Vital updates:
- The Government of Ontario announced that the Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters (CME)’s SupportOntarioMade.ca website has now registered more than 4,600 products from over 1,200 local manufacturers. Consumers can find made-in-Ontario goods in the new online, searchable directory at SupportOntarioMade.ca. This includes products that are made in local communities, participating retailers and company profiles. Ontario’s manufacturing sector is the economic engine of Canada, directly accounting for over 12 per cent of the province’s economy, with nearly $300 billion in annual shipments and $200 billion in exports. At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, manufacturers across the province stepped up to innovate by ramping up or shifting their production lines to produce more food, personal protective equipment, and other essential supplies. In September alone, an increase of 51,700 jobs pushed Ontario’s manufacturing employment 17,000 jobs above pre-COVID levels. Since its launch, the SupportOntarioMade.ca website received over 25,000 visits and over 3,800 subscriptions to the Ontario Made newsletter. If your products are not yet listed on the site, manufacturers can do so here, and retailers here.
- The Ontario government has launched a new public education campaign to increase awareness about accessibility needs and responsibilities, and help organizations identify and remove barriers for people with disabilities. There are 2.6 million people in Ontario who have a disability, and most disabilities are invisible. The campaign is intended to help people learn more about accessibility, inclusion and hiring people with disabilities. It also explains what people with disabilities can expect under the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) along with guidelines and resources to help make it easier for businesses and employers to understand and implement their requirements under the AODA. Organizations can apply here for a complimentary accessibility rating of their building. More information about the various programs in this campaign can be found here.
Reading recommendations:
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Bank of Canada says economy will likely be scarred by COVID-19 until 2023, Don Pittis, CBC News
- Canada’s chief central banker, Tiff Macklem, has warned of a long, slow recovery as successive rounds of COVID-19 lead to a “scarring” of the domestic and world economy. After what some see as a false dawn this summer as the economy resurged, Macklem, governor of the Bank of Canada, and his senior deputy, Carolyn Wilkins, offered a gloomy outlook for an economy that they say is unlikely to get back on track until 2023.
- Stop wiping down groceries and focus on bigger risks, say experts on coronavirus transmission, Elizabeth Chang, The Washington Post
- Although studies continue to show that the novel coronavirus can be detected on contaminated objects after days or weeks, a consensus has emerged among scientists that the virus is rarely transmitted through contact with tainted surfaces and that it’s safe to stop taking such extreme measures as quarantining your mail and wiping down your groceries.
Niagara Economic Summit Series 2020
Where are we now, how did we get here, and where do we go? This year’s summit, taking place between November 10 and November 24, brings experts and leaders together from across the country to identify where we are economically, what our future opportunities are, and how we can seize them. Find out more and get a calendar save-the-date here.
If you are showing symptoms, contact your health care provider, call the Public Health Info-Line at 905-688-8248, or chat to Public Health online. For testing, call 905-378-4647 ext. 42819 (4-CV19) for information on test centres in Niagara and to book an appointment.
Previous updates can be accessed here.
The GNCC is here to support you. Contact us with any questions you have.
