In this edition:
- PM announces new ministers in cabinet shuffle
- Niagara not included in provincial audits of municipal finances
- Bank of Canada Governing Council deliberates on stubborn inflation, stronger U.S. economy, and more
- Canadians changing shopping habits in search of cheaper groceries
- Wainfleet adopts short-term rental bylaw
- Niagara College Teaching Winery wins five wine awards at the Nationals
- Blaze causes as much as $3M damage to St. Catharines manufacturing facility
- Marine industry needs to fill 19,000 jobs in Canada over next decade
- Reading Recommendation: Equity, Diversity & Inclusion
PM announces new ministers in cabinet shuffle
The Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, today announced changes to the Ministry. With the changes announced today, the Ministry retains a total of 38 ministers, in addition to the Prime Minister. In keeping with the precedent set in 2015, there is an equal number of women and men.
Niagara not included in provincial audits of municipal finances
Ontario has selected a third party to audit the finances of six municipalities as part of its ongoing work to build 1.5 million homes by 2031. Following a competitive procurement process, Ernst & Young LLP has been retained to examine the finances of the City of Toronto, Peel Region, Mississauga, Caledon, Brampton, and Newmarket. The first phase of the audits is expected to conclude around the end of 2023.
Lessons learned from these audits are intended to inform future provincial policies and programs supporting long-term municipal financial sustainability and housing-related infrastructure investments.
Bank of Canada Governing Council deliberates on stubborn inflation, stronger U.S. economy, and more
The Bank of Canada today issued a summary of the deliberations of its Governing Council, which reflected on some common themes that were evident across advanced economies, including stubborn measures of core inflation, the resolution of supply bottlenecks, and further monetary tightening.
Members noted that economic activity in the United States was stronger than expected in large part due to surprisingly robust consumer spending, while growth in the euro area essentially stalled in the first half of 2023 due to weak consumer demand for goods and tighter monetary policy. Members also talked about how the Chinese economy was projected to slow by more than previously expected after a strong rebound in growth following the lifting of pandemic restrictions.
Canadians changing shopping habits in search of cheaper groceries
Statistics Canada has issued a report on their a special household survey conducted in 2022 that asked Canadians how they were coping with higher living costs. During the spring months, before inflation had peaked, nearly three in four Canadians reported that rising prices were affecting their ability to meet day-to-day expenses. For many families, higher food costs were their biggest concern.
Many households were actively adjusting their purchasing habits as food inflation was ramping up. One-half of respondents reported that they had sought out sales or promotions, while a similar percentage indicated that they had purchased cheaper alternatives, brands or items in response to price pressures.
Wainfleet adopts short-term rental bylaw
On July 18, 2023 Wainfleet Council adopted By-law 026-2023 to License and Regulate Short-Term Rentals in the Township of Wainfleet. Licensing short-term rentals in the Township is now mandatory.
The by-law aims to ensure compliance with Fire Code, Building Code, other applicable law and Township By-laws, and establishes a system of demerit points and monetary penalty fines for violations including (but not limited to) operating and advertising without a licence, noise, nuisance, parking and safety which will encourage short-term rental owners into supplying a safe, responsible, and respectful accommodation.
The Township is in the process of recruiting a STR Licence Administrator/By-law Enforcement Officer.
Niagara College Teaching Winery wins five wine awards at the Nationals
NC’s Teaching Winery has won several new medals— including two golds, two silvers and a bronze – from the 2023 WineAlign National Wine Awards, known as ‘the Nationals.’
“Winning five medals at one national competition is an outstanding testament to the high quality of applied learning at Niagara College,” said Steve Gill, General Manager of the College’s Learning Enterprises. “Our wine students gain the skills they need to lead and succeed in the industry at our Teaching Winery. Congratulations to the amazing alumni winemakers, staff and students behind our latest award-winning wines!”
Blaze causes as much as $3M damage to St. Catharines manufacturing facility
Early damage estimates put losses at $1 million to $3 million after flames swept through the Niagara Investment Castings facility on St. Catharines’ east side.
The Office of the Ontario Fire Marshal is investigating the cause of the blaze that kept firefighters on scene for 12 hours Monday evening and into Tuesday.
St. Catharines Fire Services responded to reports of the structure fire at 16 Smith St., west of Bunting Road and north of Eastchetster Avenue, at about 7:30 p.m. Monday.
Marine industry needs to fill 19,000 jobs in Canada over next decade
Forty-three per cent of the country’s marine workforce is set to retire over the next 10 years, leaving an estimated 19,000 jobs to be filled just on board Canadian vessels, says Canadian Marine Careers Foundation.
There will also be many more openings in onshore roles, the foundation said in a release.
Executive director Julia Fields said to help fill those positions, CMCF recently launched the Imagine Marine job board, which aims to streamline the job search process and connect career seekers and the marine sector.
It will also promote marine opportunities across Canada.
Did you know?
Focus on Equity, Diversity & Inclusion
Reads that can take DEI initiatives to the next level
The words diversity, equity and inclusion (often referred to as DEI) are increasingly becoming synonymous with vision, mission and values in corporate settings across the globe.
For organizations that want to ensure their DEI initiatives are impactful, there are now plenty of resources they can use to inform and guide their approach. Here are seven of the best.
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.
