In this edition:
- Gale asks municipal affairs minister to shrink size of Niagara councils
- Niagara mayors send separate letters on governance reform to Premier Ford
- Niagara realtors see “tighter environment for sellers” as home sales activity falls
- ‘Milestone’ year for St. Catharines building permits
- Niagara-on-the-Lake launches update to Pollution Prevention Control Plan (PPCP)
- More GO trains to Niagara goal of new Niagara Parks chair
- Niagara Health Foundation’s Havana Nights Gala raises over $722,000 for South Niagara Hospital
- Algoma reports net earnings increase of 56% in Fiscal 2025
- Province appoints April Jeffs as Chair of the Niagara Peninsula Source Protection Committee
- LeBlanc headed to Washington after Carney says CUSMA ‘broken’ by U.S. tariffs
- Focus on Housing Solutions
Did you know you can get the GNCC’s Daily Update emailed to you? Click here to sign up.
Picture credit: Anne Kalagian / Greater Niagara Chamber of Commerce
Gale asks municipal affairs minister to shrink size of Niagara councils
Niagara Region Chair Bob Gale is calling on the province for governance reforms that would reduce the size of some lower-tier municipal councils.
His most radical change is to limit regional council to a chair and 12 mayors, with weighted voting, to directly address “concerns that the current body is too large to operate efficiently while maintaining a clear voice for every municipality.”
Photo credit: Maurizio De Mattei / Adobe Stock
Niagara mayors send separate letters on governance reform to Premier Ford
Separate to the joint letter sent on March 4, the mayors of Grimsby, Pelham, Port Colborne, Thorold, and West Lincoln have sent separate letters to Premier Ford to outline their positions on governance reform on behalf of their communities.
The letters are varied in content, highlighting the strength of Niagara’s small communities. None favoured a “forced amalgamation.”
Photo credit: primestockphotograpy / Adobe Stock
Niagara realtors see “tighter environment for sellers” as home sales activity falls
Residential home sales activity recorded through the MLS® for the Niagara Association of REALTORS® (NAR) totaled 378 units in February 2026, compared to 405 in February 2025.
“The decrease in new listings this February has created a tighter environment for sellers, while the composite benchmark price continues to provide a more sustainable entry point for buyers,” said Stefani Konidis, Chair of the Niagara Association of REALTORS®.
Picture credit: City of St. Catharines
‘Milestone’ year for St. Catharines building permits
St. Catharines had a building permit boom in 2025 — exceeding its target by more than 300 units — but still has some catching up to do to meet its overall housing goals.
The city set a goal of 715 units for 2025 under its Housing Accelerator Fund (HAF) action plan, but the year saw a record number of permits for 1,025 units.
Photo credit: Belish / Adobe Stock
Niagara-on-the-Lake launches update to Pollution Prevention Control Plan (PPCP)
Originally developed in 2012, the PPCP is being updated to review past recommendations, assess completed work, and establish a long-term wastewater servicing strategy that will support the community through 2051 and beyond. The update will help ensure the Town’s wastewater system can accommodate future growth while meeting provincial performance requirements.
The Town has retained GEI Consultants to complete the study.
Photo credit: TOimages / Adobe Stock
More GO trains to Niagara goal of new Niagara Parks chair
Getting more GO trains to Niagara, especially during peak summer season, is something new Niagara Parks Commission chair Graham Coveney is pushing for.
“That is one of my goals, to work with the province to see how we can do that and, obviously, working with the City of Niagara Falls and Niagara Region, too, because we’re all working at this together,” he said.
Picture credit: Niagara Health
Niagara Health Foundation’s Havana Nights Gala raises over $722,000 for South Niagara Hospital
The Niagara Health Foundation’s Havana Nights Hospital Gala, held February 28 at Fallsview Casino Resort, brought together 832 guests from across Niagara for one of the region’s most anticipated charitable events of the year — raising nearly $722,301 in support of the South Niagara Hospital and the “It’s Our Future” campaign, with additional donations still coming in.
Photo credit: Algoma Central Corporation
Algoma reports net earnings increase of 56% in Fiscal 2025
Algoma Central Corporation (TSX: ALC) (“Algoma”, the “Company”) today reported its results for the year ended December 31, 2025. Net earnings for 2025 were $143M compared to $91M in 2024.
“As we approach the opening of the 2026 navigation season, we do so from a forward looking position of resilience and growth,” said Gregg Ruhl, President and CEO of Algoma Central Corporation.
Picture credit: Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority
Province appoints April Jeffs as Chair of the Niagara Peninsula Source Protection Committee
The Niagara Peninsula Source Protection Authority is pleased to announce the appointment of April Jeffs as Chair of the Niagara Peninsula Source Protection Committee (SPC) by the Ontario Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks.
Picture credit: Andrea Izzotti / Adobe Stock
LeBlanc headed to Washington after Carney says CUSMA ‘broken’ by U.S. tariffs
Canada-U.S. Trade Minister Dominic LeBlanc will head to Washington, D.C., for meetings on Mar. 6, his office confirms.
LeBlanc’s visit lands with the review of the Canada-U.S.-Mexico agreement on trade in full swing.
Prime Minister Mark Carney said during a media availability in Australia on Mar. 4 that Canada’s free trade pact with the United States “effectively has been broken in the short-term by U.S. actions.”
Focus on Housing Solutions
‘Simply broken’: Falling home prices starting to bite Canada’s economy, says CIBC
John MacFarlane, Yahoo!News
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.
