In this edition:
- Niagara flooding could push peach prices higher next year
- Niagara Region allocated $2.2 million for homelessness and encampment response
- Canadian inflation rises to 3% as gasoline and travel costs climb
- NOTL staff seek legal advice on next steps for Rand Estate development
- Grimsby continues Downtown Reimagined construction on Elm Street
- Federal government launches Advanced Manufacturing Workforce Alliance
- Microsoft warns of malware campaign targeting hotel and airport Wi-Fi users
- Unifor says Stellantis is considering closure and sale of Brampton assembly plant
- Niagara-on-the-Lake continues flood recovery after 282 service requests
- Ontario opens applications for $100 million recreation infrastructure funding round
- Focus on Finance & Economy
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Picture credit: photology1971 / Adobe Stock
Niagara flooding could push peach prices higher next year
Niagara’s recent flooding could damage peach and plum trees, reducing production and pushing prices higher next year. The region produces about 80% of Canada’s peaches, and University of Guelph researcher Jayasankar Subramanian says extensive tree losses could take years to overcome.
Picture credit: Erman Gunes / Adobe Stock
Niagara Region allocated $2.2 million for homelessness and encampment response
The federal government has allocated $2.2 million for a proposed agreement with Niagara Region under its Unsheltered Homelessness and Encampments Initiative. Funding can support outreach, transitional and supportive housing, shelters, case management and other services, subject to final agreements and approvals.
Picture credit: Yingyaipumi / Adobe Stock
Canadian inflation rises to 3% as gasoline and travel costs climb
Canada’s annual inflation rate rose to 3.0% in July from 2.8% in June, driven partly by gasoline and travel costs. Grocery prices increased 3.1%, continuing to outpace headline inflation, while Ontario’s inflation rate remained unchanged at 2.0%.
Image credit: Solmar Development Corp.
NOTL staff seek legal advice on next steps for Rand Estate development
Niagara-on-the-Lake staff are seeking legal advice concerning council direction on the Rand Estate development application. The proposal includes a five-storey, 111-room Ritz-Carlton hotel and five residential buildings with up to 270 units, while heritage-related information and assessments remain under discussion.
Picture credit: Alphabet / Google Maps
Grimsby continues Downtown Reimagined construction on Elm Street
Crews are continuing watermain and service work on Elm Street as Grimsby’s Downtown Reimagined project advances. Temporary driveway closures may affect TD Bank and GBF Plaza, while single-lane alternating traffic remains in place and motorists should expect minor delays.
Picture credit: THINK b / Adobe Stock
Federal government launches Advanced Manufacturing Workforce Alliance
Ottawa has launched an Advanced Manufacturing Workforce Alliance bringing together manufacturers, unions, educators and other partners to identify workforce gaps and training solutions. The initiative will focus on pressures including skills shortages, tariffs, automation and AI as manufacturers work to improve productivity and competitiveness.
Photo credit: issaronow / Adobe Stock
Microsoft warns of malware campaign targeting hotel and airport Wi-Fi users
Microsoft is warning of a campaign compromising hospitality networks and using fake security or update prompts to install malware. The software can steal credentials and files or give attackers remote access to devices, making extra caution important when employees use hotel, airport or conference-centre Wi-Fi.
Photo credit: Tada Images / Adobe Stock
Unifor says Stellantis is considering closure and sale of Brampton assembly plant
Unifor says Stellantis is seriously considering closing and selling its idled Brampton assembly plant, affecting about 2,200 represented workers who have been laid off since 2023. Stellantis has not confirmed a closure or sale and says its focus remains on finding a sustainable manufacturing solution for the facility.
Picture credit: tanin / Adobe Stock
Niagara-on-the-Lake continues flood recovery after 282 service requests
iagara-on-the-Lake has received 282 flooding-related service requests involving drainage, sewers and other infrastructure. Staff are mapping affected areas and investigating complaints, while the Town is scheduled to discuss possible eligibility for Ontario’s Disaster Recovery Assistance program with the province.
Picture credit: Kostia / Adobe Stock
Ontario opens applications for $100 million recreation infrastructure funding round
Ontario has opened applications for the next $100-million round of its Community Sport and Recreation Infrastructure Fund, with applications accepted until December 22. Municipalities, Indigenous communities, nonprofits and, for new builds, for-profit organizations can seek funding for construction and upgrades to recreation facilities.
Focus on Finance & Economy
Mapped: The Cost to Retire Comfortably Around the World
Dorothy Neufeld, Visual Capitalist
For Americans considering retirement abroad, the same savings can go dramatically different distances depending on the destination.
This graphic maps the estimated cost for Americans to retire comfortably around the world, based on data from NetCredit and Numbeo. Estimates reflect a retirement of 14 years and 8.4 months, based on the average U.S. retirement age and life expectancy, and exclude taxes and healthcare costs.
At an estimated $738,000, the U.S. ranks as the fifth-most expensive country in the dataset for an American to retire comfortably, behind Singapore, Iceland, Switzerland, and Luxembourg.
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.