In this edition:
- Feedback sought for federal paid sick leave legislation
- St. Catharines receives federal funding for public transit electrification
- Passports issued up 53% since April, Minister promises more
- House sales down 24% since 2021
- Public Health Ontario says COVID infections up 30% since last week
- Wholesale sales top $81 billion
Feedback sought for federal paid sick leave legislation
Today, the Minister of Labour, Seamus O’Regan Jr., announced that the Government of Canada has reached an important milestone in the process to make 10 days of paid sick leave a reality. The draft regulations that will support implementation of paid sick leave are now available online for comment in Part I of the Canada Gazette.
Employers, employer representatives, unions, workers, and other key stakeholders are invited to share their feedback on the proposed Regulations Amending Certain Regulations Made Under the Canada Labour Code (Medical Leave with Pay) by August 15, 2022.
This legislation, if passed, would only apply to private-sector federally-regulated industries. Click here for a list.
St. Catharines receives federal funding for public transit electrification
The Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson, Minister of Natural Resources and Taneen Rudyk, President of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities, today announced a $98,500 investment to the St. Catharines Transit Commission (SCTC) through FCM’s Green Municipal Fund (GMF) to support the electrification of its transit fleet.
The SCTC, which provides bus services to the city of St. Catharines and the neighbouring city of Thorold, will conduct a technical and financial assessment to create an efficient and impactful plan for converting the conventional diesel-dependent fleet to battery-powered electric buses. Electrifying SCTC’s fixed-route conventional fleet will improve air quality by reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 95 percent and lower operating and energy costs with projected annual savings of up to $900,000 ion diesel fuel and up to $50,000 on maintenance for each bus.
Passports issued up 53% since April, Minister promises more
“We are starting to put a dent in the backlog,” said Minister of Families, Children and Social Development Karina Gould in a prepared statement issued today. “Last week, the number of passports issued was higher than at any point since before the pandemic, at 54,312. That is up over 20% since the previous week, and the weekly rate is up just over 53% compared to the week ending April 8. We are not out of the woods, but this is a positive trend.
“We’re working to make service more accessible to everyone, wherever we can. Last week, 19 out of 35 passport offices and an additional 18 Service Canada Centres offered extended hours of service including weekend appointments. We will also be using new tools for scanning and data entry that will help reduce the inventory.”
House sales down 24% since 2021
Home sales recorded over Canadian MLS® Systems fell by 5.6% between May and June 2022. Although larger declines were recorded in April and May, monthly activity has dropped to slightly below average levels for the month of June. The actual (not seasonally adjusted) number of transactions in June 2022 came in 23.9% below the record for that month set last year.
The actual (not seasonally adjusted) national average home price was $665,850 in June 2022, down 1.8% from the same month last year.
“Sales activity continues to slow in the face of rising interest rates and uncertainty,” said Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA) Chair Jill Oudil. “The cost of borrowing has overtaken supply as the dominant factor affecting housing markets at the moment, but the supply issue has not gone away. While some people may choose to wait on the sidelines as the dust settles in the wake of recent rate hikes, others will still engage in the market in these challenging times.”
Public Health Ontario says COVID infections up 30% since last week
COVID-19 new confirmed cases are increasing across most of Ontario as adult residents started to book appointments to get their second booster shots.
New figures on the disease released by Public Health Ontario on Thursday shows that there was 30 per cent increase in cases during the week of July 3rd to July 9th compared with the week before. Hospital admissions are also increasing and outbreaks in high-risk settings like long-term care homes had increased by 87 per cent compared with the week before.
Niagara Health is currently caring for 30 patients with COVID-19. 15 are being treated primarily for the virus and three are being cared for in the ICU.
Wholesale sales top $81 billion
Wholesale sales rose 1.6% in May to $81.1 billion, the eighth increase in the past ten months. Sales increased in five of the seven wholesale trade subsectors, representing 70% of wholesale sales. The growth was predominantly due to higher sales in the food, beverage and tobacco subsector and the machinery, equipment and supplies subsector.
Constant dollar sales rose 1.1% in May.
- Sales in the food, beverage and tobacco subsector increased 7.8% to $14.7 billion in May, the fourth increase in the last five months. This is the highest level recorded for the subsector.
- The machinery, equipment and supplies subsector posted the second highest gains for May as sales rose 3.2% to $17.0 billion.
- Sales of building material and supplies continued to fall for a second consecutive month in May, down 4.3% to $13.2 billion—the third decline in 2022.
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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.
