In this edition:
- Niagara Region receives highest award in governmental budgeting for the 13th consecutive year
- Habitat for Humanity Niagara proposes Welland affordable home project
- Union urges Canada Post workers to vote ‘no’ on contract offer
- St. Catharines’ free Concerts in the Park is back this summer with local, touring Canadian bands
- Alectra records 21.1 per cent emissions reduction in latest ESG report
- Manufacturing sales post largest drop since 2023 in wake of tariff war
- Focus on Technology
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Picture credit: Summit Art Creations / Adobe Stock
Niagara Region receives highest award in governmental budgeting for the 13th consecutive year
For the 13th consecutive year, Niagara Region has been recognized for meeting the highest principles of government budgeting by receiving the 2025 Distinguished Budget Presentation Award from the Government of Finance Officers Association (GFOA).
Photo credit: Looker_Studio / Adobe Stock
Habitat for Humanity Niagara proposes Welland affordable home project
Pending council approval, Habitat for Humanity Niagara will help house another family in Welland.
On Tuesday, a staff report will recommend the city transfer a lot on the southwest corner of Lincoln Street and Empress Avenue to the agency, which provides families with affordable home ownership by giving them a geared-to-income mortgage they can afford.
Picture credit: primestockphotograpy / Adobe Stock
Union urges Canada Post workers to vote ‘no’ on contract offer
CUPW represents more than 50,000 Canada Post workers who have been on an overtime ban since May 23 amid ongoing negotiations for new labor contracts. The union has said Canada Post’s “final offers” fall short in key areas like pay raises and weekend delivery operations.
CUPW condemned Canada Minister of Jobs and Families Patty Hajdu’s decision to order a vote, and will urge members to vote no on Canada Post’s offers, the union said in an emailed statement to Supply Chain Dive.
Picture credit: City of St. Catharines / supplied
St. Catharines’ free Concerts in the Park is back this summer with local, touring Canadian bands
The City’s free outdoor Concerts in the Park returns this summer to Montebello Park featuring performers from diverse music genres.
This year’s concert series features local and touring Canadian musicians, including headliners LMT Connection, Beatlejuice, Sarah Jerrom, Benjamin Dakota Rogers, and Shania Twink.
Picture credit: OMEGA / Adobe Stock
Alectra records 21.1 per cent emissions reduction in latest ESG report
Alectra Inc. has released its 2024 Annual Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Report, ‘Discover the Possibilities’, showcasing significant progress toward its long-term sustainability goals while continuing to deliver reliable, affordable energy services to more than one million homes and businesses across Ontario. Among the listed achievements is an impressive 21.1 per cent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions compared to 2023.
Picture credit: industrieblick / Adobe Stock
Manufacturing sales post largest drop since 2023 in wake of tariff war
Total manufacturing sales declined 2.8% to $69.6 billion in April, the largest month-over-month decrease since October 2023 and the lowest level since January 2022. Lower sales of petroleum and coal products, motor vehicles, and primary metals contributed the most to the decline in April 2025.
Focus on Technology
Keep Canada’s IP in Canada
A lot of people think of Thomas Edison as a great inventor. But he was also a savvy businessman—someone who understood the true value of owning ideas. That’s what made the difference in his famous rivalry with Nikola Tesla. Tesla’s ideas were brilliant. But Edison controlled the patents, the licensing and, ultimately, the profits. Today, that same dynamic is playing out between Canada and the United States. We have no shortage of innovation, just like Tesla. But without capturing the value of that innovation through intellectual property, we risk remaining an also-ran in America’s shadow.
The core problem is that our policymakers and institutions are still playing by outdated rules. In the 1970s, about 85 per cent of the S&P 500’s value came from tangible assets like factories, equipment and inventory. Today, more than 90 per cent of that value comes from intangible assets; patents, proprietary software, trade secrets—all forms of IP. And yet we continue to operate as if we’re still in a brick-and-mortar economy.
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.
