In this edition:
- Niagara Falls Starter Company Plus applications now open
- Other markets making up for dip in American visitation to Niagara
- NovaAlgoma Cement Carriers reaches agreement with P&O Maritime Logistics
- GM leads Canadian market for sales in 2025 with 15.8% market share
- Algoma VP appointed as Chair of Chamber of Marine Commerce
- Canadian trade deficit narrows from record high
- Demand for warehousing, other industrial leasing showing stress
- New supply management law won’t save the system from Trump, experts say
- Focus on Human Resources
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Picture credit: fotofabrika / Adobe Stock
Niagara Falls Starter Company Plus applications now open
Delivered by the Niagara Falls Small Business Enterprise Centre with funding from the Province of Ontario, Starter Company Plus is an entrepreneurship program built specifically for the needs of new and early stage small business owners. Starter Company Plus is for new or existing business owners less than two years in operation (earning business income).
Photo Credit: Niagara Parks Commission
Other markets making up for dip in American visitation to Niagara
A slight drop in American visitors is being more than made up by an influx of domestic and other international travellers as the busy summer season heats up in Niagara’s two tourism hotbeds — Niagara Falls and Niagara-on-the-Lake.
“I don’t know yet if we’ve got a trend emerging or whether it’s just the first couple of months of the early part of the season, but we have seen a little dip in our revenue from the U.S. market,” said David Adames, chief executive officer of Niagara Parks.
Picture credit: Algoma Central Corporation / supplied
NovaAlgoma Cement Carriers reaches agreement with P&O Maritime Logistics
NovaAlgoma Cement Carriers Limited, a joint venture between Algoma Central Corporation and Nova Marine Holdings SA and the world’s leading operator of specialized pneumatic cement carriers, today announced it has entered a definitive agreement with P&O Maritime Logistics, a wholly owned subsidiary of DP World, that will see POML acquire a 51% controlling stake in NovaAlgoma’s wholly owned cement assets.
Chevrolet’s 2024 Blazer EV. | Picture credit: GM Canada
GM leads Canadian market for sales in 2025 with 15.8% market share
Chevrolet, Buick, GMC, and Cadillac dealers delivered 83,666 vehicles in the second quarter of 2025, an increase of 8 per cent over the same period last year. GM recorded 15.8 per cent market share calendar year to date, leading the Canadian industry in sales through the first half of 2025.
Picture credit: Algoma Central Corporation
Algoma VP appointed Chair of Chamber of Marine Commerce
The Chamber of Marine Commerce (CMC) is pleased to announce the appointment of Wesley (Wes) Newton, Executive Vice-President of Strategy and Business Development for Algoma Central Corporation as the new Chair of its Board of Directors. Mr. Newton’s appointment was confirmed on June 26, where he succeeded Allister Paterson, Executive Vice President and Chief Strategic Partnerships Officer for CSL Group.
Picture credit: standret / Adobe Stock
Canadian trade deficit narrows from record high
In May, Canada’s merchandise exports were up 1.1%, while imports fell 1.6%. As a result, Canada’s merchandise trade deficit with the world narrowed from a record $7.6 billion in April to $5.9 billion in May.
Picture credit: YesPhotographers / Adobe Stock
Demand for warehousing, other industrial leasing showing stress
CBRE Ltd. says leasing trends for warehouses and other industrial properties are showing signs of business stress. The commercial real estate firm says national net lease absorptions turned negative in the second quarter, marking just the second time in five years a quarter has gone negative.
CBRE says market players are citing the economic uncertainty from the trade war with the United States for the drop, though it’s also coming after several years of booming growth.
Picture credit: littlewolf1989 / Adobe Stock
New supply management law won’t save the system from Trump, experts say
A new law meant to protect supply management might not be enough to shield the system in trade talks with a Trump administration bent on eliminating it, trade experts say.
“It’s certainly more difficult to strike a deal with the United States now with the passage of this bill that basically forces Canada to negotiate with one hand tied behind its back,” said William Pellerin, a trade lawyer and partner at the firm McMillan LLP.
Focus on Human Resources
Gen Z is struggling to find work: 4 strategies to move forward
Leda Stawnychko and Warren Boyd Ferguson, The Conversation
As the school year comes to a close, young Canadians entering the job market are facing one of the toughest hiring seasons in years. Despite their drive to build careers and connections, many Gen Z are entering a stagnant job market.
According to Statistics Canada, the unemployment rate for youth aged 15-24 is 12.2 per cent — over double that of the prime working-age population.
The outlook is bleaker for students planning to return to full-time studies in the fall. Unemployment for this group has reached just over 20 per cent, the highest level since 2009, when the global economy was reeling from the Great Recession.
Gen Zs without post-secondary credentials, people with disabilities and newcomers face steeper hurdles. They are competing in a labour market dominated by one of the world’s most highly educated generations.
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.
