In this edition:
- Government of Canada legislates middle class tax cut
- GNCC commends governments of Ontario and Manitoba for free trade MOU
- Tech companies invited to Ontario AI & SaaS Global Sourcing Program
- Slight increase in traffic on the St. Lawrence Seaway despite trade turmoil
- Port Colborne seeks public input on proposed short-term rental licensing by-law
- Grimsby HR team wins innovation award
- Canada Post hits pause on negotiations with union as May deadline nears
- Non-residential construction slowdown partially offset by residential sector
- Union representing Air Canada’s flight attendants files for conciliation as talks stall
- Focus on Climate
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Picture credit: The Hon. François-Philippe Champagne / Instagram
Government of Canada legislates middle class tax cut
The Minister of Finance and National Revenue, the Honourable François-Philippe Champagne, today announced one of the first orders of business on the government’s legislative agenda for the new session of Parliament: tax relief for nearly 22 million Canadians, saving two-income families up to $840 a year in 2026.
Picture credit: Abubakar / Adobe Stock
GNCC commends governments of Ontario and Manitoba for free trade MOU
The Greater Niagara Chamber of Commerce (GNCC) commends Premier Doug Ford for successfully negotiating and signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew, aimed at removing longstanding interprovincial trade barriers between Ontario and Manitoba.
Picture credit: Oleksii / Adobe Stock
Tech companies invited to Ontario AI & SaaS Global Sourcing Program
Ontario technology companies are invited to take part in the 9th Ontario AI & SaaS Global Sourcing Program with a focus on New York, scheduled online for Wednesday, May 28 (11 am – 1 pm EST). The Global Sourcing Program is designed for large international corporations and investors interested in sourcing or doing business with leading-edge technology from Ontario, Canada. The program is implemented with the support of the Ontario Trade and Investment Office in New York.
Picture credit: Wilding / Adobe Stock
Slight increase in traffic on the St. Lawrence Seaway despite trade turmoil
St. Lawrence Seaway Management reports that despite the ongoing trade issues around the world, the shipping season started strong in April. Traffic along the seaway hit 4.5 million tonnes in April, a 3.7 per cent increase year-over-year.
Photo credit: Andrii Yalanskyi / Adobe Stock
Port Colborne seeks public input on proposed short-term rental licensing by-law
The City of Port Colborne is inviting residents, property owners, and business operators to participate in a comprehensive public engagement campaign focused on the regulation of short-term rental accommodations within the community. This initiative follows Council’s direction to gather input on a proposed by-law that would license, regulate, and govern short-term rentals across the city.
Picture credit: Town of Grimsby
Grimsby HR team wins innovation award
Picture credit: primestockphotograpy / Adobe Stock
Canada Post hits pause on negotiations with union as May deadline nears
Canada Post says it’s pressing pause on negotiations with the union representing postal workers with a little over a week before the deadline to get a deal.
The Crown corporation says the past few days of negotiations with the Canadian Union of Postal Workers have been fruitless, and this temporary pause will allow the postal service to come back to the table with “comprehensive proposals” that it hopes can move discussions forward.
Picture credit: adrian_ilie825/ Adobe Stock
Non-residential construction slowdown partially offset by residential sector
In March, the total value of building permits issued in Canada decreased by $549.4 million (-4.1%) to $12.9 billion. The decrease was led by the non-residential sector (-$716.3 million), and it was tempered by the residential sector (+$166.9 million).
Photo credit: SockaGPhoto / Adobe Stock
Union representing Air Canada’s flight attendants files for conciliation as talks stall
The union representing Air Canada flight attendants says it has filed for conciliation with the federal labour minister after reaching an impasse in contract negotiations with the airline.
The Air Canada component of CUPE, which represents 10,000 Air Canada and Air Canada Rouge flight attendants, said its top priority is boosting compensation, noting an entry-level full-time salary is roughly $1,951 per month.
Focus on Climate
EV sales in Canada dropped sharply in March, even as broader market grows
Electric vehicle sales in Canada plummeted in March by 44 per cent compared to a year ago, even though the overall number of new vehicles sold ticked up, according to Statistics Canada.
The agency on Wednesday said 189,259 new vehicles were sold in March, up 9.4 per cent year over year.
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.
