In this edition:
Niagara business leaders honoured
Premier Ford announces new cabinet
Regional Council adopts new Official Plan
Niagara Economic Development releases 10-Year Strategy
Number of working Canadians increases by 126,000
Niagara College to suspend mandatory mask policy
Vision Greens raises $7M to boost domestic lettuce supply
Niagara business leaders honoured at Business Achievement Awards
Last night, the GNCC held the 18th annual Niagara Business Achievement Awards, presented by RBC. Over three hundred gathered to recognize and honour the achievements of businesses, non-profits, and professionals who have made a difference in Niagara’s business community.
CAA Niagara, Business of the Year 2022
The winners in 2022 are:
Young Professional Award (sponsored by Bell): Arienne Good
Outstanding New Business (sponsored by Niagara College): Captains Cabin Café
Excellence in Business: up to 25 Employees: Hero Dog Treats
Excellence in Business: 26 Employees or More (sponsored by MNP): PBI – Printing by Innovation Inc.
Excellence in Business: Not-for-Profit (sponsored by Fedcap Canada): Community Crew
Technology and Innovation Award (sponsored by Innovate Niagara): Dine Niagara
Excellence in Manufacturing (sponsored by Brock University’s Professional and Continuing Studies): General Motors St. Catharines
Excellence in Tourism and Hospitality: Niagara West Tourism Association
Excellence in Agribusiness, Farming and Rural Achievement (sponsored by Niagara Peninsula Energy): Sunrise Greenhouses
Environmental Leadership Award (sponsored by Walker): Bench Brewing Company Inc.
Business of the Year (sponsored by RBC): CAA Niagara
Bestowed Awards
Community Leadership (sponsored by Niagara Region Economic Development): Caroline Mann. This award recognizes an individual or individuals whose leadership has made a significant impact in the community.
Entrepreneur of the Year (sponsored by Meridian Credit Union): Bill Schenck, Schenck Farms & Greenhouses. This award celebrates a Niagara entrepreneur whose work has been impactful or exceptionally significant in the region.
Innovative Leader Award (sponsored by CAA Niagara): Keith Simmonds, Great Wolf Lodge. This award celebrates prominent business leaders who show exemplary dedication to their community through volunteer efforts.
Builder of the Year: Merit Contractors Niagara. This award is presented to a company that has had an historically significant impact on the economic prosperity of the community.
Premier Ford announces new cabinet
The new Executive Council includes the following:
- Doug Ford, Premier of Ontario and Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs
- Sylvia Jones, Deputy Premier and Minister of Health
- Peter Bethlenfalvy, Minister of Finance
- Paul Calandra, Minister of Long-Term Care, Minister of Legislative Affairs and Government House Leader
- Raymond Cho, Minister for Seniors and Accessibility
- Steve Clark, Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing
- Doug Downey, Attorney General
- Jill Dunlop, Minister of Colleges and Universities
- Vic Fedeli, Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade, with an additional mandate for small business
- Michael Ford, Minister of Citizenship and Multiculturalism
- Merrilee Fullerton, Minister of Children, Community and Social Services
- Parm Gill, Minister of Red Tape Reduction
- Michael Kerzner, Solicitor General
- Stephen Lecce, Minister of Education
- Neil Lumsden, Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport
- Monte McNaughton, Minister of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development
- Caroline Mulroney, Minister of Transportation and Minister of Francophone Affairs
- David Piccini, Minister of the Environment, Conservation and Parks
- Graydon Smith, Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry
- George Pirie, Minister of Mines, with a mandate to develop the Ring of Fire
- Kaleed Rasheed, Minister of Public and Business Service Delivery
- Greg Rickford, Minister of Northern Development and Minister of Indigenous Affairs
- Prabmeet Sarkaria, President of the Treasury Board, with an expanded mandate for emergency management and procurement, including Supply Ontario
- Todd Smith, Minister of Energy
- Kinga Surma, Minister of Infrastructure, with an additional mandate for government real estate
- Lisa Thompson, Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs
- Stan Cho, Associate Minister of Transportation
- Michael Parsa, Associate Minister of Housing
- Michael Tibollo, Associate Minister of Mental Health and Addictions
- Charmaine Williams, Associate Minister of Women’s Social and Economic Opportunity
Regional Council adopts new Official Plan, submitting to Province for approval
Niagara Regional Council adopted the Niagara Official Plan at the June 23 Council meeting. The new plan sets a vision for our communities and guides development and growth to 2051. Once approved by the Province, the new plan will replace the existing official plan.
Niagara is expected to grow by 202,000 people and 85,000 jobs over the next 30 years. Growth management policies aim to direct and prioritize growth to areas where transit and other infrastructure currently exists or is planned, including urban growth centres, regional growth centres, major transit station areas, and other strategic growth areas.
Niagara Economic Development releases Niagara’s 10-Year Economic Development Strategy
Last night, Niagara Region ratified its new 10-Year Economic Development Strategy. The Strategy aims to establish a strong and sustainable regional economy over the next 10 years and has been identified as one of Regional Council’s priority projects.
Currently, Niagara is experiencing exceptional growth in terms of investment, development and forecasting dramatic population increases. The 10-Year Economic Development Strategy outlines strategic directions, goals and actions that will guide Regional Economic Development staff as they collaborate with partners on its implementation. Decisions made now will shape the future of Niagara’s economy.
Number of working Canadians increases by 126,000
The number of employees receiving pay or benefits from their employer—measured by the Survey of Employment, Payrolls and Hours (SEPH)—increased by 126,000 (+0.7%) in April. Gains were spread across all provinces except for Quebec, which reported little change. Ontario (+49,900; +0.7%), Alberta (+37,200; +1.9%) and British Columbia (+16,600; +0.7%) reported the largest payroll employment increases in April.
Average weekly earnings were $1,170 in April, essentially unchanged from March. On a year-over-year basis, average weekly earnings increased 4.0% in April, slightly lower than the year-over-year increase observed in March (+4.2%). Average weekly hours worked were little changed in April compared with the previous month, sitting at 1.8% above its pre-COVID level.
Niagara College to suspend mandatory mask policy on July 4
Niagara College will suspend the mandatory mask policy for its campuses as of July 4. Recognizing that key COVID indicators continue to fluctuate, masking will still be encouraged at Niagara College campuses but will no longer be mandatory except in specific academic areas where enhanced personal protective equipment (PPE) requirements are already in place. These requirements will be communicated at the program level. Niagara College campuses will continue to be a mask-friendly environment where all members of the college community are supportive and respectful of individual choices with regards to masking.
Vision Greens raises $7M to boost domestic lettuce supply
Ontario-based vertical farm startup Vision Greens announced that it has raised $7 million.
Vision Green’s says it has received investments from business groups, including members of the Canadian grocery segment who desire to help change Canada’s food supply system.
“Vision Greens has an edge in this emerging space because it has the technology and the methodology to scale quickly and provide millions of Canadians with an affordable, and sustainable way to eat,” said Grant Froese, Vision Greens board member, grocery industry veteran and former COO, Loblaw Companies Limited in a statement.
Vision Green’s attests that its Foodland Ontario certified produce is grown, harvested and packaged at its Welland, Ont. farm and travels less than 200 km or or 92 per cent less food kilometres than imported lettuce to get from farm to table. The company grows its produce 365-days a year.
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This is who’s in and who’s out of Doug Ford’s cabinet
CTV News
Ontario Premier Doug Ford has unveiled his cabinet for the 43rd Parliament of Ontario.
Ford has made some big changes to his front and back benches, including appointing a new Minister of Health, keeping the current education minister in place, and adding a newly-elected MPP to the Tourism, Culture and Sport file.
This is who’s in and who’s out of the 30-person Progressive Conservative cabinet.
41% of Canadians don’t trust BoC will tame inflation, poll suggests
BNN Bloomberg
Confidence among Canadians that their country’s central bank can get inflation under control is shaky at best, a new Angus Reid Institute (ARI) poll suggests.
The results showed 41 per cent of respondents said they don’t trust the Bank of Canada to fulfill its mandate of returning inflation to two per cent. Only 46 per cent said they were confident in the central bank.
The mistrust widens when the results are examined along political party lines.
ARI found 59 per cent of Conservative Party of Canada voters and 86 per cent of People’s Party of Canada voters said they don’t have confidence in the central bank.
Meanwhile, 69 per cent of Liberal supporters and 47 per cent who voted NDP in the last federal election said they have faith in the bank.
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.
