In this edition:
- More support for workers to access skills training faster
- RFQ issued for major OPP modernization project
- Ontario is launching a new marketing campaign to encourage domestic travel
- Niagara College has finalized its 2025-26 budget and business plan
- Fort Erie wins water innovation competition
- Welland House property in downtown St. Catharines up for sale
- Help name outdoor public space in Port Dalhousie
- New study sheds light on urgent workforce gaps in Canada’s marine sector
- Investment in building construction decreased 0.9 per cent in March
- Focus on Retail
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Photo credit: DC Studio – stock.adobe.com
Ontario government to introduce a number of measures to support workers to access skills training faster
The Ontario government will shortly introduce a series of proposed changes to protect workers, including cutting red tape to accelerate the construction of Skills Development Fund (SDF) training centres at a time when these centres are needed to support workers impacted by U.S. tariffs and economic uncertainty.
The government is also proposing a number of other measures that would support workers, including workers who are directly impacted by tariff-related layoffs or other disruptions.
Photo credit: Erman Gunes – stock.adobe.com
RFQ issued for major OPP modernization project
The Government of Ontario is building 12 new Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) detachments and a regional headquarters in Thunder Bay.
As such, Infrastructure Ontario (IO) and the Ministry of the Solicitor General have issued a request for qualifications (RFQ) for interested parties to submit their qualifications to design, build and finance the new detachments and regional headquarters as part of phase three of the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) Modernization project.
The new detachments will be located in Ignace, Niagara, Bracebridge, New Liskeard, Burlington, Kenora, Lancaster, Red Lake, Sioux Lookout, Killaloe, Espanola/McKerrow and Wawa.
Photo Credit: Destination Ontario
Ontario is launching a new marketing campaign to encourage domestic travel
As summer nears, there has never been a better time to explore and celebrate all the beauty and culture Ontario has to offer. In the face of U.S. tariffs, continued economic uncertainty and renewed interest in travelling within Canada, the Ontario government is launching a new marketing campaign to encourage domestic travel and protect local Ontario businesses. The We Stand campaign features breathtaking Ontario landscapes, from Pelee Island to the Lake of the Woods, as well as many of the province’s top culinary and visual artists.
Photo credit: Niagara College
Niagara College has finalized its 2025-26 budget and business plan
After a months-long financial process shaped by a steep decline in international student enrolment, Niagara College has finalized its 2025-26 budget and business plan, closing revenue gaps by drawing on funding reserves and the planned layoff of 29 employees.
While citing past growth and stability as factors that helped limit deeper cuts, Niagara College president Sean Kennedy said it was an “extraordinarily challenging budget process, unlike any that the college has been through before.”
The challenges facing Niagara College were driven by ongoing provincial funding concerns – Ontario’s post-secondary sector is the lowest funded in the country, with a domestic tuition freeze in place since 2019 – along with sweeping federal policy changes aimed at international enrolment.
Photo credit: Town of Fort Erie
Fort Erie wins water innovation competition
For National Public Works Week, the Town of Fort Erie is excited to announce that it won the PitcH20 competition. This new water innovation contest was held at the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative annual conference. With a focus on “The Future of Fresh Water,” the Town earned praise for its work against inflow and infiltration into wastewater systems.
The Town won PitcH20 for a pilot project that adds advanced technology called a Flexliner to the bottom of maintenance holes. Flexliners create a watertight barrier to stop groundwater from getting in and wastewater from leaking out.
Illustration credit: Wikimedia Commons: Trappy / Google Maps / Greater Niagara Chamber of Commerce
Welland House property in downtown St. Catharines up for sale
The downtown St. Catharines property that was home to the historic Welland House hotel before it burned down four years ago is now on the market.
The highly visible lot fronting Ontario, King and William streets has been vacant since the remains of the fire-ravaged building were cleaned up in 2023.
The property is being sold for an undisclosed asking price.
Photo credit: City of St. Catharines
Help name outdoor public space in Port Dalhousie
The City of St. Catharines is asking residents to participate in the naming of an outdoor public space in Port Dalhousie.
The City’s “Name This Space!” public engagement project opened on its EngageSTC platform to solicit residents’ naming suggestions for the space at 45 Lakeport Rd., near Main Street, in the Port Dalhousie Commercial Core and Harbour Area Heritage Conservation District. Residents can submit their ideas in a brief, two-question survey until Friday, June 20, at 4:30 p.m.
Photo credit: Denys Yelmanov – stock.adobe.com
New study sheds light on urgent workforce gaps in Canada’s marine sector
The Canadian Marine Careers Foundation (CMCF) announced the release of the Canadian Seafarers Pathway Study, a first of its kind comprehensive report revealing critical labour and skills shortages in the country’s marine transportation sector. The study identifies a pressing need to attract and train new talent, with domestic vessel operators needing to hire 8,300 new workers to meet industry demand and replace retirees by 2029 – the equivalent of more than 30% of its current workforce.
Without significant changes, Canada’s marine training system will not be able to meet labour demands, and the study provides a roadmap of evidence-based recommendations designed to help guide the CMCF and the sector in developing and implementing strategies to ensure the marine sector’s future viability.
Photo credit: bannafarsai – stock.adobe.com
Investment in building construction decreased 0.9 per cent in March
Overall, investment in building construction decreased 0.9% (-$192.2 million) to $22.2 billion in March. The residential sector declined 1.8% to $15.3 billion while the non-residential sector was up 1.3% to $6.8 billion. Year over year, investment in building construction grew 5.4% in March.
On a constant dollar basis (2017=100), investment in building construction decreased 0.8% from the previous month to $13.2 billion in March and was up 2.4% year over year.
Focus on Retail
Top emerging retail trends in Canada
Retail Insider
If there’s one thing Canadians love, it’s a good shopping spree – whether it’s scoring a deal at Hudson’s Bay or browsing local boutiques. But let’s face it: the retail landscape is shifting fast, with technology evolving, customer expectations rising, and sustainability becoming a non-negotiable, the future of retail in Canada is anything but predictable.
So, what’s in store for retailers? Let’s break down the biggest trends shaping the Canadian retail sector this year – complete with stats, insights, and a few famous words of wisdom.
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.
