In this edition:
- $1 million granted to Niagara charities
- Niagara-on-the-Lake Council approves new hotel
- Niagara Parks and union reached tentative deal avoiding any labour disruption
- The Beer Store will be allowed to sell lottery tickets in Ontario under new agreement
- New housing starts mean $100,000 per home needed to fund infrastructure
- National Bank to buy Western Canada rival for about $5 billion
- Dollarama sales growth continued in first quarter as Canadians grappled with inflation
- Focus on Climate
Featured content by Niagara Community Foundation
Granting over $1 million to charities this spring, Niagara Community Foundation (NCF) is making significant investments in our community, touching all sectors across Niagara. Through NCF’s Environmental Grants, David S. Howes Fund Grants, Mini Grants and Summer Camp Grants, 54 charities in Niagara received a boost to their programming and services.
“Granting $1M through our spring discretionary grant programs alone, is a significant milestone,” says Bryan Rose, executive director with Niagara Community Foundation. “Our fundholders and donors put their trust in us to meet the greatest needs in our community; they have set their intentions on making a noticeable and sustainable change in Niagara. These 54 grantees are turning that intent into impact.”
NCF has five, application based, discretionary grant programs each year, open to registered charities across Niagara. Each application is reviewed by a volunteer committee made up of residents from all corners of Niagara. Each submission is evaluated based on set of data-driven granting priorities, balancing the needs across Niagara and the sustainability of the project. To find out more about NCF’s granting programs please click here.
A full listing of all Spring 2024 grant recipients can be found on the NCF website. A summary of the impact is found here:
- 11 Environmental Grants = $200,025
- 18 David S. Howes Fund Grants =$741,874
- 17 Mini Spring Grants = $24,684
- 20 Summer Camp Grants = $38,295 (298 kids supported)
- TOTAL= $1,004,878.
For more information click here
Niagara-on-the-Lake Council approves new hotel
A 129-room hotel proposed for the former Parliament Oak school site is on its way to being approved following a 5-4 vote in favour of the project by Niagara-on-the-Lake councillors.
A lengthy debate on Benny Marotta’s Two Sisters Resorts development came after nine delegations at Tuesday night’s committee-of-the-whole planning meeting – eight of them opposed to the proposal – citing concerns such as a change in land use, heritage impacts and incompatibility with the surrounding area, as well as noise and traffic.
Amendments to the town’s Official Plan and zoning bylaw were approved, but still need to be ratified by council in the coming weeks. The Official Plan amendment would change the property from its open space and community facilities designation to general commercial use.
Niagara Parks and union reached tentative deal avoiding any labour disruption
Niagara Parks and the union, representing the majority of its employees, have reached a tentative deal, avoiding labour disruption.
OPSEU Parks Employees Local 217 and Niagara Parks reached the deal this week after bargaining started back in February. The tentative agreement is subject to ratification by the union and the Niagara Parks Commission. Niagara Parks operations will continue as normal without interruption.
The Beer Store will be allowed to sell lottery tickets in Ontario under new agreement
As the province plans to introduce alcohol sales to Ontario corner stores this summer, The Beer Store will be allowed to sell lottery tickets and other items under the new agreement.
In May, Premier Doug Ford announced that convenience stores can start selling beer, cider, wine and ready-to-drink beverages as early as September 5. In doing so, The Beer Store will also be able to expand its offerings, including lottery tickets.
For the LCBO’s part, it said although there is “nothing” in the regulation that prevents it from selling “additional items,” it has no plans to do so at this time when asked about lottery ticket sales.
New housing starts mean $100,000 per home needed to fund infrastructure
As Canada aims to build homes faster, both the public and private sectors will need to boost spending on municipal infrastructure, a new report from the Canadian Urban Institute says. The report, funded by the Canada Infrastructure Bank, estimated the average cost of infrastructure needed to support housing likely exceeds $100,000 for each newly built home. That includes funding for resources such as public transit, roads, water lines, schools, fire halls or recreational facilities.
The Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp. forecasts Canada will require an additional 3.5 million housing units by 2030, on top of the 2.3 million already projected to be built, to restore affordability to levels seen in 2004.
National Bank to buy Western Canada rival for about $5 billion
National Bank of Canada agreed to buy Canadian Western Bank for about $5 billion in stock in a tie-up of two of the country’s regional lenders.
Montreal-based National will pay the equivalent of $52.24 a share for CWB, a premium of 110 per cent over the target’s closing price on Tuesday. The deal requires the approval of two-thirds of CWB’s shareholders and the Canadian government and is expected to close by the end of 2025.
For National Bank, Canada’s sixth-largest lender, the deal represents an opportunity to diversify its earnings away from Quebec, where it’s one of the most dominant financial institutions
Dollarama sales growth continued in first quarter as Canadians grappled with inflation
Dollarama posted an increase in first-quarter sales and profit on Wednesday, as more Canadians shopped at its stores for affordable groceries and essentials.
Canadian consumers have been looking for affordable deals and bargains for a wide range of products such as clothes, groceries and cleaning supplies, as they grapple with higher cost of living.
Constrained household budgets have encouraged more people to visit discount stores such as Dollarama and Dollar Tree, which sell essential products used by consumers at competitive prices.
Did you know?
First came “Spam.” Now, with A.I., we’ve got “Slop.” A new term has emerged to describe dubious A.I.-generated material.
Focus on Climate
Environmental group to study effects of artificially cooling earth
NY Times, Christopher Flavelle
The Environmental Defense Fund will finance research into technologies that could artificially cool the planet, an idea that until recently was viewed as radical but is quickly gaining attention as global temperatures rise at alarming rates.
The group hopes to start issuing grants this fall, said Lisa Dilling, associate chief scientist at E.D.F., who is running the project. She said research would focus on estimating the likely effects in different parts of the world if governments were to deploy artificial cooling technologies.
The intent is to help inform policymakers, she said. “We are not in favor, period, of deployment. That’s not our goal here,” Dr. Dilling said. “Our goal is information, and solid, well-formulated science.”
Wildfire plan calls for 50 per cent of Canadians to act in response to climate change by 2025
Globe and Mail, Darryl Dyck
Federal, provincial and territorial forest ministers have signed on to a national strategy that they say aims to raise awareness of wildfire risks across the country.
B.C. Forests Minister Bruce Ralston, chair of the Canadian Council of Forest Ministers, says the wildland fire prevention and mitigation strategy is a “call to action” to raise awareness, strengthen First Nations partnerships and expand investment in fire prevention.
The plan aims to contribute to a national goal that by next year 60 per cent of Canadians in areas of high fire risk are aware of those dangers, and half of Canadians will have taken concrete actions to better respond to climate change.
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.
