In this edition:
- Research aiming to boost worldwide food security among Brock projects awarded $3M
- Zero-emission vehicle registrations jump 53 per cent in the first quarter
- Mortgage delinquency rates in Ontario exceed $1 billion
- Meet the “new consumer”: How shopper behaviour is changing in a post-inflation world
- Statistics Canada reports manufacturing sales up 1.1 per cent at $70.8 billion in April
- GNCC celebrating the 20th annual Niagara Business Achievement Awards
- Community conversation: the code of conduct for human trafficking prevention in the Niagara Region
- Focus on Human Resources
Research aiming to boost worldwide food security among Brock projects awarded $3 million
For more than three billion years, cyanobacteria, the blue-green algae seen in some lakes, has been converting sunlight to chemical energy through photosynthesis.
Most of this process involves visible light humans can see. But Brock University Assistant Professor of Chemistry Divya Kaur Matta is curious about a particular species that uses an almost invisible portion of the colour spectrum to convert light and store energy – knowledge that could have powerful implications for agriculture.
Today, Matta was among 18 Brock researchers awarded funding from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC). The University received more than $3 million from the 2024 round of Discovery Research Programs grants.
Zero-emission vehicle registrations jump 53 per cent in the first quarter
Significantly more Canadians were driving zero-emissions vehicles in the first quarter compared with a year ago.
Statistics Canada says zero-emission vehicle registrations jumped 53 per cent in the first quarter year-over-year.
The federal agency says 46,744 new zero-emission vehicles were registered in the first quarter, making up 11.3 per cent of total new vehicle registrations.
Mortgage delinquency rates in Ontario exceed $1 billion
New data from Equifax Canada indicates that missed mortgage payment in Ontario are costing people more than ever before, with an economist warning the numbers seen in the province are “notably above those observed” pre-pandemic.
In the first quarter of 2024, according to the credit bureau, the total mortgage balance reaching severe delinquency, which is 90 days or more without payment, has surpassed $1billion for the first time.
Meet the ‘new consumer’: How shopper behaviour is changing in a post-inflation world
Over the past few years, Canadians have felt the strain of inflation. Many individuals turned to deal-chasing and savings as a way to build financial safeguards, giving rise to what we, as retail researchers, call the “new consumer.”
This “new consumer” phenomenon appears to be more than just a temporary response to economic hardships. It has since evolved into a more permanent behavioural shift, reflecting a broader transformation in consumer habits and preferences.
The new consumer is marked by value consciousness, digital savviness and a preference for experiences over material goods.
Statistics Canada reports manufacturing sales up 1.1 per cent at $70.8 billion in April
Statistics Canada says manufacturing sales rose 1.1 per cent to $70.8 billion in April, helped by gains in sales of transportation equipment, primary metals and chemical products.
The increase followed a decline of 1.8 per cent in March.
Statistics Canada says sales of transportation equipment rose 4.1 per cent in April as sales of motor vehicles increased 5.6 per cent and motor vehicle parts gained 7.7 per cent.
St. Catharines bans unsolicited flyers and papers from being tossed on driveways
Delivery people will no longer be allowed to toss those blue bags of unsolicited flyers, newspapers and pamphlets at the end of driveways in St. Catharines.
City council adopted a new “handbill” bylaw this week that prohibits printed materials that residents didn’t ask for from being dropped haphazardly onto residential properties. The bylaw requires the materials be placed in a mailbox, in a mail slot, on a doorstep or in a receptacle designated for the purpose.
GNCC celebrating the 20th annual Niagara Business Achievement Awards
Niagara’s business community gathered last night to celebrate the accomplishments of individuals, businesses, and non-profit organizations. The 2024 Niagara Business Achievement Awards, presented by RBC, were attended by 400 people at the Holiday Inn in St. Catharines. The evening highlighted a record-breaking number of finalists, including bestowed award recipients:
- David Adames, from Niagara Parks Commission, received the Innovative Leader Award.
- Janice Thomson, from Niagara Falls Tourism, was honored with the Community Leadership Award.
- Mark Sherk, from The Verge Insurance Group, received the Entrepreneur of the Year Award.
- Gabriel DeSantis, from DeSantis Homes was presented the Builder of the Year Award.
Did you know?
The top 10 books the wealthy will be reading this summer: J.P. Morgan Private Bank’s annual summer reading list.
Focus on Human Resources
How ‘carewashing’ alienates employees
Harvard Business Review, Maren Gube, Cynthia Mathieu and Debra Sabatini Hennelly
Too many organizations with unsustainable “work hard, play hard” cultures believe that checking the well-being box by offering mindfulness training or yoga classes qualifies them as having a positive and safe culture when, in fact, they’re merely “carewashing.” Like the more familiar term greenwashing, carewashing is derived from whitewashing: covering up or putting a misleading spin on a failure to meet some commitment, stated claim, or standard.
At a time when employee well-being has been unequivocally tied to organizational performance and yet workers are historically unhappy, particularly in the wake of the shared trauma of a pandemic, leaders should do everything in their power to provide healthy, motivating workplaces.
Rising health and benefits costs and hiring tech talent are the top people risks in Canada
HRReporter, Stacy Thomas
A recent report revealed what Canadian HR professionals view as their greatest people risk, and rising health and benefits costs top the list.
Meeting the rising demand for tech talent and a lack of sufficient HR tech tools were second and third, respectfully, revealing that AI implementation is a pressing concern for HR leaders in Canada – among their workforces and in their own roles.
Canadian HR Reporter spoke with two people leaders in the technology space in Canada, to find out how they are dealing with these challenges.
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.
