In this edition:
- Niagara Falls exceeds housing targets, receives $2.8M from Provincial building fund
- MPP Oosterhoff recognizes Town of Niagara-on-the-Lake as inaugural recipient of Rural Partnership Award
- Old Town heritage expansion draws concerns over overreach, costs and renovations
- United Way Niagara moves into new permanent home in St. Catharines
- Canada’s EV deal with China boosts investment potential but U.S. access question looms
- National home sales fell nearly 2% in 2025 but growth expected this year
- Industrial product prices up 4.9% year-over-year while raw materials climb 6.4%
- TikTok can operate in Canada for now, federal court rules, telling Ottawa to review the case
- Focus on Canada-U.S. Business
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Photo credit: karamysh / Adobe Stock
Niagara Falls exceeds housing targets, receives $2.8M from Provincial building fund
As a result of exceeding its 2024 housing target, Niagara Falls received $2.8 million in Building Faster Fund incentive funding, in addition to the $1.7 million previously received for meeting 2023 housing targets.
Picture credit: Michael Zweip / Office of the Hon. Sam Oosterhoff
MPP Oosterhoff recognizes Town of Niagara-on-the-Lake as inaugural recipient of Rural Partnership Award
Picture credit: Town of Niagara-on-the-Lake
Old Town heritage expansion draws concerns over overreach, costs and renovations
United Way Niagara moves into new permanent home in St. Catharines
United Way Niagara has announced its move to a new permanent home at 56 St. Paul St. W. in St. Catharines. The new location is owned solely by United Way Niagara and includes a community room for local agencies, as well as convenient parking for donors.
Photo credit: RafMaster / Adobe Stock
Canada’s EV deal with China boosts investment potential but U.S. access question looms
The trade deal between Canada and China has experts saying it could lead to Chinese electric vehicle firms producing vehicles in Canada, but much depends on the trade talks ahead with the United States.
The deal has the federal government lowering tariffs to 6.1 per cent from 100 per cent on 49,000 Chinese EVs a year, with a ramp-up to 70,000 within five years, while China has agreed to reduce tariffs on a range of Canadian goods.
Critics including Ontario Premier Doug Ford and Unifor leader Lana Payne panned the deal as an attack on workers and Canadian manufacturing, while Prime Minister Mark Carney said the government has already spoken with Chinese companies interested in investing in Canada.
Photo credit: primestockphotograpy / Adobe Stock
National home sales fell nearly 2% in 2025 but growth expected this year
The Canadian Real Estate Association expects national home sales to grow 5.1 per cent in 2026, marking a rebound from last year’s tariff-induced slowdown in the market.
The association forecasts 494,512 residential properties will trade hands this year. The outlook represents a downgrade from CREA’s prediction last fall of a 7.7 per cent national increase in home sales for 2026.
Photo credit: romaset / Adobe Stock
Industrial product prices up 4.9% year-over-year while raw materials climb 6.4%
Prices of products manufactured in Canada, as measured by the Industrial Product Price Index (IPPI), decreased 0.6% month over month in December and gained 4.9% year over year. Prices of raw materials purchased by manufacturers operating in Canada, as measured by the Raw Materials Price Index (RMPI), increased by 0.5% month over month in December and rose 6.4% year over year.
13 of 21 commodity groups posted year-over-year increases. The year-over-year increase in the IPPI was driven by price movements in unwrought silver and silver alloys (+106.6%), unwrought gold and gold alloys (+57.8%) and unwrought platinum group metals, and their alloys (+82.4%).
Picture credit: nikkimeel / Adobe Stock
TikTok can operate in Canada for now, federal court rules, telling Ottawa to review the case
Canada’s federal court has overturned a government order to close TikTok’s Canadian operations, allowing the short-form video app to continue operating for the time being.
In a short judgment on Wednesday, federal court judge Russel Zinn set aside the order and sent the matter back to Industry Minister Mélanie Joly for review. He did not give any reasons.
Focus on Canada-U.S. Business
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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.
