In this edition:

Canada proposes legislation to buy $2.5bn worth of rapid tests
Niagara-on-the-Lake requests business assistance at ROMA
CFP for in-demand job training programs
New Port Colborne vaccination clinic
Canada to modernize immigration system

Government of Canada introduces legislation to purchase COVID rapid tests

Today, the Honourable Jean-Yves Duclos, Minister of Health, introduced Bill C-10 – An Act respecting certain measures related to COVID-19 in Parliament to provide Health Canada with the statutory authority to purchase and distribute across the country up to $2.5 billion worth of COVID-19 rapid tests. With this funding, the Government of Canada would put in place critical contracts in a highly competitive global market, to purchase sufficient quantities of rapid tests to meet the continued demand across the country.

Click here for more information.

Niagara-on-the-Lake advocates for business at Rural Ontario Municipal Association

Town of Niagara-on-the-Lake Staff and Council Members participated in the Rural Ontario Municipal Association (ROMA) 2022 Virtual Conference from Sunday, January 23, to Tuesday, January 25. Town advocacy items included, among others:

• Requesting permanent legislation on the provincial temporary patio program, and requesting that business-owners be able to invest capital without jeopardizing their participation
• Requesting the elimination of the VQA tax, enable wineries to deliver direct to grocery stores, increase shelf space for VQA wines, and eliminate import taxes on 100% VQA wines

The GNCC shares these priorities and has previously advocated on them, and is heartened to see the Town of Niagara-on-the-Lake supporting its businesses.

Click here to read the media release (PDF link).

Canada launches CFP for in-demand job training

The Government of Canada has announced a Call for Proposals (CFP) for the Sectoral Workforce Solutions Program. Priority will be placed on projects that support underrepresented groups, including women, persons with disabilities, Indigenous people, racialized Canadians, newcomers, and LGBTQ2 Canadians, and will also promote a diverse and inclusive workforce.

The program is focused on projects that will:

• support workforce development needs in sectors that contribute to the low carbon economy, protect the environment, oceanic or aquatic ecosystems, and/or manage natural resources
• support activities that can be launched quickly to address the changing labour supply, skills and employment needs of workers and employers hardest hit by the pandemic
• address the challenges faced by in-demand health care occupations, including skills and labour shortages, labour mobility, workforce mental health needs and integration of internationally trained health care professionals

Applications are open until March 18th.

Click here for more information.

Port Colborne vaccination clinic open January 31-February 2

A vaccination clinic at the Port Colborne Visitor Information Centre, 76 Main Street W, will run from Jan. 31 to Feb. 2, open 9:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. The clinic will serve:

• Ages 5+ (1st and 2nd dose)
• Ages 18+ (1st, 2nd, and booster doses)

Appointments are available, and walk-ins are welcome.

For more information and COVID-19 updates, visit www.portcolborne.ca/covid19.

Canada to modernize immigration system

Today, the Honourable Sean Fraser, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, announced measures to improve client experience and modernize the immigration system. In the Economic and Fiscal Update 2021, the Government of Canada proposed $85 million in new funding to reduce application inventories.

The government intends to expand the use of advanced data analytics in helping officers sort and process visitor visa applications submitted from outside Canada. During the time the data analytics system has been used for visitor visas, it has been shown that routine files can be assessed 87% faster, resulting in some applicants receiving decisions more quickly while program integrity is maintained. An IRCC officer will always make the final decision, however.

The government will also expand the digital application portal to include more clients in summer 2022. The transition to an online application process will minimize COVID-19-related delays associated with processing paper applications, and will provide clients with immediate confirmation that their application was successfully submitted. Efforts to date have allowed average processing times for spousal sponsorship applicants to return to the service standard of 12 months for new applications.

Click here for more information.

Reading Recommendations

Busting the myth of Canada’s million or more vacant homes

Financial Post

Recent media accounts and development agency reports suggest Canada’s housing affordability problem is being made worse by more than a million homes sitting empty, but a deep dive into the vacancy data reveals the alarmists have misinterpreted the information.

Many believe investors and those owning multiple homes contribute to worsening housing affordability by keeping dwellings empty that could house tenants or new millennial owners. Hence, critics say, housing conditions would improve if these million-plus “vacant homes” were made available for buying or renting.

Vancouver imposed a vacant home tax in 2017 and Toronto is doing the same this year. But the vacant tax in Vancouver has not netted tens of thousands of empty properties. A similar outcome is expected in Toronto, where the local government expects to find 6,500 to 9,600 vacant dwellings, though some or many would qualify for an exemption from the vacant home tax.

But it turns out that the percentage of vacant homes is actually low, and even lower in high-demand urban areas. Furthermore, some dwellings are temporarily vacant for a reason, for example, transitioning from one occupant to the next.