working collaboratively with employers and job seekers on ways to meet the unique needs of both sides of the “workforce equation” through workplace education, policy development, addressing barriers to employment, and beyond.
For more insights on local labour force trends, visit our website at www.nwpb.ca.
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 25, 2021
Click here for definitions of terms used in this table.
On September 30, there were 15 patients admitted to Niagara Health with COVID-19, 13 of whom were unvaccinated and 2 of whom were fully vaccinated. There were 2 patients with COVID-19 in a Niagara Health Intensive Care Unit.
Over the last 28 days, a Niagara resident vaccinated with 1 dose was 4.3 times more likely to contract COVID-19, and an unvaccinated person was 7.9 times more likely. The average weekly rate of hospitalized cases in unvaccinated Canadians was 38 times higher compared to fully vaccinated people. Niagara Health has reported that no vaccinated patients have required intensive care to date.
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: 705,703
New daily doses administered to Niagara residents: 1,210
Last updated: October 1, 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.
