In this edition:
- Economic growth expected to slow in 2026, reports Deloitte
- WSIB launches defibrillator rebate program to enhance safety on construction sites
- Yankee Candle exits Canadian retail after 14 years
- Statistics Canada to hire 32,000 workers for 2026 census
- Focus on Canada-U.S. Business
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Economic growth expected to slow in 2026, reports Deloitte
A new report forecasts Canadian growth will slow to 1.5 per cent this year from 1.7 per cent in 2025.
Dawn Desjardins, chief economist at Deloitte Canada, said she is cautiously optimistic though that the economy will gain momentum through the second half of the year.
Picture credit: Lightfield Studios / Adobe Stock
WSIB launches defibrillator rebate program to enhance safety on construction sites
Businesses in the province can now receive up to $2,500 from Ontario’s Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) when they purchase an automated external defibrillator (AED) for their qualifying construction projects.
The Residential Construction Council of Ontario (RESCON), in partnership with Smart Safety Solutions, has also put together a guide to help employers build a policy governing the use of Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs).
Picture credit: JHVEPhoto / Adobe Stock
Yankee Candle exits Canadian retail after 14 years
Yankee Candle has officially exited Canadian brick-and-mortar retail, closing its final store last week at Oshawa Centre in Oshawa, Ontario. The location remained open through the 2025 holiday season before shutting its doors last week, marking the end of the brand’s company-owned retail presence in Canada after more than 14 years.
Picture credit: Lightfield Studios / Adobe Stock
Office vacancy rate dips as return-to-office shift picks up, says CBRE report
A new report says the Canadian office vacancy rate dipped last year for the first time since the pandemic as the return-to-office trend accelerated.
The report from CBRE says the national vacancy rate stood at 18 per cent at the end of 2025, down from 18.7 per cent a year earlier.
Photo credit: Kittiphat / Adobe Stock
Statistics Canada to hire 32,000 workers for 2026 census
Statistics Canada will conduct the next census in May 2026 and is hiring for approximately 32,000 census jobs across Canada. Census workers play a vital role in helping to collect high-quality demographic, social and economic data to help provide an accurate statistical portrait of the country.
Focus on Canada-U.S. Business
Trump made lots of tariff threats in 2025. Here are some that never materialized
The Canadian Press
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.
