In this edition:
Scrap the App!
Confirmed: most mask mandates to be lifted on June 11
Niagara residents invited to virtual climate change summit
New measures aim to reduce wait times at airports
Greenhouse Gas Offset Credit System launched
Scrap the App!
The GNCC is calling on the Government of Canada to scrap the ArriveCAN app, and we need your help to do it.
Travellers are already required to verify vaccination status and can be subjected to random testing. We believe the ArriveCAN app does little more than deter tourists from coming to Canada. With 40,000 to 60,000 local jobs depending on tourism, Niagara cannot afford additional burdens to international travel.
Will you take a moment to send a message to your Member of Parliament? We’ve made it easy – all you need to do is click here to pick your riding and send a pre-written message, or write your own.
Government of Ontario confirms most mask mandates to be lifted on June 11
With high vaccination rates and Ontario’s COVID-19 situation continuing to improve, said Dr. Kieran Moore, Chief Medical Officer of Health, most of the province’s remaining provincial masking requirements, including on public transit, will expire as of 12:00 a.m. on June 11, 2022.
To continue providing an additional layer of protection for the most vulnerable, masks will still be required in long-term care and retirement homes. Masking is recommended in higher-risk congregate living settings, such as shelters and group homes.
On June 11, 2022, remaining Directives will also be revoked and replaced with Ministry of Health guidance for health care workers and organizations. This includes guidance on when masks should be worn in hospitals and other health care settings.
Niagara residents invited to attend virtual climate change summit
Given climate change is one of the most serious challenges of the time, residents are invited to attend Niagara’s first-ever climate change summit online on Tuesday, June 28 from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.
Last September, Regional Council passed a motion declaring a climate change emergency, allotting financial resources to address the impacts of our changing climate as well as directing the initiation of region-wide summit focused on the issue.
The Niagara Climate Change Summit will bring a group of diverse stakeholders, including senior representatives from the public and private sectors, to develop a common understanding of climate change and its impact on the Niagara community. Members of the public are encouraged to attend the hybrid summit online to learn more about this important issue which effects everyone.
Members of the public who would like to participate in the morning session are welcome to register for the livestream. On June 28, the livestream will also be available on Niagara Region’s YouTube channel and on the Niagara Climate Change Summit webpage.
New measures aim to reduce wait times at airports
The Honourable Omar Alghabra, Minister of Transport, the Honourable Jean-Yves Duclos, Minister of Health, the Honourable Marco Mendicino, Minister of Public Safety, and the Honourable Randy Boissonnault, Minister of Tourism and Associate Minister of Finance, today announced:
- a task force to find solutions to address bottlenecks at pre-board security screening and pre-clearance departure checkpoints
- the hiring of 644 new CATSA recruits in the four largest airports, and 865 total across Canada
- additional staff on select days at airports to verify that travellers have completed their ArriveCAN submissions on arrival
- 25 additional kiosks available in the customs hall areas at the Toronto Pearson International Airport.
No mention of removing the ArriveCAN app or the additional COVID-related border measures still in place was made.
Canada launches Greenhouse Gas Offset Credit System
Today, the Government of Canada launched Canada’s Greenhouse Gas Offset Credit System, a key measure outlined in Canada’s 2030 Emissions Reduction Plan. The offset system will give municipalities, foresters, farmers, Indigenous communities, and others a market-based incentive to undertake innovative projects that reduce greenhouse gases (GHGs) by preventing emissions and removing GHGs from the atmosphere.
Under the new system, registered participants can carry out projects following a federal offset protocol, which sets out a consistent approach for measuring GHG emissions reductions or removals for specific types of projects. These projects can generate one tradeable offset credit for every tonne of emissions they reduce or remove from the atmosphere. Once a credit is earned, it can be sold to others to help them meet their compliance obligations or emissions reduction goals under the carbon pollution pricing system.
Canada imposes sanctions on Russian oil, gas and chemical industries
The Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Foreign Affairs, today announced that Canada is imposing new sanctions under the Special Economic Measures (Russia) Regulations in response to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s ongoing egregious and unjustifiable invasion of Ukraine.
These new measures impose a ban on the export of 28 services vital for the operation of the oil, gas and chemical industries, including technical, management, accounting and advertising services. The banning of the exportation of oil, gas and chemical services targets an industry that accounts for about 50% of Russia’s federal budget revenues.
Reading Recommendations
Young consumers are opting to buy now and pay later, as more companies enter the financing game
CBC News
Increasingly, online retailers are partnering with financial service providers to allow customers to make purchases — while only paying a fraction of the cost upfront.
According to analysis conducted by SIA Partners, the buy now, pay later (BNPL) share of retail e-commerce and point-of-sale transactions in the U.S. was less than two per cent in 2021, but is expected to double to four per cent by 2025.
Apple is the latest company to enter the market, announcing on Monday that it will offer financing options for purchases made via Apple Pay. The new service, Apple Pay Later, will be available in the U.S. in the fall. (Apple has not disclosed when the service can be expected to be available in Canada.)
BNPL — offered by providers like Afterpay, Klarna, PayBright and Sezzle — is essentially like a point-of-sale loan, where a customer purchases an item, then pays for it through regular instalments over the course of a few weeks or months.
Small green spaces can help keep cities cool during heat waves
The Conversation
A recent World Meteorological Organization report called heat waves the “deadliest meteorological hazard” from 2015 to 2019, affecting people living on all continents, and setting new national heat records in many regions. Canada’s top weather event in 2021 was British Columbia’s record-breaking heat, according to Environment and Climate Change Canada. The temperature in Lytton, B.C., hit 49.6 C on June 29. The following day a wildfire destroyed 90 per cent of the town, killing two people and displacing 1,200 others.
Heat waves also exacerbate existing health issues, including cardiovascular and respiratory disease. They’re associated with increased hospital admissions, psychological stress and aggressive behavior, as well as excess mortality.
During heat waves, the highest temperatures are often found in urbanized areas. Urbanization is almost always associated with an increase in paved, impervious areas, and often a decrease in greenery. Concrete and asphalt roads, and other built materials readily absorb, store and release heat, raising city temperatures, a phenomenon called the urban heat island.
Many studies have shown that urban forests can reduce the urban heat island, and many policies focus their attention on large green spaces. Small green spaces, such as yards, rooftops and small parcels of undeveloped land, can make impressive contributions to lowering urban heat, but they are often overlooked when developing strategies for urban cooling.
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.
