In this edition:
- GNCC welcomes clear message of support for Ontario’s businesses in 2025 provincial budget
- Airbus opens new helicopter distribution centre and strengthens Ontario presence
- Canada’s new tariffs on U.S. drop to ‘nearly zero’ with exemptions
- U.S economy set to lose $12.5B in international traveller spend this year
- Niagara Parks and City of Niagara Falls share holiday road closure plan
- Restored totem pole finds new home at Canada Games Park
- Niagara-on-the-Lake earns twelfth consecutive national financial reporting award
- Welland Arena renamed as LIV Communities Arena
- Declines in Canadian home sales take a pause in April despite ongoing tariff pressures
- Focus on Technology
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Picture credit: Maurizio De Mattei / Adobe Stock
GNCC welcomes clear message of support for Ontario’s businesses in 2025 provincial budget
Ontario’s businesses are facing an uncertain time, with many fearing the impact of tariffs and the fallout from a Canadian-U.S. trade war. The 2025 provincial budget, released on May 15, has sent a clear message that the Government of Ontario is aware of the threat and is preparing to meet it. The Greater Niagara Chamber of Commerce (GNCC), on behalf of Niagara’s business community, welcomes these measures.
Picture credit: Airbus
Airbus opens new helicopter distribution centre and strengthens Ontario presence
Airbus Helicopters in Canada today marked a significant milestone with the inauguration of its new integrated distribution centre in the Niagara region. The 21,000 sq. ft. facility will serve to bolster industrial operations while significantly expanding spare parts storage capacity.
Picture credit: freshidea / Adobe Stock
Canada’s new tariffs on U.S. drop to ‘nearly zero’ with exemptions
Canada has effectively suspended almost all of its retaliatory tariffs on U.S. products, tamping down inflation risks and improving its growth outlook, according to Oxford Economics.
Picture credit: photobyphotoboy / Adobe Stock
U.S economy set to lose $12.5B in international traveller spend this year
The World Travel & Tourism Council, the global body representing the Travel & Tourism private sector, today announced its latest Economic Impact Research which found that the U.S. is on track to lose a staggering $12.5BN in international visitor spending this year.
This significant shortfall represents a 22.5% decline compared to the previous peak.
Photo credit: Niagara Parks Commission
Niagara Parks and City of Niagara Falls share holiday road closure plan
Niagara Parks, in partnership with the City of Niagara Falls, will implement planned road closures across key tourism areas near the Falls during holiday weekends that typically bring high volumes of visitation.
Picture credit: City of St. Catharines
Restored totem pole finds new home at Canada Games Park
Picture credit: Town of Niagara-on-the-Lake
Niagara-on-the-Lake earns twelfth consecutive national financial reporting award
The Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada (GFOA) has awarded the Town of Niagara-on-the-Lake the Canadian Award for Financial Reporting (CAnFR) for its annual financial report for the twelfth consecutive year.
Picture credit: City of Welland
Welland Arena renamed as LIV Communities Arena
The City of Welland is proud to announce the renaming of the Welland Main Arena to LIV Communities Arena, following Council’s approval of a naming rights agreement in 2024. New signage is now prominently displayed at the facility entrance, marking a meaningful outcome of the City’s broader collaboration with LIV Communities.
Picture credit: Elena Berd / Adobe Stock
Declines in Canadian home sales take a pause in April despite ongoing tariff pressures
The number of sales recorded over Canadian MLS® Systems was unchanged (-0.1%) between March and April 2025, marking a pause in the trend of declining activity since the beginning of the year. (Chart A)
Demand is currently hovering around levels seen during the second half of 2022, and the first and third quarters of 2023.
Focus on Technology
Meta delays release of its ‘Behemoth’ AI model, WSJ reports
Meta Platforms is delaying the release of its flagship “Behemoth” AI model due to concerns about its capabilities, the Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday, citing people familiar with the matter.
Company engineers are struggling to significantly improve the capabilities of its Behemoth large-language model, resulting in staff questions about whether improvements over earlier versions are significant enough to justify public release, the report said.
Early in its development, Behemoth was internally scheduled for release in April to coincide with Meta’s inaugural AI conference for developers, but later pushed an internal target for the model’s launch to June, according to the report. It has now been delayed to fall or later, the report said.
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.
