In this edition:
Minister MacLeod announces new funding for Canada Summer Games
Chair Bradley and Niagara mayors end COVID-19 State of Emergency
Niagara Health now permits two visitors for in-patients
Federal minimum wage to rise to $15.55 per hour on April 1
Minister MacLeod announces new funding for Canada Summer Games
At a sold-out GNCC event held at the Niagara Falls Marriott Fallsview Hotel & Spa today, Minister of Heritage, Sport, Tourism and Culture Industries announced an additional $1.1 million in funding for the Canada Summer Games. With this investment, the government has provided more than $40 million in capital and operating funding to support athletes, coaches, volunteers, and spectators attending the Games in August.
Click here to read the Government of Ontario news release.
Click here to view the video of the GNCC’s event.
Chair Bradley and Niagara mayors end COVID-19 State of Emergency
Effective Tuesday, March 15 at 12:01 a.m., Niagara’s municipalities are officially ending the municipal States of Emergency that have been in place since April 3, 2020 as they are no longer necessary.
Despite this significant progress, a joint statement said, it is important to remember that the pandemic is not completely over. Residents are encouraged to consider taking steps to protect themselves and reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission. Some of these steps include getting a third vaccine dose, practicing physical distancing when possible, and participating in outdoor activities, as opposed to indoor, when that is an option.
Niagara Health now permits two visitors for in-patients
Starting Monday, March 14, Niagara Health is relaxing visitor guidelines to welcome two visitors at the bedside for inpatient units, including Labour and Delivery and NICU. At this time, there is no change for outpatient, Emergency Department (ED) and Urgent Care Centres (UCC) where patients can continue to bring one person to support them.
Niagara Health asks patients and their loved ones to review the visitor guidelines before coming to the hospital.
Federal minimum wage to rise to $15.55 per hour on April 1
On April 1, 2022, the federal minimum wage will increase from $15.00 to $15.55 per hour. For those working in provinces or territories where the general minimum wage rate is higher, the higher rate will continue to apply.
The federal minimum wage, which came into force on December 29, 2021, is adjusted automatically on April 1 of every year, based on the average annual increase of the Consumer Price Index (CPI), as reported by Statistics Canada. This is to ensure that the federal minimum wage keeps pace with inflation. This year’s rate increase reflects the 3.4% annual average rise of the CPI for Canada in the previous calendar year, rounded up to the nearest $0.05.
This increase only applies to federally-regulated industries. Click here for a list.
Reading Recommendations
Update on Ukraine
Critics urge Ottawa to block Russian investment in Canadian-owned lithium mine
Financial Post
The federal government should block a Russian state-backed investment in a Canadian-owned lithium mine, critics say, as Ottawa looks for ways to punish Russia economically for its invasion of Ukraine.
At the end of November, Vancouver-based Alpha Lithium announced a deal to sell 15 per cent stake of its Tolillar Salar mine in Argentina to a subsidiary of Uranium One, which is part of a network of companies owned by ROSATOM, Russia’s State Atomic Energy Corporation.
“I can be very blunt about it: there is absolutely no way that such an investment should be allowed to go forward,” said Wesley Wark, a senior fellow at the Centre for International Governance Innovation.
“That would have been the only sensible course before February’s Russian invasion of Ukraine, and it’s certainly the only sensible course now.”
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.
