In this edition:
- Provincial and federal governments to offer financial support for grape growers and beekeepers affected by extreme weather
- Vineland Research opens restored and renamed Jordan Building
- Hoverlink CEO says cross-lake transit plan OK’d on Niagara side
- St. Catharines introduces 2023 Summer Company Showcase
- Welland a good fit for casting company Linamar, says CEO
- Most Canadians skeptical of corporate sustainability claims: Deloitte
- GNCC issues call for EDI Advisory Committee members
- Grimsby Hospice receives Provincial funding
- Niagara Health Foundation receives large donation for new South Niagara hospital
Provincial and federal governments to offer financial support for grape growers and beekeepers affected by extreme weather
The governments of Canada and Ontario are investing up to $10 million through the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership to help the grape growing and beekeeping sectors offset extraordinary costs caused by significant grapevine and bee colony losses due to extreme weather conditions in 2021-22.
Two new AgriRecovery initiatives will provide up to $5 million for eligible grape growers and up to $5 million for eligible commercial beekeepers.
Vineland Research opens restored and renamed Jordan Building
Vineland Research and Innovation Centre (Vineland) is celebrating the opening of its newly restored and renamed Jordan Building. The building will provide a centralized laboratory and office space for Vineland’s Plant Responses and the Environment team to develop resilient and sustainable best practices for natural landscapes in horticulture.
Hoverlink CEO says cross-lake transit plan OK’d on Niagara side
The plan for a hovercraft on Lake Ontario to connect Niagara and Toronto has passed a major hurdle, Hoverlink chief executive officer Chris Morgan says. Morgan said the company has received all of its approvals and a lease to set up operations in St. Catharines’ Port Weller for the planned rapid transport route.
“All permits, permissions, approvals, consultations and approved revisions are completed for the Port Weller site,” Morgan said this week in an interview with The St. Catharines Standard.
St. Catharines introduces 2023 Summer Company Showcase
The St. Catharines Enterprise Centre is pleased to announce its 2023 Summer Company Showcase.
The event, which is being held in the third floor Burgoyne Woods Room at St. Catharines City Hall, will run from 3 p.m. until 5 p.m. on June 28, 2023. It will feature eight exciting new businesses, started by entrepreneurs between the ages of 15 and 29 as part of the City’s Summer Company Program.
The services available for purchase include roof/gutter cleaning, freeze-dried snacks, wildlife photography, mobile auto detailing, embroidered clothing, math tutoring, outdoor furniture, and landscape construction.
Welland a good fit for casting company Linamar, says CEO
Welland is a good fit for Linamar’s new 27,870-square-metre Giga casting facility, says the company’s chief executive officer, Linda Hasenfratz.
“We were looking to be within a certain radius of our customer base … with a combination of where we saw labour and land availability. Cost was also a factor,” said Hasenfratz.
She said the company evaluated a few options as it searched southern Ontario.
Most Canadians skeptical of corporate sustainability claims: Deloitte
Deloitte Canada’s latest report, Creating value from sustainable products: How business purpose and brand trust can make the difference, reveals a substantial disconnect between how brands and consumers regard sustainability claims and products. Companies gain an advantage by closing the perception gap and validating those claims.
According to the survey, 57 per cent of Canadian consumers do not believe most green claims brands make. Consumers are confused and frustrated by the proliferation of sustainability claims, while business leaders think the public has a significant (71 per cent) or moderate level of trust in the authenticity of those claims.
GNCC issues call for EDI Advisory Committee members
The Greater Niagara Chamber of Commerce (GNCC) is dedicated to creating an inclusive and equitable environment where every voice is heard and valued. To further our commitment, we are looking for passionate individuals to join our Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) Advisory Committee.
Members of our EDI Advisory Committee will play a pivotal role in shaping our culture and driving meaningful change. They will collaborate with Board members and senior leadership to develop and implement strategies that promote equity, diversity, and inclusion in all aspects of our organization.
Grimsby Hospice receives Provincial funding
McNally House Hospice is getting over $1,400,000 from the Hospice Capital Program.
The money will be used to increase the number of residential hospice beds from six to ten, supporting nursing care, and increasing access to palliative care.
“The capital expansion of care from six to ten beds at McNally House Hospice, as well as the additional operational funding, reaffirms our government’s commitment to high-quality palliative care in our region and the extraordinary work of the leadership and frontline team at McNally House,” says Niagara West MPP Sam Oosterhoff.
Niagara Health Foundation receives large donation for new South Niagara hospital
The Sottile Family has generously pledged $500,000 to the It’s Our Future campaign to support the new South Niagara hospital of Niagara Health.
In recognition of the donation, the waiting area of the new hospital will be named The Sottile Family Waiting Area.
The new South Niagara hospital will have 469 beds, adding 156 more beds to the region.
It will feature centres of excellence in complex care, wellness in aging and stroke, a full-service Emergency Department and Intensive Care Unit, surgical care, dialysis, diagnostics and more.
Did you know?
The world’s steel production is enough to build 548 Eiffel Towers every day.
Focus on Equity, Diversity & Inclusion
Gender pay gap narrowing, but still hovers above 20 per cent
A new report says the gender pay gap in Canada narrowed last year compared with 2021, but still stood at more than 20 per cent.
The survey for payroll company ADP Canada says working Canadians who self-identify as women reported earning 21 per cent less than workers who self-identify as men last year.
The report showed a gap of 24 per cent for 2021, while it stood at 21 per cent in 2020.
The survey recorded self-reported gross salaries for 2022 from both part- and full-time employees.
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.
