In this edition:
- Canadian rents reach new record high as average exceeds $2,000
- Shortages in Niagara hospitals will worsen unless Province improves staffing: CUPE
- Autoworkers prepared to strike, Unifor says, as bargaining begins with Detroit 3
- Canadian businesses seek extension on 2024 rules targeting slavery in supply chains
- Niagara Parks invests over $3 million for Black Creek Bridge replacement
- Reading Recommendations: Retail
Canadian rents reach new record high as average exceeds $2,000
A report issued today by rentals.ca records that the average asking rent in Canada reached another record high of $2,078 in July. Rents increased 8.9% annually, the fastest pace of growth of the past three months. The 1.8% increase in average asking rents over June represented the fastest month-over-month growth of the past eight months.
St. Catharines rents reached an average of $1,737 for a one-bedroom apartment, a year-over-year increase of 7.9%.
Shortages in Niagara hospitals will worsen unless Province improves staffing: CUPE
Shortages in the province’s hospital sector will only worsen over the next four years, according to a report from the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), unless Ontario improves staffing levels and bed capacity.
“The Hospital Crisis” estimates that the province must improve staffing levels and bed capacity by 22% over the next four years to meet patient needs. In the Niagara Region, that equates to 1,739 additional staff and 223 more beds.
However, based on the Ford government’s current plans, staffing and bed capacity across Ontario will grow by less than 1% over the same timeframe. According to CUPE, the government’s plan to grow capacity by 3,000 beds over the next 10 years falls well short of what is needed.
While the most recent government budget has increased funding for long-term care, FAO projections indicate no significant improvement that would help take pressure off hospitals.
Autoworkers prepared to strike, Unifor says, as bargaining begins with Detroit 3
Unifor National president Lana Payne had strong words for the Detroit Three automakers Thursday afternoon as talks officially opened to negotiate a new collective agreement for workers.
“I made it very clear to the companies today that our members’ expectations are very high,” Payne told reporters at a press conference after delivering open offers to Ford, Stellantis and General Motors in Toronto.
“Workers have shown time and time again they are prepared to fight and to strike if necessary to have their demands met.
Canadian businesses seek extension on 2024 rules targeting slavery in supply chains
Canadian industries are pushing back against the country’s planned January launch of the Modern Slavery Act, intended to fight forced labour and child labour in supply chains, as mining and apparel trade groups say the government has failed to spell out the details of the law’s requirements.
The act, which passed in May, seeks to push corporations to provide greater transparency about their supply chains in order to avoid abetting what critics say amounts to modern slavery. The new measure takes effect on Jan. 1, 2024.
However, lobby groups, including mining companies and apparel manufacturers, are warning that a perceived lack of clarity about the rules could lead to unwanted penalties and prevent critical goods from entering Canada.
Niagara Parks invests over $3 million for Black Creek Bridge replacement
Niagara Parks will be investing over $3 million to replace the Black Creek Bridge along the South Niagara Parkway, with preliminary investigation work currently underway and construction set to begin on Monday, November 20, 2023, through to Friday, April 26, 2024.
Originally constructed in 1911 and rehabilitated in 1994, the Black Creek Bridge is a stone-faced bridge located along the South Niagara Parkway in Fort Erie that is owned and maintained by Niagara Parks. With the bridge approaching the end of its lifecycle, Niagara Parks has prioritized its replacement.
Did you know?
Focus on Retail
Survey: 1 in 4 Canadians will go shopping for back-to-school this year
According to Retail Council of Canada’s (RCC) Back-to-School 2023 Shopping Survey, people plan to spend carefully this year and are more focused on purchasing lower-priced items than in years past. In line with this, stationery is expected to be the top spending category (60.8%), which is noteworthy since this this product category did not make the list at all in 2022. Shoppers also plan to defer purchases of higher-priced items.
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.
