In this edition:
- Economic trends: There’s some good news in Niagara to go along with the bad
- Ontario invests in digital adoption for small businesses
- Federal government looking to give boost to high-wage workers in express entry system
- Ontario cracking down on illegal truck yards
- Wave of rail mergers ‘inevitable’ if takeover bid approved, says CPKC chief exec
- Canada ‘world’s most attractive market for infrastructure investment’, poll says
- Focus on Housing Solutions
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File photo | Picture credit: Brad Demers / Greater Niagara Chamber of Commerce
Economic trends: There’s some good news in Niagara to go along with the bad
While economic growth in Niagara has slowed sharply, the region is seeing gains in other key areas, including population growth and housing affordability.
Those trends were among the highlights of the biannual economic report to regional council last week by Blake Landry, the manager of research and analysis for Niagara Economic Development.
Picture credit: Urupong / Adobe Stock
Ontario invests in digital adoption for small businesses
The Ontario government is investing $7.5 million to help small and medium-sized businesses adopt digital technologies through the Digitalization Competence Centre, including $5 million for the Digital Modernization and Adoption Plan and $2.5 million for a new Retail Modernization Project Grant.
Businesses can access up to $15,000 for digital planning, up to $100,000 for implementation after completing a DMAP project, and retailers can receive up to $5,000 for tools such as e-commerce, inventory software, digital marketing, cybersecurity, and AI.
Photo credit: Evgenia Parajanian / Adobe Stock
Federal government looking to give boost to high-wage workers in express entry system
Ottawa is looking at overhauling the express entry system to make it easier for people with high-paying job offers to apply for permanent residency.
A public consultation survey and discussion paper outline the proposed changes to the express entry system.
Express entry evaluates economic immigration applicants based on a point system that takes factors like age, education and Canadian work experience into account.
Picture credit: Lsantilli / Adobe Stock
Ontario cracking down on illegal truck yards
The Ontario government will soon propose amendments to the Planning Act that would help prevent illegal land uses, including for trucks and the operation of commercial trucking activities on land not zoned for industrial use. The amendments would enable municipalities to impose administrative monetary penalties for illegal land uses, including illegal truck yards that are frequently established on rural, agricultural or residential properties.
Picture credit: Wolfborn Indiearts / Adobe Stock
Wave of rail mergers ‘inevitable’ if takeover bid approved, says CPKC chief exec
A proposed rail merger in the United States would set off a wave of acquisitions that reduces competition, raises consumer costs and generates freight logjams, says Keith Creel, who heads Canadian Pacific Kansas City Ltd.
The US$85-billion deal would marry Union Pacific’s vast rail network in the Western U.S. with Norfolk Southern’s rails in the east, creating America’s first transcontinental railway and accounting for more than 40 per cent of its freight traffic.
Picture credit: Tomasz Wozniak / Adobe Stock
Canada ‘world’s most attractive market for infrastructure investment’, poll says
Canada has surpassed the United States, emerging as the “most attractive market for infrastructure investment,” according to a survey of leading investors in the sector.
Global Infrastructure Investor Association’s recent poll places Canada at the top of its rankings, thanks to a series of recent announcements by the Canadian government.
Focus on Housing Solutions
Illegal renovations and construction plague growing municipalities
Jean Sorensen, Daily Commercial News
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.
