In this edition:
- Government was warned two years ago high immigration could affect housing costs
- Canada is warming faster than anywhere else on earth
- Canada tax changes to be aware of in 2024
- Why you should start thinking about the heat now
- Canada joins international deal to make document certification faster, cheaper
- Owners of former St. Catharines hospital site in receivership
- Focus on Equity, Diversity & Inclusion
Government was warned two years ago high immigration could affect housing costs
Federal public servants warned the government two years ago that large increases to immigration could affect housing affordability and services, internal documents show.
Documents obtained by The Canadian Press through an access-to-information request show Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) analyzed the potential effects immigration would have on the economy, housing and services, as it prepared its immigration targets for 2023 to 2025.
2023 was the hottest year in history — and Canada is warming faster than anywhere else on earth
On Jan. 9, 2024, the European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service (CCCS) announced that their analysis confirmed that 2023 was the hottest year on record since 1850, when humans began burning fossil fuels at a major scale. The global average temperature was 1.48 C warmer than pre-industrial levels and much warmer (0.17 C) than 2016, the previous warmest year.
The map of surface air temperature anomalies around the globe, compared to the 1991–2020 average, shows large geographical variations and that some of the warmest areas are in Canada.
Canada tax changes to be aware of in 2024
There are a number of new tax measures and reporting requirements Canadians should keep in mind when filing their 2023 returns this spring.
Here is a list of important tax changes and dates, with insights from a tax professional.
Why you should start thinking about the heat now
As winter settles in and temperatures drop, it might seem counterintuitive to talk about heat-related safety concerns. However, forward-thinking health and safety professionals are already turning their attention to this critical issue, because 2024 is forecasted to be even hotter than 2023.
“I think one is the practical implication that if it’s going to be hotter, then there’s the potential to have more workers impacted by heat stress or illness,” says Clare Epstein, general manager of commercial at Vector Solutions, an e-learning training provider specializing in workplace safety.
Canada joins international deal to make document certification faster, cheaper
Canadians who need to certify documents for use abroad should find the process faster — and cheaper — starting today, now that Canada has joined the largest international convention for verifying documents.
The 1961 Apostille Convention streamlines the process for certifying documents for use in the other 125 countries that have signed the convention. Canada agreed to join the convention in May 2023 and the changes come into effect today across the country.
Owners of former St. Catharines hospital site in receivership
Plans for a 1,131-unit housing development on the former St. Catharines General Hospital site on Queenston Street are up in the air after the property was placed in receivership.
Court documents claim property owner 2807823 Ontario Inc. owes just over $10 million to its money lender and missed its deadline to pay up.
The development of the 12-acre property at 142 Queenston St. has been highly anticipated by residents and the city since the hospital vacated the site in March 2013.
Did you know?
Focus on Equity, Diversity & Inclusion
Why ineffective diversity training won’t go away
Most people who start a new company job know the drill. In addition to meetings and an office tour, orientation day typically includes sitting through a session or clicking through a set of virtual slides – with a quiz to follow – on diversity and sensitivity training.
Ubiquitous in large workplaces across the globe, these company-wide sessions are staples at Fortune 500 companies and smaller organisations alike. “They’re everywhere,” says Pamela Newkirk, the New York-based author of the book Diversity, Inc: The Failed Promise of a Billion-Dollar Business. “Every major company… every major institution whether it’s academia or fashion – that seems to be the go-to strategy for dealing with the lack of diversity.”
This training is so widespread that it’s developed into a lucrative industry. Yet research indicates that diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) training does very little to affect change within a workplace.
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.
