In this edition:
- Owners of former St. Catharines GM property ordered to either fix site or demolish it
- Niagara-on-the-Lake mayor moves to revive rejected proposal on protected farmland
- Welland Moves Together for the 2026 ParticipACTION Community Challenge
- Recreational properties now factor into long-term wealth strategy for many owners
- Canadians filing for insolvency hit highs not seen since the Great Recession
- CPP Investments chief says Canada attracting attention from foreign investors
- Focus on Finance – “Low hire, low fire” job market complicates Bank of Canada rate decision
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When business interruption occurs, will your commercial insurance coverage respond?
Commercial real estate has become increasingly dependent on technology. Power systems, utilities, data networks and digital infrastructure now play a direct role in whether a building can operate, tenants can remain open and rent continues to flow. Yet many insurance programs and lease provisions were built around a more traditional risk model, one focused on physical damage to property. For Canadian owners, investors and tenants with assets or operations in the United States, this distinction is particularly important, as U.S. insurance is typically only effective for physical loss or damage. As a result, owners and tenants are sometimes surprised to learn that a technology‑related failure does not trigger the coverage they expected. Understanding how business interruption, rental loss, utility service interruption and cyber insurance work together is now an important part of managing commercial real estate risk.
Read more on how Canadian businesses operating in the U.S. must align insurance coverage with U.S. lease terms and risk allocation provisions to avoid unexpected gaps when a loss occurs. Contact members of our experienced Cross-Border Real Estate team at Hodgson Russ, or co-authors Sujata Yalamanchili and Daniel Pszonak, if you have any questions about your business’ U.S. commercial real estate insurance provisions.
Hodgson Russ LLP is a U.S. law firm with an office in Buffalo and across U.S. cities, including an office in Toronto, Ontario. Our Cross-Border team of attorneys solely practice U.S. law and routinely represent Canadian businesses with operations or interests in the U.S. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to members of our Canada-U.S. Cross-Border team.
Subscribe to the Hodgson Russ Canada-U.S. Cross Border Blog for more alerts on U.S. issues that affect Canadians.
Picture credit: Google Maps Streetview / Alphabet
Owners of former St. Catharines GM property ordered to either fix site or demolish it
St. Catharines has issued major repair orders for buildings on the former General Motors property on Ontario Street that could ultimately lead to their demolition by the owners or city.
The city posted the orders under the Ontario Building Code Act on Monday at the 282-285 Ontario St. site alleging violations under the city’s property standards bylaw.
The orders, issued to owner Bayshore Groups’ numbered company, deals primarily with buildings, structures and related components. The company has been told it can make the repairs or demolish the buildings to meet compliance.
Picture credit: Town of Niagara-on-the-Lake
Niagara-on-the-Lake mayor moves to revive rejected proposal on protected farmland
A proposal for a storage hub on protected farmland that Niagara-on-the-Lake council already had rejected is back.
Lord Mayor Gary Zalepa ordered town staff to bring a controversial St. Davids agricultural development back to council this Tuesday, despite councillors rejecting it in a 7-1 vote a month ago.
The proposal for 263 Concession 6 Rd. would allow a produce storage building, farm equipment storage and agricultural market on protected specialty crop land.
Picture credit: M Einero/peopleimages.com / Adobe Stock
Welland Moves Together for the 2026 ParticipACTION Community Challenge
The City of Welland is inviting residents, businesses, schools, and organizations to get moving this June as the community gears up for the 2026 ParticipACTION Community Challenge.
Running from June 1 to 30, the national initiative encourages communities across Canada to track physical activity and compete for the title of Canada’s Most Active Community and a $100,000 grand prize to support local sport and recreation initiatives.
After an impressive first year in the challenge, Welland is ready to build on its momentum. In 2025, the city ranked 49th in Canada and 10th in Ontario, a strong showing that reflected Welland’s commitment to active living.
Picture credit: Alessandro Cancian / Adobe Stock
Recreational properties now factor into long-term wealth strategy for many owners
Almost half of prospective Canadian homebuyers are now eyeing recreational properties as their first purchase, not as a cottage retreat, but as a calculated market entry.
A Leger survey commissioned by REMAX Canada found that 45 percent of prospective buyers plan to use a recreational property as their entry point into homeownership.
The trend skews younger: 54 percent of Canadians aged 18 to 34 plan to include a recreational property in their portfolio, compared to 30 percent of those aged 35 and older.
Picture credit: Dzmitry / Adobe Stock
Canadians filing for insolvency hit highs not seen since the Great Recession
The number of Canadians filing for insolvency has hit levels not seen since the Great Recession, signalling that many consumers have hit a “financial inflection point,” says a new report from Equifax Canada.
Insolvency volumes jumped 18.8 per cent in the first quarter of 2026 from the year before to the highest since 2009, said the report, with homeowner insolvency volumes up more than 11 per cent. The number of Canadians without a mortgage filing for insolvency was still higher, but their growth rate was lower at 4.7 per cent.
Picture credit: bankoo / Adobe Stock
CPP Investments chief says Canada attracting attention from foreign investors
Canada has flown under the radar of large international investors in recent years, but that’s changing as Ottawa and the provinces talk of plans for new investments, the head of the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board said recently.
“I have gotten more calls from these people expressing a curiosity about Canada that I haven’t heard in my time here at CPP Investments,” John Graham said.
“So, Canada’s coming back on the investing community’s radar, and they’re curious. And they’re curious about Canada.”
Focus on Finance & Economy
Bank of Canada warns of ‘low-hire, low-fire’ job market that complicates rate decisions
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.
