In this edition:
- Ontario announces $1.2bn housing fund, expands “strong mayor” powers
- Town of Fort Erie launches new website
- Former federal transportation minister newest member of Seaway board of directors
- Robin McPherson appointed to Federation of Canadian Municipalities
- Power Workers’ Union ratifies collective agreement with Hydro One
- As food inflation remains high, consumers adapt: Report
- Reading Recommendations: Small Business
Ontario announces $1.2bn housing fund, expands “strong mayor” powers
To reward municipalities that build homes, the Ontario government is launching the Building Faster Fund, a new three-year, $1.2 billion program that provides significant new funding based on performance against provincial housing targets. To ensure more municipalities have the tools needed to build homes and to expand eligibility for the Building Faster Fund, the province is also expanding strong mayor powers to municipalities projected to have populations of 50,000 or larger by 2031 that commit to meeting their provincial targets.
Welland has now been assigned a target of 4,300 new homes by 2031. St. Catharines had already received a target of 11,000, and Niagara Falls a target of 8,000.
Town of Fort Erie launches new website
The Town of Fort Erie has officially launched its new and fully updated website to make it easier for residents to access town programs and services that enhance the customer experience.
Some new FortErie.ca features include:
- Easy navigation on mobile devices, including laptops, tablets and phones.
- A modern and uncluttered visual design.
- Improved accessibility – enhanced readability with larger fonts, heightened colour contrasts, and resizing tools for a custom experience that’s available to all.
- Updated and more relevant content.
- Enhanced search tool for simple information retrieval.
Residents are encouraged to utilize the new site as a comprehensive “self-service” tool and register for enhanced services at myFE (my.forterie.ca).
Former federal transportation minister newest member of Seaway board of directors
A former federal transportation minister and the president of shipping company Petro-Nav recently joined The St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corp.’s board of directors.
The seaway said Tony Valeri, managing director of Ridge Strategy Group Inc., was elected at the annual general meeting to the board by the steel and iron ore group.
First elected in 1993, Valeri was an MP in the former Lincoln riding and then Hamilton East-Stoney Creek riding. He served in a wide range of portfolios, including as minister of transport.
Robin McPherson appointed to Federation of Canadian Municipalities
St. Catharines Coun. Robin McPherson has become the city’s first representative at the Federation of Canadian Municipalities.
McPherson was appointed to serve on the national organization’s standing committee on municipal finance, infrastructure and transportation.
The organization has more than 2,100 member municipalities across the country and advocates on the federal level for the needs of local communities.
McPherson said Saturday she was inspired to apply to the committee after attending an FCM conference and talking with people across the country whose municipalities are facing similar issues to those in St. Catharines.
Power Workers’ Union ratifies collective agreement with Hydro One
Power Workers’ Union (PWU) members have voted in favour of the Hydro One customer service operations collective agreement, which will be in effect until September 30, 2025.
“As a customer-first organization, these dedicated team members provide the highest level of support and service to our customers,” said David Lebeter, President and CEO, Hydro One. “I want to thank the Power Workers’ Union leadership and both bargaining teams for their continued commitment to reaching this balanced outcome.”
The collective agreement between Hydro One and the PWU covers employees in customer facing roles across the company’s operations in Ontario.
As food inflation remains high, consumers adapt: Report
More consumers are reducing their purchases of pricier foods like meat, making the switch to private label brands, and buying more discounted and “Enjoy Tonight” products, according to a new report, “Food Inflation: Where are we now?”, from Dalhousie University and data insights platform Caddle.
The report compares the results of a survey Caddle conducted of Canadians in July 2023 to those of an identical survey it conducted in July 2022. (Both surveys have a margin of error of 1% or lower.)
Did you know?
Focus on Small Business
5 straightforward ways to go from employed to self-employed
If you’re considering taking the leap from employment to self-employment, you’ll feel a mix of excitement and uncertainly. Starting a new business from scratch is a scary prospect for many, holding various unknowns. A better way is to make a plan based on your current situation. Start where you are and use what you have, for a smoother, less daunting way of making the transition.
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.
