In this edition:
- Government of Canada highlights business support in budget while Ontario Chamber calls for tax reform after “capital gains furor”
- After fearing reductions, Niagara College international student numbers stable
- St. Catharines council supports call for federal fund to continue as is
- ‘I’m hoping we can get to a yes somehow’: Fort Erie councillors call for changes to infill project
- Meridian announces new Board Chair and results of the Election of Directors
- Thousands of great summer job opportunities for youth available now through Canada Summer Jobs
- Canada announces new Federal Plastics Registry
- Focus on Health & Safety
Government of Canada highlights business support in budget while Ontario Chamber calls for tax reform after “capital gains furor”
Today, the Honourable Chrystia Freeland, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, and the Honourable Rechie Valdez, Minister of Small Business, highlighted Budget 2024: Fairness for Every Generation, the government’s plan to “drive economic growth in a way that is shared by all.”
Meanwhile, the Ontario Chamber of Commerce remarked that “the federal government’s increase to the capital gains tax inclusion rate has sparked significant concerns within our business community at a time of declining business confidence, investment and productivity.”
Market analysts such as KPMG and MNP have highlighted the effect that 2024’s capital gains tax increases will have on Canadian businesses.
After fearing reductions, Niagara College international student numbers stable
It was a period of “extraordinary uncertainty” for Niagara College after the federal government announced it would cap international student study permits.
But with a clear set of guidelines in place and allocations numbers set, president Sean Kennedy said the college is well-positioned for the upcoming school year and beyond.
Earlier this year, the federal immigration minister announced that the government was cutting 240,000 international study permits given to Ontario post-secondary institutions by half, amid concerns the high number of students were driving up housing costs.
St. Catharines council supports call for federal fund to continue as is
St. Catharines city council is calling on the federal government to maintain a fund that gives money to municipalities for infrastructure.
The Canadian Community Building Fund provides more than $2.4 billion in annual capital funding directly to municipalities that’s used for roads, water infrastructure, public transit and recreational facilities.
St. Patrick’s Coun. Robin McPherson, who made the motion, said the federal government is looking at reworking the current structure of the fund, with the provinces having to meet certain requirements prior to municipalities being able to access the money.
‘I’m hoping we can get to a yes somehow’: Fort Erie councillors call for changes to infill project
The process is far from over and councillors are nowhere near ready to make a decision, but from the discussions at the recent Fort Erie special meeting of council, it would seem an infill development proposal for Ridgeway will not be going forward — at least not in its current form.
But it’s probably also too early for neighbouring residents to be cracking open their champagne bottles because the discussion among councillors at the April 18 meeting also made it clear the land in question is slated for development and it might be far more dense than they would like.
Meridian announces new Board Chair and results of the Election of Directors
Meridian is pleased to announce that Suanne Nielsen was elected by the Board of Directors as Meridian’s new Board Chair. Nielsen was first elected to the Meridian Board of Directors in 2021 and has since served on the Audit and Finance Committee, Human Resources Committee, Nominating Committee, and as Chair of the Governance Committee in 2023 and 2024. Prior to her retirement in 2019, Nielsen was a senior executive with Foresters Financial. She has previously served as a Director of the Daily Food Bank and America Fraternal Alliance; and as Board Chair of the Hamilton-Burlington United Way.
Thousands of great summer job opportunities for youth available now through Canada Summer Jobs
The employer application period is now closed for CSJ 2024. Employers interested in applying for CSJ funding next year are encouraged to open an account on the secure Grants and Contributions Online Services portal.
Canada announces new Federal Plastics Registry
Today, coinciding with Earth Day under the theme Planet vs. Plastics, the Government of Canada announced the new Federal Plastics Registry, a tool to compel plastic producers and other companies across the plastics value chain to help monitor and track plastic from the time it is produced up to its end of life. By better tracking plastic through its full life cycle, both governments and industry will be better equipped to address plastic waste and pollution through increased transparency and sound, robust, evidence-based decision-making.
Did you know?
Coffee cups can’t be recycled.
Focus on Health & Safety
Should safety professionals be cautiously optimistic about using AI?
One of the worst-kept secrets has been the massive rise in awareness and usage of Artificial Intelligence (AI), which has recently dominated headlines. AI is the computer science field that develops and studies intelligent machines that mimic human intelligence.
There has generally been massive excitement with the development of AI and its potential to transform the world, much as the introduction of the internet did back in the ’90s. 2023 saw the most rapid uptake in AI technology, with applications such as ChatGPT and LaMDA now becoming household names. Interestingly, despite the recent popularity, AI has been around for a while, with popular applications such as Siri and Alexa.
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.
