In this edition:
- Niagara rents continue to drop, offering relief for renters
- Weather delays lead to latest seaway closure since opening
- 7-storey, 217-unit apartment building proposed next to Woodlawn Cemetery
- OLG makes latest payment to Niagara Falls for hosting casinos
- Provincial-federal initiative for agriculture and agri-food to begin accepting applications
- National transit usage down 4.3M trips year-over-year
- Skills Ontario calls for more investments in skilled trades programming
- Surprise inflation hike won’t knock Bank of Canada off sidelines, economists say
- Focus on Human Resources
Did you know you can get the GNCC’s Daily Update emailed to you? Click here to sign up.
Photo credit: vadim yerofeyev / Adobe Stock
Niagara rents continue to drop, offering relief for renters
Niagara rents fell to their lowest levels in more than two years last month, as a renters’ market continues.
Rental.ca’s year-end rent report showed asking rents across the country declined for the 15th consecutive month, with December rents closing out the year 5.4 per cent lower, but still more than 14 per cent higher than pre-pandemic levels.
Photo credit: Joanne Dale / Adobe Stock
Weather delays lead to latest seaway closure since opening
Pushing deeper into winter than ever before, the St. Lawrence Seaway System experienced the latest end to its season since opening in 1959.
Scheduled to close on Jan. 5, the Montreal-Lake Ontario section remained open a full week longer than planned during the 67th navigation season.
Picture credit: Alphabet / Google Maps screenshot
7-storey, 217-unit apartment building proposed next to Woodlawn Cemetery
A developer proposing a seven-storey, 217-unit apartment building on Niagara Street in Welland is seeking to have two properties on the south side of Woodlawn Cemetery rezoned.
Upper Canada Consultants, on behalf of 1000044827 Ontario Inc., will ask the city to change zoning at 694 and 698 Niagara St. to residential high density from single detached dwelling.
OLG makes latest payment to Niagara Falls for hosting casinos
A third-quarter payment of more than $3.8 million has been made by Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corp. to the City of Niagara Falls for hosting Casino Niagara and Niagara Fallsview Casino Resort.
Picture credit: Town of Lincoln
Town of Lincoln recognized by Province of Ontario as an Age-Friendly Community
The Town of Lincoln is proud to announce it has been officially recognized by the Province of Ontario as an Age-Friendly Community, acknowledging the Town’s ongoing commitment to creating an inclusive, accessible, and supportive environment for residents of all ages.
Picture credit: Andrii Yalanskyi / Adobe Stock
Provincial-federal initiative for agriculture and agri-food to begin accepting applications
The governments of Canada and Ontario are investing up to $20 million through the new Market Diversification and Trade Resiliency Initiative to help farmers, food processors and agribusinesses sell more Ontario grown products around the world.
The Market Diversification and Trade Resiliency Initiative will open for applications on February 17, 2026 to help Ontario farmers and agribusinesses expand domestic and international sales and strengthen production capacity through three funding streams.
Picture credit: Frédéric Prochasson / Adobe Stock
National transit usage down 4.3M trips year-over-year
Canada’s urban transit agencies provided an estimated 135.5 million passenger trips in November 2025, a decrease of 3.1% (-4.3 million trips) from November 2024 and the seventh consecutive month of year-over-year decline.
Picture credit: Seventyfour / Adobe Stock
Skills Ontario calls for more investments in skilled trades programming
Amidst economic uncertainty and skilled trade shortages, Skills Ontario is asking for continued investments in its skilled trade and technology programming from the provincial government ahead of the 2026 Economic Budget.
Photo credit: Elena Berd /Adobe Stock
Surprise inflation hike won’t knock Bank of Canada off sidelines, economists say
Inflation closed out 2025 with a surprise uptick, but economists weighing in Monday argued there was little cause for concern under the hood to warrant a change in interest rates from the Bank of Canada later this month.
Focus on Human Resources
Solving your succession crisis: Are you ready?
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.
