In this edition:
- Featured content from Meridian: Time to Outsource Payroll
- Niagara businesses already benefiting from $3.6-billion build of new hospital
- Study shows that rental costs outpace minimum wages in every single province
- Canadians receiving regular Employment Insurance benefits on the rise
- Internet use among Canadians reaching 95 per cent
- Niagara College (NC) wins grand national champion at U.S. beer competition
- Nissan to adopt Tesla EV-charging design in U.S. and Canada
Time to outsource payroll
Sponsored content from Meridian Credit Union
Sooner or later, many entrepreneurs reach a point where the effort and energy they put into managing payroll becomes a source of aggravation, taking them away from other critical business activities. This is why many “solopreneurs” and small businesses choose to outsource and automate payroll so they can focus on doing what they love to do.
Whether you’re on your own or running any size of company, it may be time to outsource the job to full-time, dedicated experts.
Click here to discover the benefits of outsourced payroll.
Niagara businesses already benefiting from $3.6-billion build of new hospital
It is local workers who are now on site preparing for construction of the 12-storey hospital to serve south Niagara residents, although the contact to build it went to company from London, Ont.
And Rankin Construction chief executive officer Tom Rankin hopes his workers and other local tradespeople and suppliers will remain heavily involved as EllisDon Infrastructure Healthcare – the company awarded the $3.6-billion contract in February to design, build, finance and maintain the hospital – develops the facility over the next five years.
Niagara Health vice-president for finance, redevelopment and facilities Angela Zangari said the hospital system placed a focus on local trades and suppliers from the outset.
Zangari said Niagara Health teamed up with Niagara Economic Development to establish an online database to link EllisDon with local contractors and suppliers who could meet its needs as construction progressed.
She said Niagara Health also took steps to ensure equity seeking groups, as well as apprentices, would be included during the development of the south Niagara hospital.
Study shows that rental costs outpace minimum wages in every single province
The Canadian Center for Policy Alternatives released a study on Tuesday that compared the gap between the minimum wage and apartment rental costs across the country in 2022. The study calculated hourly wages necessary to afford rent, allocating 30 per cent or less of income earned toward rent while working 40 hours a week, referring to that figure as the “rental wage.”
“The rental wage is considerably higher than minimum wage in every single province, even in the three provinces with the highest minimum wage in Canada (B.C., Ontario, and Alberta),” the study said.
Canadians receiving regular Employment Insurance benefits on the rise
The number of Canadians receiving regular Employment Insurance (EI) benefits rose by 9,800 (+2.5 per cent) to 399,000 in May, the first increase since July 2022. This was driven by increases in Quebec (+10.2 per cent) and British Columbia (+6.1 per cent). Meanwhile, the number of regular EI beneficiaries fell in the four Atlantic provinces.
According to the Labour Force Survey (LFS), the unemployment rate in Canada rose 0.2 percentage points to 5.2 per cent in May 2023, the first increase since August 2022.
Internet use among Canadians reaching 95 per cent
Statistics Canada reports that year over year, various trends in technology reflect a smarter and more connected lifestyle, benefiting both the younger and older generations. The year 2022 was no exception, with Internet use among Canadians aged 15 years and older reaching 95 per cent, up from 92 per cent in 2020. The largest increase was seen among Canadians aged 75 years and older, up from 62 per cent in 2020 to 72 per cent in 2022.
As the use of digital technologies grows, Canadians are becoming more acquainted with newer technologies and incorporating them into their daily routines.
More than three in four Canadians used the Internet to conduct general online banking, and one in six used it to manage investments online, such as stocks, mutual funds and cryptocurrencies.
The proportion of Canadians who experienced cyber security incidents increased from 58 per cent in 2020 to 70 per cent in 2022. The most common incidents reported were receiving unsolicited spam and receiving fraudulent content.
Niagara College (NC) wins grand national champion at U.S. beer competition
NC won five medals and the top title at the 2023 U.S. Open College Beer Championship. Every beer that the College’s Teaching Brewery entered in this year’s competition achieved a medal, including two golds, two silvers, and a bronze.
Final term students from the College’s two-year Brewmaster and Brewery Operations Management diploma program were behind each of the five medals.
“We’re so very proud of these students and this program,” said Maija Saari, Associate Dean, Culinary, Tourism and Beverage Studies. “It is absolutely incredible to witness such a showing at an international competition for student-produced beers.”
Nissan to adopt Tesla EV-charging design in U.S. and Canada
Yesterday, Nissan became the first Japanese automaker to agree to adopt Tesla’s electric-vehicle charging technology in the U.S. and Canada, joining global peers in expanding their fast-charger network to boost EV adoption.
Starting in 2025, Nissan will equip its EVs with the Tesla-developed North American Charging Standard (NACS) port, as it targets 40 per cent of U.S. vehicle sales to be fully electric by 2030, the company said. American rivals Ford, General Motors and Rivian are among the companies that have accepted NACS.
Did you know?
The shortest commercial flight in the world is in Scotland and takes just 90 seconds by plane.
Focus on Climate
International Monetary Fund (IMF) applauds Canada’s climate action, warns of ‘race to the bottom’ with subsidies
Nojoud Al Mallees; Financial Post
The IMF applauded Canada’s climate action, including its carbon-pricing regime and 2023 federal budget investments in the green economy. But it called for better international co-ordination to avoid a “race to the bottom” where countries compete over investments with even larger subsidies.
“Moreover, the current strong focus on electric vehicles and their batteries in particular — as key to Canada’s green industrial development will require a cautious approach given rapid technological change,” the report says.
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.
