In this edition:
- Niagara not mentioned in GO Transit expansion plan
- Officials in Lincoln concerned about cap on new development charges
- LCBO union opposes Ford government’s alcohol sales expansion to big box stores
- Welland Downtown BIA executive director sees opportunity in city core
- Household net worth increases as rally in financial markets outweighs cooling in housing
- Project Arrow 2.0 information session hosted by Welland’s economic development office
- Focus on Climate
Niagara not mentioned in GO Transit expansion plan
It doesn’t appear Niagara will be part of GO Transit’s largest service expansion in 11 years.
In its largest service expansion since 2013, GO Transit will be introducing 308 new weekly rail trips April 28, according to an update from Metrolinx that was mistakenly published early.
While the original post from Metrolinx, which owns and operates GO Transit, has since been taken down, it has been shared on Reddit.
Officials in Lincoln concerned about cap on new development charges
The Town of Lincoln could miss out on millions of dollars in development charges over the next five years.
With Lincoln’s development charges bylaw expiring at the end of April, town officials are working on new legislation.
But, under the province’s More Homes Built Faster Act (Bill 23), development charges are capped at 80 per cent in Year 1 as soon as a new bylaw is passed.
LCBO union opposes Ford government’s alcohol sales expansion to big box stores
A promise to expand alcohol sales in Ontario at big box grocers, gas stations and retailers is receiving pushback from the union representing the LCBO.
LCBO employees represented by OPSEU/SEFPO rallied Tuesday (March 12) in 11 cities across Ontario at the constituency offices of provincial government MPPs and another government office. The union is demanding a stop to the sell-off of the LCBO by the Ford government in the lead up to their new round of bargaining starting March 13.
Welland Downtown BIA executive director sees opportunity in city core
Revitalizing and reinvigorating the city’s downtown core is fraught with challenges, says Welland Downtown Business Improvement Area’s new executive director.
But instead of looking at boarded-up and empty buildings and storefronts in the BIA’s catchment area solely as eyesores, Lee Carr, with experience in business development and destination marketing in Niagara’s tourism sector, views them as opportunities waiting to be realized.
Household net worth increases as rally in financial markets outweighs continued cooling in housing market
Households were wealthier in the fourth quarter as their net worth—the value of all assets minus all liabilities—increased $289.8 billion (+1.8%) to $16,419.9 billion, Statistics Canada reported today. This increase was driven by strength in financial markets as both bonds and equities rallied after losing ground in the prior quarter.
This pushed financial assets higher by nearly half a trillion dollars to a new record high of $9,741.3 billion, surpassing the previous record set in the fourth quarter of 2021. In the fourth quarter of 2023, this gain in financial assets was partially offset by a $157.8 billion decline in the value of residential real estate, the second consecutive quarterly decrease.
Project Arrow 2.0 information session hosted by Welland’s economic development office
The City of Welland’s economic development office, in collaborative partnership with the Automotive Parts Manufacturers’ Association (APMA) of Canada, hosted an information session at Welland City Hall to launch Project Arrow 2.0.
Poised to address challenges within the electric vehicle sector, including supply chain disruptions and mineral production capacity constraints, Project Arrow 2.0 is a beacon of innovation. One of the project’s cornerstones is its emphasis on multi-sector collaboration. The initiative intends to become a dynamic hub where industries, academic institutions, and municipalities converge to propel advancements in the area of electric vehicles.
Did you know?
1 in every 10 jobs in the world was supported by tourism in 2018.
Focus on Climate
What we can learn from Canada’s record wildfire season, as a new one approaches
Fire crews across much of Canada are already on high alert for the coming wildfire season, only months after the conclusion of the worst season on record.
Quebec’s fire monitoring agency, SOPFEU, issued a warning for some parts of the province last week, the earliest in its history.
“It’s going to get dry very quickly, so it’s going to become very, very easy to start a fire,” said Philippe Bergeron, a spokesperson for the agency based in Quebec City.
“We have an early spring that is coming, a mild end of this winter and the snow cover that is disappearing faster than usual.”
Alberta also declared last month that its wildfire season had started, 10 days early, and B.C. issued a notice saying it was monitoring holdover fires from last year.
The B.C. Wildfire Service has since announced a number of prescribed burns, in an attempt to reduce dried vegetation and protect communities against wildfires.
More than 100 fires are still burning in B.C. and Alberta after unusually dry conditions in both provinces.
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.
