In this edition:
- Canada falls into technical recession as economy stalls in Q1: StatCan
- New indoor pool and ice rink in St. Catharines’ $127 million plan
- Niagara-on-the-Lake Official Plan adopted by Council
- Champion of Indigenous history to be honoured at Brock University’s Spring Convocation
- NPCA seeks community input on plans for Beamer Memorial Conservation Area
- NC Craft is served: Historic new brand unifies College wine, beer, spirits and cider
- Costco Q3 gains fueled by gas pricing, fresh foods
- Canada Post logs $205 million loss before tax in first quarter
- Focus on Marketing – The first sentence of your pitch determines your success
Did you know you can get the GNCC’s Daily Update emailed to you? Click here to sign up.
Niagara River Lions to unveil second straight CEBL championship banner at home opener
The Niagara River Lions are excited to announce the unveiling of their 2025 Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) Championship Banner at the team’s Home Opener presented by Thorold Automotive Solutions, on Friday May 29th at 7:00pm at the Meridian Centre.
Fans are encouraged to arrive early as the River Lions celebrate another historic milestone by raising their second consecutive CEBL Championship Banner to the rafters. Prior to tip-off, the team will also receive its 2025 CEBL Championship rings as part of the pre-game festivities. The first 500 fans will receive a co-branded River Lions and Thorold Automotive Solutions flag.
The River Lions will begin their quest to become the first team in CEBL history to win three consecutive championships when they take on the Vancouver Bandits on opening night.
Featured content by Niagara River Lions
Picture credit: ronniechua / Adobe Stock
Canada falls into technical recession as economy stalls in Q1: StatCan
Statistics Canada says economic growth stalled in the first quarter, leading to a second consecutive decline in real gross domestic product.
That meets some definitions for a technical recession, though not all economists weighing in on StatCan’s May 29 report were convinced the label was necessary.
Real gross domestic product by expenditure was essentially unchanged on a quarter-over-quarter basis, StatCan said. Converting that to an annualized rate – the figure most economists pay close attention to – magnifies the quarterly changes and results in a decline of 0.1 per cent in real GDP for the first quarter.
Picture credit: City of St. Catharines
New indoor pool, ice rink: St. Catharines’ $127M recreation facilities plan
St. Catharines will soon need a second indoor pool to deal with waiting lists, an additional ice pad, three outdoor pickleball hubs and an enclosed sports field for winter play.
Those are among the 41 recommendations in a newly updated recreation facilities and programming plan endorsed by city council this week.
“This plan today for you is setting the course for the next 10 years, looking to the year 2035,” said Anand Desai, principal planner and partner at London, Ont.-based Monteith Brown Planning Consultants.
Picture credit: Town of Niagara-on-the-Lake
Niagara-on-the-Lake Official Plan adopted by Council
At the May 26, 2026, Council Meeting, Town Council adopted the new Official Plan for the Town of Niagara-on-the-Lake, a key priority of Council’s 2022 – 2026 Strategic Plan.
The adopted Official Plan supports a complete, resilient community by directing growth to appropriate areas, protecting agricultural lands, and enhancing environmental systems. It further reflects a balanced approach highlighting the Town’s ongoing efforts to manage growth responsibly, protect its unique cultural and environmental heritage, and shape a vibrant, complete community for future generations.
Picture credit: Brock University
Champion of Indigenous history to be honoured at Brock University’s Spring Convocation
Tim Johnson has dedicated his life to sharing Indigenous history and culture with people across North America and inspiring them to learn more.
During Brock University’s Spring Convocation next month, the President of the Niagara Academy for Indigenous Relations hopes to spark that same inspiration in the graduating class.
Johnson will deliver the Convocation address on Thursday, June 11, 2026 where he will also be presented with an honorary Doctor of Laws from the University recognizing his accomplishments and contributions.
Throughout his expansive career of more than 45 years, Johnson has served in several roles and advised on many initiatives that amplify the importance of recognizing Indigenous history.
Picture credit: linda / Adobe Stock
NPCA seeks community input on plans for Beamer Memorial Conservation Area
The Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority (NPCA) is inviting community members to take part in the next round of public engagement for the Beamer Memorial Conservation Area Management Plan, continuing a collaborative process to shape the future of one of Grimsby’s most valued natural spaces.
In the Fall of 2025, NPCA launched initial engagements to better understand how the community uses and experiences Beamer Memorial Conservation Area and what they value most about it. Through surveys, a community open house, an online project page, and meetings with many key partners, more than 850 community contributions were shared.
As part of this next phase of engagement, NPCA is sharing four concept areas for discussion at Beamer Memorial Conservation Area based on previous public input and key themes that emerged in the first engagement session.
Picture credit: Niagara College
NC Craft is served: Historic new brand unifies College wine, beer, spirits and cider
Niagara College has officially tapped into a bold new chapter, distilling decades of leadership in Canadian beverage education into one powerful brand.
Called “NC Craft,” the new branding for the College’s wine, beer, spirits and cider was unveiled this week. This new brand aligns the College’s unique offerings of craft beverage products – wine, beer, spirits and cider – into a single, cohesive identity, reflecting the knowledge students gain, the guidance they receive from experts in their field, and their focus on innovation and excellence as they learn to master their craft at NC.
Picture credit: Zoran Karapancev / Adobe Stock
Costco Q3 gains fueled by gas pricing, fresh foods
Costco Wholesale Corp. leveraged its strong reputation for low gas prices to drive sales in the third quarter, contributing to double-digit overall sales growth.
Gasoline comparable-store sales were up more than 20 per cent in the quarter as the company attracted new customers to its pumps and maintained its competitive pricing amid pressures in the fuel market overall because of the ongoing conflict with Iran.
Picture credit: Iryna / Adobe Stock
Canada Post logs $205 million loss before tax in first quarter
Canada Post says it has recorded a pre-tax loss of $205 million for the first quarter of 2026, due to revenue and volume declining “across all lines of business.”
In a media release, the federal Crown corporation revealed the first-quarter loss is substantially more than the Q1 loss recorded 2025, where Canada Post lost $41 million before tax, an increase of $164 million.
The corporation’s revenue also took a hit, falling by $181 million, or 14.3 per cent, in the first quarter of 2026 compared to the same period of 2025. Canada Post says the figures have reinforced the urgency of the corporation’s transformation that is “now underway.”
Focus on Marketing
The first sentence of your pitch determines your success
Patrick Hagerty, Entrepreneur
The uncomfortable truth about messaging is that nobody is reading carefully. Investors are skimming. Journalists are pattern-matching against whatever they covered last week. Potential customers are half-distracted. Everyone is moving fast and making quick calls about what something is and whether it’s worth more of their time.
If your company doesn’t land in the first 10 seconds, people don’t slow down and give you more runway; they just quietly file you under the closest thing they already know and move on.
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.
