In this edition:
Applications for Low Carbon Economy Fund open
Niagara College earns top-3 place in Canada
Province to fund Niagara wastewater infrastructure
Second round of applications for Low Carbon Economy Fund open
On January 27, 2022, the Government of Canada opened the second round of applications for $200 million in funding for climate action initiatives through the Government of Canada’s Low Carbon Economy Fund Champions stream.
The Champions stream is open to a wide range of applicants, including:
- provincial governments, bodies, and boards
- territorial governments, bodies, and boards
- regional, local, and municipal governments
- First Nations, Métis, and Inuit governments, communities, and organizations
- public sector bodies and boards
- not-for-profit organizations
- private sector for-profit small, medium, and large businesses
Applicants can request between $1 million and $25 million in funding for eligible project expenditures, with cost-share ranging from 25 percent to 75 percent of total project costs depending on the recipient type.
Click here for more information.
Niagara College earns top-3 place among research colleges in Canada
For the seventh year in a row, Niagara College has earned the honour of being in the top 10 colleges in the country for research funding.
What’s more, based on the annual ranking released on January 27 by Research Infosource, Niagara College landed in the top 3 for the 2020 study year, based on total research funding. The national study, entitled “Canada’s Top 50 Research Colleges,” shows a steady placement of seven years in a row in the top 10 – including No. 1 in the 2018 funding year – since NC earned spot No. 10 in the 2014 research funding year.
Click here for more information.
Niagara Region will receive provincial funds for storm and wastewater infrastructure
The Ontario government is investing $15 million over two years to help 18 municipalities, including Niagara Region, improve aging and outdated storm and wastewater infrastructure.
Eligible municipalities will be able to use the funds for minor sewage treatment plant improvements such as optimization, local sewer system upgrades, cleaning out sediment and debris from stormwater management ponds, and putting green stormwater infrastructure in place.
The government will also provide funds to help improve monitoring and public reporting capacity of sewage overflows and bypasses.
Click here for more information.
Reading Recommendations
Uber, Canadian union reach deal to support gig worker benefits, flexibility
Reuters
Uber Technologies Inc. on Thursday said it had reached an agreement with Canada’s largest services sector union to support the ride-hail and food delivery company’s proposal of a benefits fund without altering gig workers’ status as independent contractors.
Uber said the agreement with United Food and Commercial Workers Canada (UFCW Canada) would also ensure the company’s 100,000 Canadian drivers and delivery workers can receive union representation when workers face deactivation of their accounts, or during other disputes with the company.
Central banks talk about inflation, but are they losing credibility when interest rates don’t budge?
CBC News
Both the Bank of Canada and the U.S. Federal Reserve say they are really, really going to raise interest rates very, very soon.
But in separate news conferences on Wednesday they made it clear that neither of them are ready to do it just yet.
With the Canadian dollar surging above 80 cents US last week, there were a lot of people convinced that Tiff Macklem, governor of the Bank of Canada, was going to move first and hike rates this week. He didn’t.
The delay in a Canadian rate hike that so many had expected was described by one analyst as a “policy misstep” that could fan the flames of inflation and the housing market.
A reporter at the Wednesday news conference asked Macklem if he had lost the confidence of Canadians after his predictions about inflation proved wrong.
Why do we even have to file a tax return in the first place?
Financial Post
The Canada Revenue Agency last week released the 2021 income tax packages in preparation for the upcoming tax season and, while electronic filing doesn’t open until Feb. 21, now is a great time to start gathering all your information to prepare your 2021 return.
Complying with our complex tax system costs time, effort and money, and is aggravating to boot. As a result, most turn to tax-preparation service providers. Others use software packages that help guide even the most novice tax filer through the process. But even those who file their own returns need tax advice and must keep proper documentation to take advantage of all the various tax credits and deductions, which increases their tax compliance costs.
A 2013 study estimated that the total costs of complying with personal income tax provisions, including the value of time spent, money spent and costs of appeals, ranged between $4.6 billion and $6.7 billion in 2011. All of this cost and hassle begs the question: Why do we even have to file tax returns in the first place?
Disclosure: The GNCC has previously lobbied for the simplification of the Canadian tax code.
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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.
