In this edition:
- Government of Ontario accelerates retail beverage alcohol plans
- St. Catharines Summer Company Showcase set for July 17
- Parliamentary Secretary Badawey to make an announcement about Green Shipping Corridors
- Hamilton steel maker Stelco Holdings sold to Cleveland-Cliffs for $3.4 billion
- LCBO walks back plan to open dozens of stores on Friday as strike continues
- WestJet and AMFA agreement ratified
- Minister Ien announces funding for over 200 youth employment projects
- Wholesale trade declined in May while manufacturing picks up speed
- Businesses tied to discretionary spending report weak sales while essential firms see sales growth: Bank of Canada
- Focus on Climate
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Photo credit: Pixel-Shot / Adobe Stock
Government of Ontario accelerates retail beverage alcohol plans
As the next step in the government’s plan to give people in Ontario more choice and convenience, licensed grocery stores will be able to order ready-to-drink beverages and large beer pack sizes starting Thursday, July 18, 2024, and begin selling them immediately upon arrival. This new timeline accelerates the first phase of the government’s plan to expand alcohol sales to grocery, convenience and big-box stores by allowing the 450 grocery stores that are currently licensed to sell beer, cider or wine to sell them once they arrive in store, rather than August 1.
Photo credit: City of St. Catharines
St. Catharines Summer Company Showcase set for July 17
The St. Catharines Enterprise Centre’s Summer Company Showcase will be returning to St. Catharines City Hall on Wednesday, July 17.
The showcase will be held in the Burgoyne Woods Room (third floor), from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. It will feature nine new businesses, launched by entrepreneurs between the ages of 15 and 29 as part of the City’s Summer Company Program. The public is welcome to attend.
Photo credit: Vance Badawey, M.P.
Parliamentary Secretary Badawey to make an announcement about Green Shipping Corridors
The Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Transport and Member of Parliament for Niagara Centre, Vance Badawey, on behalf of the Minister of Transport, Pablo Rodriguez, and Chris Bittle, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Housing, Infrastructure, and Communities and Member of Parliament for St. Catharines, will make an announcement about Green Shipping Corridors.
The event will take place at the St. Catharines Museum and Welland Canals Centre at 10:00 a.m., Tuesday, July 16.
Photo credit: Stelco Inc.
Hamilton steel maker Stelco Holdings sold to Cleveland-Cliffs for $3.4 billion
Hamilton-based steel maker Stelco Holdings Inc. is set to be acquired by Cleveland-Cliffs Inc. for $3.4 billion.
Stelco says it has agreed to sell all issued and outstanding common shares for $70 per share to the Cleveland-based steel producer.
Photo credit: Iryna / Adobe Stock
LCBO walks back plan to open dozens of stores on Friday as strike continues
LCBO will no longer be opening its stores until the strike is resolved, reversing its original plan to open 32 select locations for limited hours starting on Friday, the company said in a statement Sunday.
LCBO said it will instead reallocate its personnel to other parts of its operations as it continues to serve retail customers through online shopping on its website.
Photo credit: Kyo46 / Adobe Stock
WestJet and AMFA agreement ratified
The first collective bargaining agreement between WestJet and the Aircraft Mechanics Fraternal Association (AMFA), the certified union representing WestJet Aircraft Maintenance Engineers and other Technical Operations employees, was ratified on July 12.
Photo credit: Government of Canada
Minister Ien announces funding for over 200 youth employment projects
Today, the Honourable Marci Ien, Minister for Women and Gender Equality and Youth, announced the Government is funding more than 200 new community-led projects that will transform the lives of 22,000 young people facing barriers to employment by improving their ability to find and keep good jobs.
The projects are receiving approximately $370 million over four years through Employment and Social Development Canada’s (ESDC) Youth Employment and Skills Strategy (YESS) Program.
Photo credit: Industrieblick / Adobe Stock
Wholesale trade declined in May while manufacturing picks up speed
Following a 1.4% increase in April, Canadian manufacturing sales rose 0.4% to $71.4 billion in May, mainly driven by higher production in the aerospace product and parts industry group (+11.2%), followed by higher sales in the food (+1.4%) and paper (+5.5%) product subsectors, Statistics Canada reports.
Wholesale sales (excluding petroleum, petroleum products, and other hydrocarbons and excluding oilseed and grain) fell 0.8% to $82.2 billion in May. Sales declined in five of the seven subsectors, with the largest decline coming from the motor vehicle and motor vehicle parts and accessories subsector. Wholesale sales were 0.9% lower in May compared with the same month one year earlier.
Photo credit: wichayada / Adobe Stock
Businesses tied to discretionary spending report weak sales while essential firms see sales growth: Bank of Canada
The Bank of Canada’s Business Outlook Survey was conducted from May 9 to 29, 2024. Findings included that firms’ sales outlooks are mostly unchanged from last quarter and remain more pessimistic than average. Businesses tied to discretionary spending reported particularly weak sales expectations, while those tied to essential spending see population growth continuing to benefit their sales.
Investment spending plans also remain below average. Weak demand, elevated interest rates, uncertainty about the business environment and the high cost of machinery and equipment were cited as discouraging investment. In this context, investment spending has become increasingly concentrated on upkeep and repair rather than expansion or improvements in productivity.
Did you know?
Focus on Climate
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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.
