In this edition:
- Canada’s new government to consult on its first federal budget
- 2025 IceDogs Community Suite applications now open
- Bogotá Chamber of Commerce seeks international companies to join summit
- Canada implements Interim Reciprocal Procurement policy
- Nearly two-thirds of Canadians want interest rate cuts as financial anxiety grows
- Focus on Climate
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Photo credit: Wangkun Jia / Adobe Stock
Canada’s new government to consult on its first federal budget
As the new government prepares for the tabling of Budget 2025 in the fall, the Minister of Finance and National Revenue, the Honourable François-Philippe Champagne, is launching pre-budget consultations. Starting today, until August 28, 2025, Canadians can participate in the consultations by sharing their thoughts on key issues at Canada.ca/YourBudget.
Picture credit: City of St. Catharines
2025 IceDogs Community Suite applications now open
The City of St. Catharines is offering some suite seats at the Meridian Centre to local charities, non-profits, and youth sports groups for no charge for the 2025-26 Niagara IceDogs season.
Applications for the community suite are now open through to end of day on August 8.
Picture credit: .shock / Adobe Stock
Bogotá Chamber of Commerce seeks international companies to join summit
The Bogotá Chamber of Commerce is inviting up to 90 international companies to join their International Summit and Business Matchmaking Forum on September 22–23, 2025. They are offering to fully cover travel, accommodation, and transfers for one delegate per company.
For questions, please contact directly Ana María Mejia ana.mejia@ccb.org.co and Erika Rondón erika.rondon@ccb.org.co.
Picture credit: Abubakar / Adobe Stock
Canada implements Interim Reciprocal Procurement policy
Today, the Honourable Joël Lightbound, Minister of Government Transformation, Public Works and Procurement announced that the government has implemented a new Interim Policy on Reciprocal Procurement. Under this new policy, suppliers from countries that limit Canadian access to their own government contracts can be restricted from bidding on Canadian federal contracts.
Picture credit: Pituk / Adobe Stock
Nearly two-thirds of Canadians want interest rate cuts as financial anxiety grows
Following two consecutive interest rate pauses by the Bank of Canada (BoC), Canadians continue to feel financial pressure, with many stuck delaying major life goals amid ongoing economic uncertainty, according to the latest MNP Consumer Debt Index released Monday.
Nearly two-thirds of Canadians (64 per cent) say they desperately need interest rates to fall, given the financial constraints they’re under.
Focus on Climate
Canada continues to fall behind on building up EV charging network
The Canadian Press
Canada continues to fall behind on efforts to build up a network of electric vehicle charging stations, even as the rising number of chargers along key corridors makes it easier for Canadians to take their EVs on longer trips, researchers say.
There are a little more than 35,000 charging stations across the country right now — well short of the 100,520 Canada needs to meet its policy goals for electric vehicles, researchers with the Montreal-based consultancy Dunsky Energy and Climate said in a report released last year.
In a 2021 analysis commissioned by Natural Resources Canada, Dunsky estimated Canada needed 52,000 chargers by this year. It revised that target in a report released in February 2024 to take into account the need for charging infrastructure for commercial fleets and secondary roads.
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.
