In this edition:
- Glacial progress means women in business unlikely to achieve full equality this century
- Boat tours in Niagara Falls will not be impacted by bankruptcy protection filing in the U.S.
- Niagara Health named one of Best Diversity Employers for second consecutive year
- Port Dalhousie pedestrian mall gets thumbs down from city council
- Seaway Mall highrises nearing start of construction phase
- Liberals finalize deals with municipalities under the housing accelerator fund
- Costs — not driver shortage — now biggest wrench in gears of trucking firms: report
- Federal Court scraps Ottawa’s approval for CN Rail hub in Ontario
- Dairy Farmers of Canada launches rewards program
- Focus on Finance & Economy
Glacial progress means women in business unlikely to achieve full equality this century: Business Data Lab
The Canadian Chamber of Commerce released a new report Tuesday, showing that while Canada has made some positive strides in advancing equality for women in business, there is much work to be done if we are to achieve the success seen in other countries around the world.
“Women in Canada face not one glass ceiling but several, and not one broken rung in the promotion ladder but many—all of which hinder their ascent to full equality,” said Marwa Abdou, the report’s lead author, and Senior Research Director with the Canadian Chamber of Commerce’s Business Data Lab. “The data show that barriers for women persist most prominently in management positions and in boardrooms.”
Boat tours in Niagara Falls will not be impacted by bankruptcy protection filing in the U.S.
It’s business as usual in Niagara Falls, Ontario, as the Hornblower Group, files for bankruptcy protection in the U.S. The U.S.-based company operates Voyage to the Falls boat tours of the Canadian Horseshoe Falls.
Mory DiMaurizio, with Hornblower’s City Cruises Canadian division, says they continue to operate as usual, and are planning on launching boats soon for the Easter long weekend.
Niagara Health named one of Canada’s Best Diversity Employers for second consecutive year
Presented by independent evaluator MediaCorp. Canada Inc., Canada’s Best Diversity Employers honours national leaders in creating inclusive workplaces for women, visible minorities, persons with disabilities, Indigenous Peoples and members of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community.
“We are proud of the progress we’ve made in our journey to create a diverse, equitable and inclusive workplace, though we still have opportunities for growth ahead of us,” says Tracey-Dawn Giovannone, Director, Culture and Human Resources Advisory Services. “We will continue to listen and learn so that every member of our team feels a sense of belonging, safe and supported.”
Port Dalhousie pedestrian mall gets thumbs down from city council
Calling it “asinine,” “ludicrous” and a “mistake,” city council is asking Niagara Region to scrap a plan to create a pedestrian mall in Port Dalhousie in the works for years and go back to the drawing board.
St. Catharines councillors and delegates cited safety, traffic congestion and removal of parking spaces as the main concerns about the plan, which would see the Lock Street thoroughfare closed to vehicles.
Seaway Mall highrises nearing start of construction phase
Connecting a 1,300-unit housing project at Seaway Mall to Welland’s municipal infrastructure is one of the remaining issues before Warbler Place moves forward, city council heard last week.
Units — prices will range between $300,000 and $1 million — will be in four highrise buildings, as well as townhouses and condominiums on the site of the former Target store and parking lot space at 800 Niagara St.
Liberals finalize deals with municipalities under the housing accelerator fund
The Liberal government has finalized all of its deals with municipalities under the housing accelerator fund. The 179 agreements are expected to help build more than 75-thousand homes over the next 10 years.
The Liberal government has raced to sign housing deals with cities since it launched the program in June.
Experts often point out Canada’s housing shortage is caused in part by excessive red tape, slow permitting processes and high development fees at the municipal level. The housing accelerator fund offered communities federal dollars in exchange for changes to bylaws and regulations that would boost home construction.
Costs — not driver shortage — now biggest wrench in gears of trucking firms: report
Rising costs in the trucking sector have overtaken the driver shortage as the biggest concern for employers, according to a new report from an industry non-profit.
One-third of business owners now see higher overheads such as fuel, equipment, insurance and labour as their biggest challenge, results from a Trucking HR Canada survey show.
The outcome marks the first time in a decade that a dearth of drivers has not been at the top of companies’ worry list, the group said.
Federal Court scraps Ottawa’s approval for CN Rail hub in Ontario
A Federal Court decision has nixed Ottawa’s approval of a massive rail-and-truck hub in the Greater Toronto Area.
The ruling states that the federal government failed to grapple with whether Canadian National Railway Co.’s planned facility in Milton, Ont., will have a harmful effect on human health, particularly through its impact on air quality.
Dairy Farmers of Canada launches rewards program
Dairy Farmers of Canada has launched a consumer rewards program to thank Canadians for choosing dairy products made with 100 per cent Canadian milk.
“More Goodness” is a way to thank consumers who choose dairy products that feature DFC’s Blue Cow quality milk logo, which helps support local dairy farmers.
DFC says More Goodness is a first of its kind. Working alongside Blue Cow partners and processors across multiple retailers and foodservice providers, the program celebrates and encourages consumer loyalty to Canadian dairy.
Did you know?
Only 4% of Canadian household debt is owed to credit cards.
Focus on Finance & Economy
What Lynx Air’s failure tells us about the state of the Canadian airline industry
Lynx Air is the latest in a long line of low-cost airlines to fail in Canada. The airline ceased operations on Feb. 26, four days after announcing it had entered creditor protection on Feb. 22.
This scenario is not novel in Canadian commercial aviation; Canada has had its fair share of discount carrier failings due to poor financial health.
Over the last 30 years, carriers such as Canada 3000, Nationair, Greyhound Air, Roots Air and SkyService have all succumbed to some form of financial duress and have disappeared from the Canadian discount carrier scene.
The closure of Lynx provides us with an opportune time to review the state of Canadian commercial air travel and identify the challenges and opportunities Canada has in maintaining, and possibly improving, the sustainability of the sector.
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.
