In this edition:
- Mayors urge Ontario to declare state of emergency to address homelessness, addiction
- Tough budget decision time for Niagara Region council
- NPCA comments on new boundary configuration
- 3-storey Virgil apartment building approved by town council
- Bank of Canada expected to hold key rate, move to sidelines after an uncertain 2025
- Canada and Germany deepen their collaboration on advanced technologies
- Ontario’s Credit Rating: Fall 2025 Update
- Metro signs on to the Canada Grocery Code of Conduct
- The 2025 icewine harvest begins
- Focus on Health & Safety
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Picture credit: Margarita / Adobe Stock
Mayors urge Ontario to declare state of emergency to address homelessness, addiction
The mayors of Ontario’s 29 largest cities are calling on the province to declare a state of emergency as municipalities deal with what they call a “community safety and humanitarian crisis” created by homelessness, mental health and addiction.
Ontario Big City Mayors urges the province to provide more funding and engage more actively with cities and other stakeholders in a motion passed unanimously on Friday.
The mayors caucus says municipalities covered more than 50 per cent of the $4.1 billion spent on homelessness and housing programs in 2024.
Picture credit: Regional Municipality of Niagara
Tough budget decision time for Niagara Region council
The stage is set for some of the most difficult Niagara Region budget decisions in years.
Regional councillors approved a motion during the beginning of the 2026 budget process that provided a 3.5 per cent tax increase guidance for the municipality’s departments, as well as the agencies, boards and commissions the Region funds.
The motion followed consecutive regional property tax increases of 9.6 per cent, 7.02 per cent and 7.5 per cent, in 2025, 2024 and 2023, respectively. Councillors have struggled with reducing the 2026 tax increase ever since.
Picture credit: Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority
NPCA comments on new boundary configuration
The Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority (NPCA) Board passed a formal resolution stating that it does not support the proposed “Western Lake Ontario Regional Conservation Authority” boundary configuration, citing insufficient justification, risks to local governance, and the strong efficiencies already achieved within the existing watershed-based model.
The resolution further emphasizes that large-scale consolidation is unnecessary and urges the province to prioritize improved standards, sustainable funding, and collaborative engagement rather than structural amalgamation.
Picture credit: Town of Niagara-on-the-Lake / ACK Architects Studio Inc.
3-storey Virgil apartment building OK’d by town council
After a series of changes to an application for a Virgil property during the past six months, Niagara-on-the-Lake town councillors have approved a three-storey residential development that still upsets residents.
The application by developer and owner Harvest Heights for 1839 Four Mile Creek Rd. will yield 29 units and be constructed on top of a partial underground parking lot with 32 spaces.
Picture credit: primestockphotograpy / Adobe Stock
Bank of Canada expected to hold key rate, move to sidelines after an uncertain 2025
Economists widely expect the Bank of Canada will hold its benchmark interest rate steady this week and move to the sidelines to cap off a year dominated by trade and economic uncertainty.
The central bank’s policy rate stands at 2.25 per cent heading into its final rate decision of the year on Wednesday – a full point lower than where it started 2025.
As of Friday afternoon, financial markets placed odds of nearly 93 per cent in favour of a rate hold at this week’s meeting, according to LSEG Data & Analytics.
Picture credit: iuneWind / Adobe Stock
Canada and Germany deepen their collaboration on advanced technologies
Today, the Honourable Evan Solomon, Minister of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Innovation and Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario, met with Karsten Wildberger, Germany’s Minister for Digital Transformation and Government Modernisation, while participating in the G7 Industry, Digital and Technology Ministers’ Meeting in Montréal.
The ministers agreed to launch the Canada–Germany Digital Alliance to accelerate collaboration on artificial intelligence (AI), digital sovereignty, digital infrastructure, quantum and innovation in the digital economy. They emphasized the importance of growing commercial champions capable of competing globally and driving shared prosperity and agreed that the first deliverable under the Alliance would be a joint declaration of intent on AI intended to encourage the commercialization and adoption of AI in both nations, to be finalized in the coming months.
Picture credit: JHVEphoto / Adobe Stock
Ontario’s Credit Rating: Fall 2025 Update
Ontario is rated at AA by DBRS, and AA- by S&P, Moody’s and Fitch – the third and fourth highest credit ratings, respectively. These credit ratings indicate that the credit rating agencies view the Province as an extremely strong, investment-grade borrower.
All credit rating agencies currently have a stable outlook for Ontario, which suggests that they do not expect to change their credit ratings in the next two years.
Picture credit: Colin Temple / Adobe Stock
Metro signs on to the Canada Grocery Code of Conduct
Metro Inc. has signed on to the Grocery Code of Conduct, joining several other retailers who recently signed on, including Pattison Group, Sobeys, Loblaw, as well as independent grocers and suppliers.
The grocery code is intended to promote fair dealings between grocers and their suppliers, including the application of penalties and fees.
Picture credit: karepa – stock.adobe.com
The 2025 icewine harvest begins
When the temperature drops to -8 C (at a minimum) the netted grapes freeze, and wineries have their picking crews and winemakers on alert, ready to harvest.
An early December harvest of icewine is rare, but not unheard of. In 2024, the harvest began on Jan. 14. The earliest harvest ever recorded was in 2019 when the first icewine grapes were picked on Nov. 12, even while some Cabernet Sauvignon was still hanging on the vines.
Focus on Health Access
Ottawa to fast-track foreign doctors’ permanent residency
Marie Woolfe, The Globe and Mail
Foreign doctors are to be offered a fast track to permanent residency in a bid to persuade more medical professionals to stay and work across Canada.
The announcement Monday by Immigration Minister Lena Metlege Diab of a new pathway to permanent residency is designed to increase the number of family doctors in Canada and cut wait times to see specialists and surgeons.
It will be opened next year for foreign physicians who have worked in Canada for more than a year over the past three years.
Through the Daily Updates, the GNCC aims to deliver important business news in a timely manner. Inclusion in the Daily Update is not an endorsement by the GNCC.
