FedDev Ontario extends funding for Digital Main Street initiative and Recovery Activation Program
Today, the Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Economic Development and Official Languages and Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario), announced an investment of $8.7 million to extend some key elements of the Digital Main Street (DMS) platform and the Recovery Activation Program (RAP) for an additional three months—bringing the total federal investment to over $70 million.
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Government of Canada calls for digital advisors for Stream Two of the Canada Digital Adoption Program
Today, the Honourable Mary Ng, Minister of Small Business, Export Promotion and International Trade, announced a call for organizations and individuals to register as digital advisors to help businesses develop curated and comprehensive digital adoption plans.
These digital advisors will support a key component of the Canada Digital Adoption Program’s (CDAP) second stream, Boost Your Business Technology, which will provide SMEs with access to a list of experienced, vendor-neutral, digital advisory service providers across Canada to help them digitize and adopt new advanced technologies.
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Brock will require COVID-19 vaccination for students, staff, faculty to access campus
As Brock continues to prepare for a significant return to campus for the Fall 2021 term, the University will require COVID-19 vaccination for all students, faculty, staff and visitors who wish to access campus this fall.
At least a first dose of a Health Canada-approved vaccine will be required by September 7, and a second dose will be required by October 15. Anyone who cannot be vaccinated, based on medical or other grounds recognized by the Ontario Human Rights Code, can request an accommodation.
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Government of Canada to require vaccination of federal workforce and federally regulated transportation sector
The Government of Canada today announced its intent to require vaccination as early as the end of September across the federal public service. In addition, as soon as possible in the fall and no later than the end of October, the Government of Canada will require employees in the federally regulated air, rail, and marine transportation sectors to be vaccinated. The vaccination requirement will also extend to certain travellers. This includes all commercial air travellers, passengers on interprovincial trains, and passengers on large marine vessels with overnight accommodations, such as cruise ships.
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Government of Canada invests in training for persons with disabilities to create a more inclusive workforce and stronger economy
Today, the Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Disability Inclusion, Carla Qualtrough, announced an investment of up to $7.5 million to the Rick Hansen Foundation for a project funded under the Sectoral Initiatives Program (SIP). With this investment, the Foundation will establish a new standardized profession of “accessibility professionals,” which will increase expertise and information on how to build accessible spaces in a way that includes people of all abilities.
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Saskatchewan and federal government announce agreement for $10 a day childcare
Today, the Honourable Chrystia Freeland, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, the Honourable Ahmed Hussen, Minister of Families, Children and Social Development, and the Honourable Dustin Duncan, Saskatchewan Minister of Education, announced an agreement that will support an average of $10 a day early learning and child care for Saskatchewan families by the end of 2025-26. By the end of 2022, Saskatchewan families will see a 50 per cent reduction in average parent fees for children under age six in regulated child care.
This announcement follows similar agreements in Manitoba, Quebec, Newfoundland & Labrador, Prince Edward Island, Yukon, and Nova Scotia.
Ontario has yet to announce an agreement.
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The Honourable Liza Frulla appointed Chair of the Board of Directors of Destination Canada
The Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Economic Development and Official Languages, today announced the appointment of the Honourable Liza Frulla as Chair of the Board of Directors of Destination Canada, effective August 6, 2021.
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Older seniors to receive one-time payment of $500 next week
Today, the Minister of Seniors, Deb Schulte, highlighted that older seniors who were eligible for the Old Age Security (OAS) pension in June 2021 and born on or before June 30, 1947, will receive a taxable, one-time payment of $500 next week, without needing to apply. Older seniors who live in Canada or receive their pension payment by direct deposit will automatically receive the payment next week. Delays can be expected for cheques mailed outside of Canada.
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Reading Recommendations
Settle the legality of vaccine mandates with the notwithstanding clause
The Hub
“Forced medical procedures must be one of the most egregious violations of a person’s physical and psychological integrity against the will of an individual.”
Most Canadians, whether constitutional lawyers or not, recognize truth in this holding of Justice Ian Binnie in A.C. v. Manitoba. The violation of personal integrity is aggravated when, as in A.C., a strong religious belief is the basis of an objection to medical treatment.
But what about society’s interests? The number of Canadians vaccinated against COVID-19 may be insufficient to guarantee a return to normal life. An obvious way to encourage higher vaccine take-up is restricting the liberty, including taking away the jobs, of the unvaccinated. But with few, if growing exceptions, politicians, as well as other decision-makers such as university presidents and business leaders, have been reluctant to pursue this route.
Ontario court certifies class action against Uber that could see some workers recognized as employees
CBC News
Ontario’s Superior Court of Justice has certified a class-action lawsuit against Uber Technologies Inc., which advances a fight to get some of the platform’s Canadian couriers and drivers recognized as employees.
The class action was certified by judge Justin Paul Perell in a decision released late Thursday afternoon and stems from a court filing made by Samfiru Tumarkin LLP and Uber Eats courier David Heller in 2017.
Featured Content
What should leaders be thinking about moving forward?
Pollice Management Consulting Group
Businesses will continue to struggle in order to grasp and understand which of the Covid 19 pandemic’s effects will be temporary and which will become permanent. Four new reports attempt to analyze these longer term trends. One is from Glassdoor in California; a website and information hub that allows employees to rank their employers. Another is a global management consulting agency in Massachusetts called the Boston Group which endeavours to provide strategic planning initiatives; McKinsey Global in Toronto which provides readers with a terrific insight to management challenges and the Chartered Management Institute in the United Kingdom which regulates Managers was also included. When read together, their message is clear – firms stand to benefit from the pandemic however, managerial life is going to dramatically change by getting a little more difficult.
Niagara COVID-19 statistics tracker
These data show the status of the COVID-19 pandemic in Niagara. The Province of Ontario is now using a provincewide approach to reopening, and these data no longer have any influence on Niagara’s restrictions. Lower numbers are better in all metrics.
| December 18 | December 25 | January 1 | January 8 | January 15 | January 22 | January 29 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reproductive number | 1.4 | 1.8 | 1.4 | 1.1 | 1.0 | 0.7 | 0.9 |
| New cases per 100,000 | 101.2 | 267.3 | 469.8 | 575.8 | 507.1 | 295.5 | 250.6 |
| New cases per day (not including outbreaks) | 60.7 | 178.7 | 311.7 | 376.9 | 325.4 | 182.7 | 145.7 |
| Percent of hospital beds occupied | 97% | 95.2% | 98.2% | 103.2% | 104.5% | 103.6% | 106% |
| Percent of intensive care beds occupied | 78.8% | 77.3% | 87.9% | 87.9% | 90.9% | 89.4% | 93.9% |
| Percentage of positive tests | 6.1% | 15.6% | 28.1% | 28.6% | 26.6% | 21.2% | 16.2% |
Last updated: August 7, 2021
Click here for definitions of terms used in this table.
There are currently 2 patients admitted to Niagara Health with COVID-19. There is currently 1 patient with COVID-19 in a Niagara Health Intensive Care Unit.
Data are drawn from Niagara Region Public Health and Niagara Health.
Niagara COVID vaccination tracker
Niagara’s most up-to-date vaccination numbers are presented below, along with comparison data from Ontario, Canada, and G7 countries.
| Percentage of population with one dose | Percentage of population fully vaccinated | |
|---|---|---|
| Niagara | 82.7% | 78.2% |
| Ontario | 84.6% | 79.1% |
| Canada | 84.7% | 78.6% |
| United States | 75% | 64% |
| United Kingdom | 78% | 72% |
| Germany | 76% | 74% |
| France | 80% | 77% |
| Italy | 83% | 76% |
| Japan | 80% | 79% |
| World | 63% | 53% |
Total doses administered in Niagara: 640,590
New daily doses administered to Niagara residents: 1,541
Last updated: August 13, 2021
Data are drawn from Niagara Region, the Government of Ontario, and Oxford University’s Our World in Data project.
Free rapid COVID-19 testing kits are now available to businesses. Visit gncc.ca/workplace-self-screening-kits to learn more and reserve kits for your organization.
Information on government grants, resources, and programs, policies, forms, and posters for download and use, are available here. The GNCC is here to support you. Contact us with any questions you have.
