In this edition:
- City of Port Colborne wins 2026 Municipality of the Year award
- Housing Accelerator Fund powers building surge in St. Catharines
- Niagara-on-the-Lake reports positive progress on 94 out of 127 strategic indicators
- Concerts on the Canal earns Top 100 recognition for second straight year
- Lincoln solicits community participation in Vineland CBD workshop
- artsvest Regional grants open for applications in Ontario
- Number of unfilled jobs in Canada increases to highest level since March 2025
- Ontario’s housing sector calls on federal and Ontario governments with targeted policies
- Focus on Canada-U.S. Business
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Picture credit: City of Port Colborne
City of Port Colborne wins 2026 Municipality of the Year award
The City of Port Colborne is celebrating provincial recognition after being named the 2026 Municipality of the Year (Population Under 50,000) by Festivals and Events Ontario (FEO).
Presented at the annual FEO Awards Gala on Feb. 25, the award recognizes municipalities that demonstrate exceptional leadership in supporting local festivals and community events.
Picture credit: City of St. Catharines
Housing Accelerator Fund powers building surge in St. Catharines
St. Catharines is marking a record year for building permits, with increased housing starts and continued progress supported through the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation’s Housing Accelerator Fund (HAF).
The City of St. Catharines issued building permits for 1,025 new dwelling units during year two of its HAF Action Plan, exceeding its HAF year-two target by 310 units and surpassing its previous nine-year trend by more than 500 units.
Picture credit: Town of Niagara-on-the-Lake
Niagara-on-the-Lake reports positive progress on 94 out of 127 strategic indicators
The Town of Niagara-on-the-Lake has entered the final year of its 2022–2027 Strategic Plan with strong momentum, reporting that 74% of its Indicators of Success are either complete, on target, or exceeding expectations as of the end of 2025.
Picture credit: City of Welland
Concerts on the Canal earns Top 100 recognition for second straight year
The City of Welland’s Concerts on the Canal series has once again been recognized as one of the Top 100 Festivals and Events in Ontario by Festivals and Events Ontario (FEO).
The 2026 Top 100 Award winners were officially announced on Wednesday, February 25, during the FEO Awards Gala.
Picture credit: Town of Lincoln
Lincoln solicits community participation in Vineland CBD workshop
The Town of Lincoln is inviting the surrounding community to meet and discuss the Vineland Central Business District (CBD) Strategic Vision and Master Plan. This is the second workshop that is being held in this regard to ensure all members of the community who wish to participate are able to do so.
Picture credit: CasanoWa Stutio / Adobe Stock
artsvest Regional grants open for applications in Ontario
Offered in addition to the national artsvest program, artsvest Regional in Ontario supports small and mid-sized arts and culture and heritage organizations in growing their sponsorship capacity through personalized mentorship and targeted training.
The 2026 program returns with continued support from the Ontario Arts Council (OAC) and welcomes a new provincial partner, the Ontario Cultural Attractions Fund (OCAF), which will bolster the program with training resources focused on cultural tourism.
Photo credit: Tamara Sales / Adobe Stock
Number of unfilled jobs in Canada increases to highest level since March 2025
In December, there were 514,600 vacant positions in Canada, up from 490,900 (+23,700; +4.8%) in November. This was the highest level of job vacancies recorded since March 2025 (516,900). Year over year, job vacancies were down by 20,500 (-3.8%) in December.
Picture credit: nipol / Adobe Stock
Ontario’s housing sector calls on federal and Ontario governments with targeted policies
As governments prepare fiscal and policy decisions, a coalition of REALTORS®, builders, trade associations, not-for-profit organizations, and rental providers from Ontario’s housing sector continues to speak with one voice, urging a renewed focus on restoring confidence and unlocking demand.
Policy proposals outlined include expanding the GST sales tax rebate, modernizing financing tools, reforming development charges, ending exclusionary zoning practices, and more.
Focus on Canada-U.S. business
Forget tariffs, here’s how Trump is really making money off Canada
Pamela Heaven, Financial Post
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.
