In this edition:
- Government of Ontario will invest $4.8M in Starter Company Plus program
- TD contributes $400,000 to Niagara Parks Dufferin Islands conservation initiatives
- Region issuing $219.2 million in debt for capital projects in Niagara
- Ground broken on Peach King Centre (PKC) Expansion and Renovation Project
- Business Data Lab report projects Gen AI tipping point for businesses
- Canadians feel grocery inflation growing worse, Loblaw boycotts in effect: poll
- Focus on Climate
Government of Ontario will invest $4.8M in Starter Company Plus program
The Ontario government is investing $4.8 million over the next two years to expand the Starter Company Plus program, helping an additional 500 entrepreneurs seed, start or grow a business.
The Starter Company Plus program, delivered through the province’s Small Business Enterprise Centres, provides entrepreneurs aged 18 and up with one-on-one support, access to workshops, seminars or networking events and grants up to $5,000 to help start or expand a business.
TD contributes $400,000 to Niagara Parks Dufferin Islands conservation initiatives
As part of its ongoing commitment to environmental stewardship and the Dufferin Islands Visitor Experience and Ecological Enhancement Initiative, Niagara Parks is continuing to invest in the well-loved, natural urban park famously located just steps from the Canadian Horseshoe Falls.
Through the Niagara Parks Foundation, TD Bank Group committed $400,000 to launch this initiative that aims to strengthen the environmental sustainability of the site, while supporting meaningful nature experiences for guests of all ages and abilities.
Region issuing $219.2 million in debt for capital projects in Niagara
Niagara Region is preparing to issue $219.3 million in debentures for capital projects for local municipalities.
A report to the Region’s corporate service committee said $141.3 million in debt financing is for the Region itself. The rest is for area municipalities that use the Region’s economy of scale for better rates.
Ground broken on Peach King Centre (PKC) Expansion and Renovation Project
Today, Mayor Jeff Jordan and Town Council were joined by Amarjot Sandhu, Parliamentary Assistant to Ontario’s Minister of Infrastructure, and Sam Oosterhoff, MPP for Niagara West, to celebrate the groundbreaking of the Peach King Centre (PKC) Expansion and Renovation Project. The $36.7 million project is a landmark investment by the Town of Grimsby and the Province of Ontario to enhance the health and well-being of the growing Grimsby community.
The expanded centre will bring a host of new and improved amenities for residents and visitors. Key new features of the centre will include a double gymnasium, indoor walking track, youth centre, fitness amenities, multi-purpose rooms, and upgrades to arena dressing rooms.
Business Data Lab report projects Gen AI tipping point for businesses
The Canadian Chamber of Commerce’s Business Data Lab (BDL) released a report today detailing the sluggish adoption of Generative Artificial Intelligence (Gen AI) among Canadian businesses, and how a multitude of barriers, along with a lack of trust in the new technology, could impede the adoption levels needed to improve Canada’s economic growth.
The report, Prompting Productivity: Generative AI Adoption by Canadian Businesses, underscores how Gen AI can help tackle one of the most significant economic challenges facing Canadian prosperity and standard of life — low productivity — while also exploring what is holding Canadian businesses back from adopting AI technologies.
Canadians feel grocery inflation growing worse, Loblaw boycotts in effect: poll
Almost two-thirds of Canadians feel that inflation at the grocery store is getting worse, a new poll suggests, even as food inflation has been steadily cooling.
A new Leger survey found that almost 30 per cent of Canadians believe food inflation has been primarily caused by grocery stores trying to increase profit margins. Another 26 per cent think it’s mostly due to global economic factors, while one in five blame the federal government
Did you know?
Focus on Climate
Federal panel lists 35 ‘plausible’ future threats to Canada and the world
In a new report, a think-tank within Employment and Social Development Canada cites 35 “plausible” global disruptions that could reshape Canada and the world in the near future.
The Policy Horizons Canada (PHC) panel drafted the list and then asked more than 500 stakeholders within and outside government to suggest which ones were more likely, when they might happen and how one might trigger others.
The authors of the report point out that the list is an exploration of theoretical — not guaranteed — threats. They say that even “seemingly distant or improbable” calamities can become reality and thinking about them helps governments create “robust and resilient policies.”
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.
