In this edition:
- St. Catharines seeks urgent flood assistance
- Niagara Falls opens flood-recovery registry
- Wharf 18 rehabilitation remains stalled
- Canada–U.S. trade declines
- Retail risks expand beyond theft
- Ontario launches agency reviews
- Ontario opens residential-school initiatives fund
- Statistics Canada releases June retail prices
- Focus on Housing Solutions
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Featured content by Kanata Legal Services
Good news for Niagara employers. If you’ve been struggling to hire and retain reliable workers, a recent federal change could create new opportunities for your business.
With the St. Catharines–Niagara unemployment rate now below the federal 6% threshold, employers may once again be eligible to submit applications under the Low-Wage Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) stream. For many businesses that have been unable to access the program over the past several months, this is a significant development.
Picture credit: Brad Demers / Greater Niagara Chamber of Commerce file photo
St. Catharines mayor seeks immediate provincial and federal flood assistance
Mayor Mat Siscoe says St. Catharines needs immediate provincial and federal help after three major storms flooded thousands of homes. The city has exhausted its resources, while cleanup costs are rising and some residents remain in sewage-damaged homes.
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Picture credit: fotosr52 / Adobe Stock
Niagara Falls opens flood-recovery registry for affected residents
Niagara Falls residents affected by Sunday’s flooding can register for curbside collection on Aug. 10 and waste-depot passes. Applications are due by 3 p.m. Friday; residents needing extra assistance can apply online, by phone or in person.
Picture credit: St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corporation
Seaway says private partner needed before $45.3-million Wharf 18 project can proceed
The St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corporation says a private-sector partner must provide $22.6 million before rehabilitation of Port Colborne’s Wharf 18 can begin. The $45.3-million project has no timeline, while its federal funding profile ends March 31, 2028.
Picture credit: freshidea / Adobe Stock
Canada–U.S. trade falls $1.9 billion from early 2024
Two-way trade in goods and services totalled $322.8 billion in the first quarter of 2026, down 0.6 per cent from two years earlier. Canadian exports fell $2.8 billion, with motor vehicles and parts posting the largest decline at $6.7 billion.
Photo credit: Krakenimages.com / Adobe Stock
Report finds Canadian retail risk now extends beyond theft
A Retail Insider report says loss prevention now spans crime, fraud, cybersecurity, payments and data integrity. Retail theft costs Canadian businesses more than $9 billion annually, while 38 per cent of shoppers surveyed had abandoned purchases because of in-store security friction.
Photo credit: Maurizio De Mattei / Adobe Stock
Ontario launches reviews of eight provincial agencies
Ontario will review eight agencies, including Metrolinx, WSIB, Supply Ontario, LCBO and AGCO, examining efficiency, governance and financial sustainability. The province says the reviews, beginning this summer, aim to improve services and identify operational savings.
Picture credit: Koshiro K / Adobe Stock
Ontario opens $7-million fund for residential-school survivor initiatives
Ontario is offering grants of up to $250,000 for Indigenous-led healing, public education, research and commemoration related to residential schools. Eligible communities, service providers and organizations can apply until Sept. 16.
Picture credit: pressmaster / Adobe Stock
June retail-price data show sharp declines for several fresh foods
National average prices fell from May to June for tomatoes, iceberg lettuce, broccoli and whole chicken, while several beef cuts and canola oil rose. Statistics Canada cautions that average-price movements are not equivalent to inflation because products, sizes and consumer choices can change.
Focus on Housing Solutions
Ontario’s housing crisis explained
Adam Jacobs & Richard Lyall
Ontario’s housing market went from one of the hottest development booms in history to a landscape of stalled projects, cancelled developments and deepening affordability challenges.
Host Adam Jacobs sits down with Richard Lyall, president and CEO of RESCON, to unpack how we got here and whether there’s a path forward.
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.
