In this edition:
- Canadian home sales jump following slower spring start
- Niagara to host three major Slo-Pitch championships in 2026
- Property standards orders for former St. Catharines GM site appealed
- Taxpayers’ Ombudsperson’s 2025–2026 annual report highlights surge in complaints
- CMHC reports annual pace of housing starts down in May compared with April
- Competition Bureau to examine competition across Canada’s food supply chain
- Foreign investment in Canadian securities reaches $46.9B
- Job vacancies rise for first time since 2022
- Extreme weather drives insurance costs higher
- Interac survey finds single Canadians are bearing the brunt of rising grocery costs
- Focus on Equity, Diversity & Inclusion
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Canadian home sales jump following slower spring start
The number of home sales recorded over Canadian MLS® Systems increased 5.5% on a month-over-month basis in May 2026.
“The national sales increase from April to May was broad-based but driven disproportionately by Ontario, suggesting the HST rebate on new builds may have only briefly drawn the attention of buyers away from the existing home market,” said Shaun Cathcart, Senior Economist with the Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA).
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Niagara to host three major Slo-Pitch championships in 2026, welcoming more than 17,500 participants and spectators
Sport Niagara, in partnership with Slo-Pitch National and Slo-Pitch Ontario, is proud to announce that Niagara Falls will host three major championship events in 2026, bringing some of the best slo-pitch athletes in Canada and internationally to the region.
The events are expected to attract more than 17,500 participants and spectators, generating significant economic impact for local hotels, restaurants, attractions, and businesses while further strengthening Niagara’s reputation as one of Canada’s premier sport tourism destinations.
Picture credit: Google Maps Streetview / Alphabet
Property standards orders for former St. Catharines GM site appealed
Orders from St. Catharines to repair the buildings at the former General Motors site on Ontario Street or knock them down have been appealed by the property owners.
The orders under the Ontario Building Code Act for 282-285 Ontario St. came with a deadline of end-of-day Friday to fix alleged deficiencies or launch an appeal.
Photo credit: mehaniq41 / Adobe Stock
Taxpayers’ Ombudsperson’s 2025–2026 annual report highlights surge in complaints
The annual report of Canada’s Taxpayers’ Ombudsperson, Mr. François Boileau, provides an overview of the activities of the Office of the Taxpayers’ Ombudsperson (OTO) between April 1, 2025, and March 31, 2026.
Compared to the last three fiscal years, this year the OTO saw a surge in complaints. Accordingly, the report includes seven recommendations to the Minister of Finance and National Revenue and the Chair of the CRA’s Board of Management to improve the CRA’s service to Canadians.
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CMHC reports annual pace of housing starts down in May compared with April
Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp. says the annual pace of housing starts in May fell six per cent compared with April.
The agency says the seasonally adjusted annual rate of housing starts came in at 261,377 units for May, down from 278,380 in April.
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Competition Bureau to examine competition across Canada’s food supply chain
Today, the Competition Bureau announced an examination of competition across Canada’s food supply chain. The Bureau’s examination will look for potential competition issues in three key areas: production and processing, transportation and distribution, and retail pricing practices.
The Bureau is seeking input from Canadians and organizations with experience in the food supply chain. They are invited to share their views through an online form by July 31, 2026.
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Foreign investment in Canadian securities reaches $46.9B
Foreign investors acquired $46.9 billion in Canadian securities in April, led by a record $27.7 billion investment in federal government bonds, while Canadian investors sold $11.4 billion in foreign securities after five consecutive months of investment. Statistics Canada reported that the transactions generated a net inflow of $58.3 billion into the Canadian economy, the largest since October 2025, with foreign buyers also adding $10.6 billion in provincial bonds and $10.2 billion in corporate bonds. The figures point to continued international demand for Canadian debt and selected equities, including energy and mining shares.
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Job vacancies rise for first time since 2022
Canadian job vacancies rose by 11,800, or 2.4%, to 506,700 in the first quarter of 2026, marking the first quarterly increase since the second quarter of 2022. Statistics Canada reported that Ontario accounted for most of the gain, adding 8,800 vacancies to reach 177,300, while total labour demand also rose as payroll employment increased. Vacancies were up in sales and service, trades and transport, and natural and applied sciences occupations, while health vacancies fell to their lowest level since the first quarter of 2020. The average offered hourly wage for vacant positions rose 2.2% year over year to $29.55, though wage growth slowed from the previous quarter.
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Extreme weather drives insurance costs higher
Statistics Canada reports that homeowners’ home and mortgage insurance premiums rose 45.0% from December 2019 to December 2025, more than double the 21.0% increase in the all-items Consumer Price Index, while passenger vehicle insurance premiums rose 23.9%. Catastrophic claims reached a record $8.6 billion in 2024, driven by major hailstorms, wildfires and flooding, including $990 million in Ontario flood claims. The report found that rising repair costs, vehicle prices and thefts have also pushed auto insurance costs higher, while uninsured costs from extreme weather are placing added pressure on households, infrastructure and municipal budgets.
Photo credit: rh2010 / Adobe Stock
Interac survey finds single Canadians are bearing the brunt of rising grocery costs
The new State of the Cart grocery spending survey from Interac finds that Canadians living alone – the most common household type in the country – are feeling the pressure of rising costs.
Nearly eight in 10 (77 per cent) Canadians who live solo say their grocery bill keeps climbing no matter what they do, and almost six in 10 (59 per cent) say they face disproportionately higher per-person costs than Canadians who split these expenses. The findings suggest the gap is real: the average single-person household spends approximately $102 per week on groceries, compared to $80 per person in a shared household, said the company.
Focus on Equity, Diversity & Inclusion
Pride 2026: ‘You just do better work’ removing the stigma, says EllisDon’s Kiely
Don Wall, Daily Commercial News
Data is critical in the construction industry but for Seamus Kiely, a Toronto-based superintendent at EllisDon who is taking a lead role in Pride Month celebrations at the firm, progress in creating a more inclusive workforce can also be measured in good vibes.
The 2025 EllisDon Impact Report indicated 69 per cent of new employees hired in the previous year identify with one or more underrepresented groups, and that overall, 58 per cent of EllisDon employees were linked with underrepresented groups.
Kiely, a member of EllisDon’s PEACE committee (Proud Employees for Allyship, Community and Education), also noted a welcome uptick in the number of volunteers contributing to the EllisDon Pride float for the Toronto Pride Parade June 28 – there are 12 this year, up from three in 2025.
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.
