In this edition:
- Community partners restore one of Niagara’s largest coastal dune ecosystems
- Niagara Parks closes two Niagara-on-the-Lake heritage sites due to company staffing shortage
- Town of Lincoln receives $93,000 from Digital Main Street to launch fourth consecutive Digital Service Squad Program
- Tackling immigration backlogs to help Canadian businesses grow
- Canada and Germany sign agreement to enhance German energy security with clean Canadian hydrogen
- Statistics Canada reports on the quarterly financial statistics for enterprises
- Vote in the upcoming municipal election
Community partners restore one of Niagara’s largest coastal dune ecosystems
Niagara Coastal is restoring 6,600 square meters of coastal dune habitat at Nickel Beach, Port Colborne’s most popular beach destination. In partnership with the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority, the City of Port Colborne and VALE Canada Ltd., this project engages community members in local actions to contribute to a healthy and resilient Lake Erie coastal ecosystem.
Niagara Parks closes two Niagara-on-the-Lake heritage sites due to company staffing shortage
Two of Niagara-on-the-Lake historic landmarks are now closed for indoor visits with their managers, Niagara Parks, experiencing staffing shortages this year.
Both buildings, the McFarland House and Mackenzie Printery, have been in Niagara-on-the-Lake for at least two centuries, and in regular years, are open for tours from May to November, typically seven days a week during the spring and summer months. These sites will remain closed until the spring reopening in 2023.
Town of Lincoln receives $93,000 from Digital Main Street to launch fourth consecutive Digital Service Squad Program
Digital Service Squads (DSS) are the cornerstone of Digital Main Street, with trained specialists who meet with brick-and-mortar small businesses at no cost to help them complete an online assessment and introduce them to online training modules designed to build their digital knowledge and skills. This one-on-one DSS assistance includes support for basic website setup, Google Business Profiles, 360⁰ photos, social media presence, and much more. Squad members are also trained to help qualified small businesses develop their Digital Transformation Plan and then apply for a $2,500 Digital Transformation Grant.
Tackling immigration backlogs to help Canadian businesses grow
Today, the Honourable Sean Fraser, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, highlighted ongoing work to strengthen Canada’s immigration system and reduce application backlogs, with a focus on addressing labour shortages, improving client experience, and reuniting families.
As part of this plan, the Minister announced that Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) will have hired up to 1,250 new employees by the end of the fall to increase processing capacity and tackle the backlogs in the short term, while taking action to make the system more sustainable in the long term.
Canada and Germany sign agreement to enhance German energy security with clean Canadian hydrogen
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Germany’s Chancellor Olaf Scholz signed a Joint Declaration of Intent committing the two countries to collaboration in the export of clean Canadian hydrogen to Germany.
The Canada–Germany Hydrogen Alliance will commit the two countries to:
- enabling investment in hydrogen projects through policy harmonization;
- supporting the development of secure hydrogen supply chains;
- establishing a transatlantic Canada–Germany supply corridor; and
- exporting clean Canadian hydrogen by 2025.
Statistics Canada reports on the quarterly financial statistics for enterprises
Rising commodity prices kept contributing to the high inflation level recorded in the second quarter, which led the Bank of Canada to increase its policy rate by 100 basis points to cool-off inflation. These macroeconomic events impacted the operations of the Canadian corporate sector during the second quarter.
Amid this backdrop, Canadian corporations reported a quarterly increase of 6.5% in net income before taxes (NIBT) in the second quarter. The non-financial sector drove the gain, recording a growth of 10.2% in NIBT.
Vote in the upcoming municipal election
On Monday, Oct. 24, 2022, Niagara residents will vote to elect the positions of mayor, councillors and regional councillors. For voter information in your community, including a list of candidates, please click here.
Focus on Climate Change
Clean energy spend falls short of climate goals, IEA says
Bloomberg News
Investments into renewable power, energy efficiency and electric vehicles are set to make up the bulk of spending on energy this year, but still won’t be enough for the world to achieve net-zero carbon emissions over the next three decades, according to the International Energy Agency.
The IEA expects spending on clean energy to exceed US$1.4 trillion this year, accounting for almost three-quarters of overall investment. The average annual growth rate has accelerated to 12 per cent since 2020, compared with 2 per cent in the five years following the 2015 Paris climate accord.
Racing against the clock to decarbonise the planet
Financial Times
Two companies are on a mission in Iceland to find a technological solution to the elusive problem of capturing and storing carbon dioxide. Is the sector finally seeing momentum?
Star-studded partnerships are one of the signs that the industry is beginning to move. Some partners already include the likes of Audi, Shopify and Boston Consulting Group, as well as a 10-year deal with Microsoft aiming to offset the software giant’s emissions.
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.
