In this edition:
- Auto and parts sales lead wholesale sales surge
- PenFinancial Credit Union announces 2026-2027 Board of Directors
- Jobs minister urges youth to pursue skilled trades despite generational stigma
- Canada among top 10 countries hardest hit by deepfake scams. Here are the 5 most common
- Manufacturing sales bounce back from January decline
- Food suppliers adding surcharges to foot the rising cost of fuel
- Focus on Human Resources
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Auto and parts sales lead wholesale sales surge
Wholesale sales (excluding petroleum, petroleum products, and other hydrocarbons and excluding oilseed and grain) rose 2.0% to $86.8 billion in February. Sales increased in five of the seven subsectors, representing 85.4% of total wholesale sales. The largest increases came from the motor vehicle and motor vehicle parts and accessories subsector (+6.1% to $14.4 billion) and the food, beverage and tobacco subsector (+2.9% to $16.5 billion).
Picture credit: PenFinancial Credit Union
PenFinancial Credit Union announces 2026-2027 Board of Directors
PenFinancial has announced its 2026-2027 Board of Directors, with David Veres as Chair and Elizabeth Grimmond as Vice-Chair. Four directors will continue their terms, with six new additions.
Picture credit: Kzenon / Adobe Stock
Jobs minister urges youth to pursue skilled trades despite generational stigma
Canada must break the stigma around careers in the skilled trades if the Liberals want to achieve their infrastructure and homebuilding agenda, federal Jobs Minister Patty Hajdu said recently.
Hajdu said when she was growing up in Thunder Bay, Ont., students who attended a skilled trades high school in the city were “deeply stigmatized” by their choice.
Picture credit: SB Arts Media / Adobe Stock
Canada among top 10 countries hardest hit by deepfake scams. Here are the 5 most common
Canada is now among the top 10 countries hardest-hit by deepfake scams, with Canadians losing more than US $56.1 million (CAD $77 million), according to a new Surfshark study.
However, the total number does not reflect all cases as a majority of victims don’t report to authorities. In Canada, fraud is significantly under-reported.
Picture credit: THINK b / Adobe Stock
Manufacturing sales bounce back from January decline
Total manufacturing sales rose 3.6% to $71.2 billion in February, following a 3.1% decline in January. Sales rose in 12 of the 21 subsectors, led by the transportation equipment (+18.8%), machinery (+7.7%) and primary metal (+4.9%) subsectors. Those increases were partially offset by a 3.2% decline in sales of chemical products.
On a year-over year basis, total manufacturing sales were down 1.7% in February.
Photo credit: monticellllo / Adobe Stock
Food suppliers adding surcharges to foot the rising cost of fuel
CBC News has obtained documents showing at least four suppliers — Sunrise Farms, CTS Foods, Maple Leaf and Tree of Life — are adding fuel surcharges. The extra charges from Tree of Life and Maple Leaf were first reported by the Globe and Mail.
The surcharges have left some grocery store owners — particularly owners of smaller businesses — considering whether to pass on some of the increased costs to customers.
Focus on Human Resources
Canada cannot afford to lose international research talent — here’s what needs to change
Evren Altinkas, Christina Clark-Kazak, The Conversation
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.
