Advocacy in Action
Retail
Retail is one of Niagara’s largest employers, providing 28,700 local jobs. We’re supporting local retail through modernization, digital adoption, and promoting the benefits of shopping local to Niagara’s residents and visitors.
Top Initiatives
Creating an Ontario SME Training Tax Credit
While credits exist for tuition, businesses in Ontario remain uncompensated for other costs associated with training. As a result, workforce training has fallen behind international peers, and is heavily concentrated among larger firms.
Develop the Niagara Wine Supercluster
As Canada’s largest wine region, Niagara has the potential to develop a “supercluster” of industries that revolve around the wine sector – if given the proper supports to grow.
Healthy support for Niagara wine
In January 2023, the Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction (CCSA), funded by Health Canada, published Canada’s Guidance on Alcohol and Health. This replaced the previous Low‑Risk Alcohol Drinking Guidelines (LRDGs) and emphasized that no amount of alcohol is entirely safe. This had a damaging effect on wine sales, but seemed to single alcohol consumption out above other and riskier recreational activities.