In this edition:
- Recap: Watch the 2026 State of the City St. Catharines
- Ontario releases Budget 2026
- Divisional Court dismisses Royal George case, applicant files appeals
- Thorold, Niagara-on-the-Lake vote to cut council sizes in advance of municipal elections
- Government of Canada introduces bill to release $1.7B for housing development
- Sales in restaurants accelerate while bars see decline
- Focus on Small Business
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RECAP: Watch the 2026 State of the City
Watch the recording of this year’s State of the City, featuring St. Catharines Mayor Mat Siscoe. Hear key updates on housing, infrastructure, economic development, and the challenges and opportunities shaping the city’s future.Get a clear, direct look at where St. Catharines is headed, and what it means for our business community.
Picture credit: Leonid Andronov / Adobe Stock
Ontario releases Budget 2026
Today, Minister of Finance Peter Bethlenfalvy released the 2026 Ontario Budget: A Plan to Protect Ontario.
Among the highlights for business are:
- Small business tax cut: Ontario proposes cutting the small business corporate income tax rate from 3.2% to 2.2%, effective July 1, 2026. The budget says over 375,000 small businesses would benefit, with up to $5,000 a year in added tax relief for a qualifying business.
- Faster writeoffs for business investment: The budget proposes expanded accelerated depreciation, including immediate 100% writeoffs for many types of machinery, equipment, R&D capital, some clean tech assets, and other productivity-enhancing investments. The province says this would provide over $3.5 billion in Ontario income tax relief over four years, subject to federal legislation.
- Broad tariff-response business support: The government says it has announced nearly $30 billion in relief and support for workers and businesses since April 2025, including the Protect Ontario Financing Program and other trade-response measures.
- New $4 billion investment fund: Ontario is establishing the Protect Ontario Account Investment Fund, with up to $4 billion in provincial investment, aimed at high-growth sectors such as advanced manufacturing, AI, life sciences, defence, biotech, and critical minerals.
- $40 million for trade-impacted communities and sectors: The Trade-Impacted Communities Program provides $40 million for projects that build resilience, support exports and investment, and strengthen strategic sectors and supply chains. Eligible applicants include municipalities, economic development organizations, incubators, and industry associations.
- “Buy Ontario” procurement rules: The Buy Ontario Act requires public-sector organizations, where feasible, to prioritize Ontario goods and services first, then Canadian ones, including in procurement connected to the province’s $210 billion-plus capital plan. That could matter for local manufacturers, construction firms, and suppliers.
- Liquidity relief through tax deferral: From April 1 to October 1, 2025, Ontario offered a six-month interest- and penalty-free deferral for select provincial taxes, which the budget says made up to $9 billion in liquidity relief available to about 80,000 businesses.
- Internal trade and labour mobility: Ontario highlights its moves to reduce interprovincial trade barriers, including removing all of its party-specific exceptions under the Canadian Free Trade Agreement, advancing mutual recognition of goods and services, and introducing new labour mobility rules to help employers access workers more quickly.
- More support to diversify beyond U.S. markets: The budget notes an additional $100 million for the Ontario Together Trade Fund to help businesses expand into interprovincial markets, strengthen trade resilience, and reshore supply chains.
Click here to read the media release.
Click here to access the 2026 provincial budget.
Picture credit: Shaw Festival
Divisional Court dismisses Royal George case, applicant files appeals
On March 24, 2026, the Divisional Court released its decision on the Judicial Review of the Royal George Theatre. The Court found that the Town’s processes were thorough, transparent, justified, and grounded in extensive consultation and expert analysis. The application has therefore been dismissed by the Divisional Court.
Yesterday, on March 25, 2026, the applicant (Centurion Building Corporation) has subsequently filed two motions with the Court of Appeal for Ontario: (1) a motion for leave to appeal the Divisional Court decision, and (2) a motion seeking a stay (pause) of any demolition of the structures at 79-83 Queen Street pending the outcome of a potential appeal. At this time, no determination has been made with respect to these motions.
Picture credit: S…/ Adobe Stock
Thorold, Niagara-on-the-Lake vote to cut council sizes in advance of municipal elections
At the March 24 meeting of Thorold City Council, a motion was passed to reduce the size of Council from eight Councillors and the Mayor to six Councillors and the Mayor. This decision aligns with other like-sized Niagara municipalities that have also voluntarily reduced their council size to streamline local government and protect taxpayer dollars.
On the same evening, Niagara-on-the-Lake council voted to reduce its size from eight councillors to six, a move set to take effect in time for the 2026 municipal election.
With a population of about 19,000, Niagara-on-the-Lake currently has one of the higher ratios of councillors per resident in the region.
Photo credit: zephyr_p / Adobe Stock
Government of Canada introduces bill to release $1.7B for housing development
Today, the Honourable François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Finance and National Revenue, introduced Bill C-26, An Act to authorize certain payments to be made out of the Consolidated Revenue Fund for the purpose of improving housing supply. Subject to passage, this legislation proposes to provide immediately $1.7 billion to provinces and territories to implement measures to increase Canada’s housing supply.
Photo credit: weyo / Adobe Stock
Sales in restaurants accelerate while bars see decline
Non-seasonally adjusted prices for food purchased from restaurants were up 12.3% in January when compared with January 2025. Unadjusted prices for alcoholic beverages served in licensed establishments increased 9.0% over the same period, Statistics Canada reports.
Year-over-year increases were observed at full-service restaurants (+7.7%), special food services (+11.6%) and limited-service eating places (+1.6%), whereas sales at drinking places (-0.7%) declined.
Focus on Technology
Meta and Google just lost a landmark social media addiction case. A tech law expert explains the fallout
Rob Nicholls, The Conversation
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.
