In this edition:
- Businesses invited to give feedback on delivery of recycling services
- Ontario Arts Council announces new data showing economic impact of arts in Niagara
- Inflation picks up to 1.9% as offsetting effect of gas prices slows
- Home sales in June ‘a carbon copy’ of May
- Manufacturing sales hit lowest levels since Jan 2022
- Little evidence to suggest a U.S. trade deal can be reached without tariffs, says Carney
- Economists expect Bank of Canada to hold policy rates
- Focus on Canada-U.S. Business
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Businesses invited to give feedback on delivery of recycling services
The Provincial Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks (MECP) has proposed changes to the Resource Recovery and Circular Economy Act. These changes may affect how recycling services are delivered to Non-Eligible Sources (NES), including many small businesses.
The MECP is now seeking feedback on these proposed changes from interested parties through ERO #025-0536. Feedback is sought by July 21, 2025.
Niagara Region encourages the business community to review the proposal and share their input via the Environmental Registry or by emailing [email protected].
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Ontario Arts Council announces new data showing economic impact of arts in Niagara
Ontario Arts Council (OAC) has released a powerful new model for measuring culture sector impact – the Regional Economic Model, developed by the research firm Nordicity.
According to the data, the cultural sector in Niagara supports nearly 6,000 jobs and $381M in economic activity. The report notes the outsize impact of several Niagara institutions, such as the Shaw Festival, the Grimsby Public Art Gallery (Niagara’s only public art gallery), and the Niagara Artists Centre.
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Inflation picks up to 1.9% as offsetting effect of gas prices slows
The Consumer Price Index (CPI) rose 1.9% on a year-over-year basis in June, up from a 1.7% increase in May. Headline inflation grew at a faster pace, as gasoline prices fell to a lesser extent in June (-13.4%) than in May (-15.5%).
Gasoline prices were nearly unchanged in June, as lower refining margins were offset by higher crude oil prices amid geopolitical conflicts.
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Home sales in June ‘a carbon copy’ of May
The number of home sales recorded over Canadian MLS® Systems rose 2.8% on a month-over-month basis in June 2025, building on the 3.5% gain recorded in May.
“At the national level, June was pretty close to a carbon copy of May, with sales up about 3% on a month-over-month basis and prices once again holding steady,” said Shaun Cathcart, Senior Economist at the Canadian Real Estate Association. “It’s another month of data suggesting the anticipated rebound in Canadian housing markets may have only been delayed by a few months.”
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Manufacturing sales hit lowest levels since Jan 2022
Total manufacturing sales declined 0.9% to $68.7 billion in May, marking the lowest level since January 2022. The decline in May 2025 was mainly due to reduced sales in the petroleum and coal product (-8.4%) and machinery (-2.7%) subsectors.
Feedback from respondents highlighted the impact that the recent tariffs imposed by the United States have had on Canada’s manufacturing sector. According to data collected, the impact of tariffs on Canada’s manufacturing sector in May was smaller than in April.
Picture credit: The White House / Daniel Torok
Little evidence to suggest a U.S. trade deal can be reached without tariffs, says Carney
A trade deal with the United States will likely include some tariffs, Prime Minister Mark Carney indicated on Tuesday ahead of a meeting with his cabinet.
Carney told reporters he expects the trade talks with the U.S. to “intensify” ahead of the Aug. 1 deadline to secure a new agreement, but then in French he said the evidence suggests President Donald Trump will not make any tariff-free deals.
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Economists expect Bank of Canada to hold policy rates
As Canada’s inflation rate edged up slightly in June, economists predict the Bank of Canada will hold off from cutting interest rates this month suggesting Canadians continue to face underlying price pressures in the economy.
Statistics Canada’s consumer price index (CPI) reading was 1.9 per cent in June, the agency said on Tuesday, up from the 1.7 per cent in May. The Bank of Canada’s preferred core measures of inflation meanwhile, hover around three per cent, which is higher than experts expected .
Focus on Canada-U.S. Business
The U.S. boycott remains strong. Why many Canadians are digging in their heels
Sophia Harris, CBC News
Boycotts often wane over time as people lose interest and return to old habits. But many Canadians’ resolve to boycott the U.S. and focus on Canadian products has remained strong, and shows no signs of dissipating.
A majority of Canadians polled in a new survey said they’re actively supporting the Buy Canadian movement, and support stores removing U.S. products. Plus, Canadian travel to the U.S. has steadily declined since Trump took office in January.
Trump can take much of the credit, as he continues to muse about Canada becoming the 51st state and threaten new tariffs; just this week he announced plans to impose a 50 per cent tariff on copper.
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.
