In this edition:
- State of the Region 2026 with Regional Chair Bob Gale now available for viewing
- Mayors of Thorold and Welland issue new statements on governance reform
- St. Catharines 2026 Food Truck and Vendor Permit Applications now open
- Niagara-on-the-Lake launches 2026 Community and Youth Initiatives Grant Program
- Grimsby eyes $9-million wastewater system fix
- Pelham celebrates multiple honours at 2026 FEO Awards
- 13 Niagara charities reap from Sleep Cheap
- Thorold South subdivision redesign to add green spaces
- Prime Minister Carney secures ambitious new partnership with India focused on energy, talent, and technology
- Pre-merger Competition Bureau notification threshold to remain at $93M in 2026
- Why Ontario beer, wine and spirits prices could be going up again soon
- Ontario and Nova Scotia sign historic Direct-to-Consumer Alcohol Agreement
- CHBA launches national campaign to promote women in residential construction
- Federal court rejects Trump administration attempt to slow tariff refund process
- Focus on Trends
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Picture credit: Brad Demers / Greater Niagara Chamber of Commerce
State of the Region 2026 with Regional Chair Bob Gale now available for viewing
The 2026 State of the Region address and fireside chat interview with Niagara Regional Chair Bob Gale can now be seen in its entirety online.
Picture credit: City of Thorold, City of Welland
Mayors of Thorold and Welland issue new statements on governance reform
In a statement issued today, Mayor Terry Ugulini of Thorold said that Thorold was “strongly opposed to amalgamation.” While he emphasized that the City was open to productive dialogue on ways to reduce waste and save money, he pointed out that the tax increases and deferred capital backlog referenced in Chair Gale’s letters of February 5 and 19 were occurring at the Regional level.
“Deal with these issues at the appropriate level of government,” Mayor Ugulini said.
Welland Mayor Frank Campion’s statement called out Niagara’s two-tier system as “overly complex, duplicative, and in need of reform.” His support for a four-city model, he said, stems from a more fundamental belief that Niagara must eliminate a level of government at the regional level.
Picture credit: sonyachny / Adobe Stock
St. Catharines 2026 Food Truck and Vendor Permit Applications now open
The City of St. Catharines is welcoming food trucks and mobile vendors back to City parks and open spaces for another season. Permit applications are now open for businesses keen to bring their unique flavours and signature dishes to some of the city’s most-popular outdoor destinations.
Picture credit: Town of Niagara-on-the-Lake
Niagara-on-the-Lake launches 2026 Community and Youth Initiatives Grant Program
The Town of Niagara-on-the-Lake is pleased to announce that its 2026 Community and Youth Initiatives Grant Program (formerly known as the Town’s Discretionary Grant Program) will open for applications today, March 2, 2026, and remain open until March 27, 2026.
Picture credit: tuastockphoto / Adobe Stock
Grimsby eyes $9-million wastewater system fix
A massive wastewater system maintenance effort is slated to get underway in Grimsby this spring and take until next year to complete.
The town has identified about six kilometres of pipe that requires replacement, along with 570 connections that need to be fixed and about 80 maintenance holes that require resealing.
Photo credit: Town of Pelham
Pelham celebrates multiple honours at 2026 FEO Awards
The Town of Pelham is celebrating another successful event year after receiving three awards from Festivals and Events Ontario (FEO) at the 2026 FEO “SUSTAIN” Conference, held February 23–25 in Kitchener. Both Pelham Summerfest and the Pelham Summer Chill Series have once again been named among the Top 100 Festivals and Events in Ontario, recognizing their continued excellence and positive impact on Pelham.
Picture credit: Jason Pratt / CC BY 2.0
13 Niagara charities reap from Sleep Cheap
The latest edition of Sleep Cheap Charities Reap raised more than $108,000.
The 2025 event, which offered Niagara residents discounted hotel stays in the heart of the Niagara Falls tourist district, ran Nov. 23-27, with all proceeds going to local charities.
Picture credit: Bousfields Inc.
Thorold South subdivision redesign to add green spaces
Thorold councillors have given their thumbs up to the redesign of a subdivision in the city’s south end, which emphasizes green space while simplifying the layout.
Picture credit: Aleks Taurus / Adobe Stock
Prime Minister Carney secures ambitious new partnership with India focused on energy, talent, and technology
In New Delhi, Prime Minister Carney met with the Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi. Following their meeting, the leaders released a joint statement, welcomed five Memorandums of Understanding (MOU), and announced a broad range of ambitious initiatives that will renew and expand the Canada-India partnership across energy and critical minerals, technology and AI, talent and culture, and defence.
Picture credit: S… / Adobe Stock
Pre-merger Competition Bureau notification threshold to remain at $93M in 2026
The pre-merger notification threshold will remain at $93 million in 2026, following a decision by the Minister of Industry.
Under the Competition Act, mergers of all sizes are subject to review by the Competition Bureau. The Bureau must generally receive advance notice of proposed transactions when certain conditions are met.
Picture credit: jobi_pro / Adobe Stock
Why Ontario beer, wine and spirits prices could be going up again soon
Ontario consumers should expect higher prices for beer, wine and hard alcohol on April 1 when a two per cent federal excise tax increase takes effect.
Photo credit: davit85 / Adobe Stock
Ontario and Nova Scotia sign historic Direct-to-Consumer Alcohol Agreement
Today, Ontario Premier Doug Ford and Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston signed a first-of-its-kind agreement to allow consumers to purchase alcohol directly from the other province’s local producers, including breweries, wineries and distilleries. Allowing direct-to-consumer (DTC) sales between the provinces is part of the province’s plan to tear down barriers to interprovincial trade, which will give consumers greater choice and convenience, while creating more opportunities for producers.
Picture credit: Andy Dean / Adobe Stock
CHBA launches national campaign to promote women in residential construction
Yesterday, the Canadian Home Builders’ Association (CHBA) launched a national campaign aimed at promoting leading women across Canada’s residential construction sector. Building on Women in Construction Week (March 1-7) and International Women’s Day (March 8), the campaign highlights the achievements of women in industry and aims to encourage more women to explore opportunities in the residential construction sector.
Picture credit: Abubakar / Adobe Stock
Federal court rejects Trump administration attempt to slow tariff refund process
A federal court on Monday rejected the Trump administration’s attempt to slow the process of refunding billions of dollars’ worth of tariffs the Supreme Court struck down as illegal last month.
Focus on Trends
Commercial real estate activity expected to rise in 2026 amid return-to-office trends
The Canadian Press
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.
