In this edition:
- 600 border workers in Niagara will cast ballots in strike vote
- Niagara-on-the-Lake hires Economic Development Officer
- Nominations open for 2024 St. Catharines Arts Awards
- Thorold to hold meeting on development charges bylaw
- Privy Council Office and Stats Canada launch Canadian Internal Trade Data and Information Hub (CITH)
- PM teases more budget details for apartment construction
- Focus on Finance & Economy
600 border workers in Niagara will cast ballots in strike vote
9000 members of the Public Service Alliance of Canada and the Customs and Immigration Union, who work at Canada Border Services Agency, will start a strike vote across Canada April 10th.
After almost two years of negotiations, the union declared an impasse in bargaining in September 2023.
The union says CBSA refused to budge on key issues like wages in line with other law enforcement agencies, better job security, access to telework, and protections from contracting out.
Niagara-on-the-Lake hires Economic Development Officer
Niagara-on-the-Lake has appointed Ashleigh Myers as its Economic Development Officer, who will lead initiatives to support local businesses, attract investments, and foster sustainable growth for the betterment of the community.
Ashleigh is joining the Town from Bell Media Niagara & Hamilton, where she serves as a Business Development, Marketing, and Advertising Executive.
Nominations open for 2024 St. Catharines Arts Awards
Help the City of St. Catharines celebrate arts in the community by nominating a local artist or arts champion.
Local artists, residents, businesses, and organizations are eligible to be nominated for the annual awards in the following categories: the Arts in Education Award, the Emerging Artist Award, the Established Artist Award, the Making a Difference Award, and the Patron of the Arts Award.
Nominees must be a St. Catharines resident or have been consistently active in the arts in the city for an extended period.
Thorold to hold meeting on development charges bylaw
On Tuesday, May 7, 2024, the Council of The Corporation of the City of Thorold will hold a Public Meeting pursuant to section 12 of the Development Charges Act, 1997, respecting proposed development charge rates and policies to be applied throughout the City.
Development charges are levied against new development, and are a primary source of funding for development-related capital expenditures. The 2024 Development Charges Background Study is available on the City’s Website.
Privy Council Office and Stats Canada launch Canadian Internal Trade Data and Information Hub (CITH)
The Privy Council Office and Statistics Canada have partnered to provide data that can inform about internal trade available to Canadians in one central and easy-to-access location. The new Canadian Internal Trade Data and Information Hub (CITH), part of the Federal Action Plan to Strengthen Internal Trade.
Approximately $528 billion of goods and services moved across provincial and territorial borders in 2022—equal to 18.8% of Canada’s gross domestic product. Furthermore, one-third of Canadian businesses participated in internal trade by buying or selling goods across provincial and territorial borders in 2023.
The CITH will allow Canadians to access a wide array of data pertaining to internal trade, which will provide them with deeper insights into interprovincial trade, labour mobility, and many other related issues.
PM teases more budget details for apartment construction
The Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, today announced transformative measures from the upcoming Budget 2024 to get shovels in the ground and build more homes, faster.
These measures include:
- Delivering a $15 billion top-up to the Apartment Construction Loan Program to build a minimum of 30,000 new apartments.
- Announcing new reforms to the Apartment Construction Loan Program to increase access to the program and make it easier for builders to build
- Launching Canada Builds – partnering with provinces and territories to build more rental housing across the country.
Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen to visit Niagara Parks ahead of total solar eclipse
On Sunday, April 7, 2024, Niagara Parks will host Canadian Space Agency (CSA) astronaut Jeremy Hansen for a special activation ahead of the upcoming total solar eclipse on Monday, April 8, which will see Niagara Falls and Fort Erie at the centre of the path of totality. Hansen is assigned to the Artemis II mission and will become the first Canadian to travel around the Moon no earlier than September 2025.
Did you know?
Focus on Finance & Economy
Why can’t transit projects be delivered on time?
Among all construction projects, it’s unarguable large transit projects have the strongest reputation for unsatisfactory delivery.
Ontarians need look no further than the Eglinton Crosstown LRT project in Toronto, where construction was launched in 2017 but the commissioning date remains anyone’s guess.
It’s not just Canada’s problem: a new report from the Future of Infrastructure Group (FIG) citing research from Oxford University using 80 years of data from around the world, found only two rail projects out of every 1,000 were delivered on time, on budget and with the expected benefits.
The report, titled Reducing Risk on Transit Projects: Driving More On-time and On-budget Delivery in Canada and authored by John Allen, vice-president of the firm Global Public Affairs, suggests the problems are not intractable.
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.
