In this edition:
Canada lifting pre-arrival COVID-19 testing requirement as of April 1
Ontario expands pre-apprenticeship training to $28 million
Applications open for St. Catharines Cultural Investment Program
Wainfleet implements half-load season
Inflation at 5.7% in February
Canada lifting pre-arrival COVID-19 testing requirement as of April 1
Soon, most travellers entering Canada will not have to show proof of a negative COVID-19 test, CTV News has learned.
As of April 1, the federal government will be lifting the pre-arrival COVID-19 testing requirement at the border for fully vaccinated travellers.
Passengers may still be subjected to random PCR testing at the airport, and travellers will still have to use the ArriveCAN app to enter their proof of vaccination and other required information,
Ontario expands pre-apprenticeship training to $28 million
Between July and September 2021, there were more than 330,000 unfilled jobs in Ontario, many of which are in the skilled trades. Pre-apprenticeship training programs are free for participants, combine classroom training with on-the-job learning, and play a crucial role in reducing Ontario’s skilled labour shortage. There were 1,790 people enrolled in pre-apprenticeship programs from April 2021 to March 2022 across Ontario. The Government of Ontario is expanding investment in those programs by $5 million to a record $28 million.
Over the coming weeks, Ontario will also be finalizing the second round of projects under the Skills Development Fund – a more than $200 million initiative to connect job seekers with the skills and training they need to find careers.
Applications open for St. Catharines Cultural Investment Program
Artists and organizations can now apply for funding under the St. Catharines Cultural Investment Program (SCCIP).
The program offers annual funding through several program streams, serving diverse segments of the creative community, in an effort to strengthen the cultural landscape of the community and provide opportunities for residents to engage in artistic expression.
Applications are currently open for the Culture Days Activity Program (CDAP); Sustaining-Core Program and Sustaining-Midsized Program.
In 2021, Council approved a total of $400,000 in funding to 37 applicants across all six SCCIP funding streams. Visit www.stcatharines.ca/SCCIP to learn more about these funding programs, the selection criteria and to apply online.
Wainfleet implements half-load season
The Township of Wainfleet has implemented a half Load Season for all Township roadways. Load restrictions on Township roads are in effect from March 1 and effective until April 30.
Seasonal load restrictions are put into place to help protect roads from damage during the spring when the winter’s frost is thawing, and the snow melt and rain have saturated the road base material. Equipment exceeding the weight restriction can cause extensive damage to the roads, resulting in very high maintenance and repair costs.
During this time, most vehicles are restricted to 5 tonnes per axle.
Inflation at 5.7% in February
In February, Canadian consumer prices increased 5.7% year over year, up from a 5.1% gain in January. This was the largest gain since August 1991 (+6.0%). February marked the second consecutive month where headline inflation exceeded 5%.
Price increases were broad-based in February, pinching the pocketbooks of Canadians. Consumers paid higher prices for gasoline and groceries in February 2022 compared with the same month a year earlier. Shelter costs continued to trend higher, rising at the fastest year-over-year pace since August 1983.
Reading Recommendations
Quebec to end limit on bringing in alcohol from other provinces April 7
Montreal Gazette
As of April 7, Quebec will harmonize its regulations with those of other provinces in terms of transport of alcoholic beverages being brought across provincial borders.
As a result, it will eliminate limits on the quantity of alcohol that a person can bring to Quebec after buying it in another province or territory, on the condition that it is for personal use and not for resale.
The drinks must be transported by the consumer or put in luggage.
In a statement announcing the news, the Quebec government said the current regulation had become obsolete and disruptive to interprovincial commerce.
Update on Ukraine
Why sanctions over the Ukraine invasion won’t stop Putin
Maclean’s
If you’ve been asking yourself why the Russian strongman Vladimir Putin appears so confident that he can get away with a war of conquest in Europe aimed at the subjugation and takeover of a NATO-backed democracy, you might want to consider the findings of an exhaustive, data-driven study of the meteoric rise of police states—and the 16-year retreat of democracy worldwide—released this week.
The Freedom House study also helps explain why China’s Xi Jinping, Putin’s key ally in foreign relations and the United Nations Security Council, is going out of his way to give contradictory and seemingly ambivalent responses to Putin’s belligerence in Ukraine, as though he were just hedging his bets: Yes to Ukraine’s sovereignty, yes to Putin’s invasion. But only three weeks ago, Xi unambiguously endorsed Putin’s foreign “policies” and his professed grievances against NATO in a historic, 5,300-word manifesto the two autocrats jointly authored and published, setting out their vision for a new world order.
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.
