In this edition:
Client-facing industries lead economic growth
St. Catharines passes vacant building by-law
Brock acquires Schmon Parkway site
Ontario celebrates National Indigenous History Month
St. Catharines to undertake study of Ontario Street corridor
Federal COVID-19 border restrictions extended
Client-facing industries lead March economic growth
Real gross domestic product (GDP) rose 0.7% in March, following a 0.9% expansion in February. Broad-based increases across most sectors were led by client-facing industries.
Both services-producing (+0.6%) and goods-producing (+0.9%) industries were up, as 14 of 20 industrial sectors expanded in March.
Advance information indicates that real GDP increased 0.2% in April. Output was up in the mining, quarrying and oil and gas, transportation and warehousing and wholesale trade sectors. Notable decreases were recorded in the real estate and rental and leasing, finance and insurance, manufacturing and construction sectors. Owing to its preliminary nature, this estimate will be updated on June 30 with the release of the official GDP data for April.
Following a 14.3% jump in February, the accommodation and food services sector rose 10.9% in March as both subsectors were up.
Transportation and warehousing rose 3.2% in March, following a 2.4% growth in February, as 8 of 10 subsectors were up.
The arts, entertainment and recreation sector increased 13.5% in March, the largest growth rate since July 2020, as many spectator sport venues, recreation centres and casinos allowed more patrons to attend their facilities.
St. Catharines passes Vacant Building Registry by-law
In an effort to drive re-development of derelict properties and protect public safety the City of St. Catharines is taking steps to address issues associated with vacant buildings.
On Monday, City Council passed a Vacant Building Registry By-law that aims to address issues associated with such properties and encourage property owners to not leave buildings empty for extended periods of time. Traditionally the City has addressed issues associated with vacant buildings on a complaint-driven basis.
If not properly monitored and maintained many vacant buildings develop property standards violations alongside Building and Fire Code deficiencies creating issues with beautification efforts, public safety, trespassing and increased risk of fire.
The new by-law requires owners to register their vacant buildings. Registration will trigger ongoing monitoring of such properties by by-law enforcement staff to ensure vacant buildings are safely closed off and all applicable property standards and Building Code requirements are met.
Owners with vacant properties will be required to pay a $350 one-time administrative fee and $850 annual registration fee to cover the staff resources of enhanced monitoring.
Brock acquires Schmon Parkway site
Brock University has acquired an eight-acre site on Schmon Parkway to support future growth, further enabling the expansion of classroom and lab space on the St. Catharines campus.
The site at 3401 Schmon Parkway is located in Thorold opposite the St. Catharines campus and has been home to an Enbridge operations centre and works yard. A portion of the 86,000-sq.-ft. building will continue to be occupied by Enbridge as part of a leaseback agreement with the University.
In an effort to free up space for more classrooms and research labs, several units that do not provide student-facing or employee-facing services, and are not operationally required to be on campus, will be relocated to the new site.
Ontario celebrates National Indigenous History Month
June is National Indigenous History Month — a time for all Ontarians to recognize and honour the rich and diverse histories and current realities of First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples across the province and Canada.
It is an important opportunity to learn more about the distinct cultures, languages and experiences of Indigenous peoples, as well as how their contributions and achievements have, and continue to, shape our province and country.
Indigenous peoples continue to inspire us with their strength, resiliency and steadfast commitment to Indigenous values, often in the face of incredible obstacles. These obstacles include, amongst other challenges, the tragic impact of the Indian Residential School system on Survivors, and their families and communities.
The Ministry of Indigenous Affairs encourages all Ontarians to make use of the many available online resources and participate in events and activities to learn more about and celebrate the diverse cultures and heritage of Indigenous peoples that contribute to making Ontario a great place to live.
St. Catharines to undertake land use study of Ontario Street corridor
The City is launching a land use study of the Ontario Street corridor from the QEW in the north to Welland Avenue in the south, leading into the downtown core.
The study will guide future decisions for land use in that area of the city. The corridor includes the long-standing industrial properties at 282 and 285 Ontario Street (often recognized as the former GM lands) which will be a central focus of the study and for future redevelopment opportunities.
As public engagement and feedback will be a significant component of the Ontario Street Corridor Secondary Plan Study, there will be several opportunities for residents, landowners and business owners to provide input.
Federal COVID-19 border restrictions extended for another month
The federal COVID-19 restrictions at the border are being extended until at least June 30, Health Canada and the Public Health Agency of Canada announced on Tuesday.
The federal government will continue to require foreign tourists to provide proof of being fully vaccinated.
Unvaccinated Canadian citizens or permanent residents are also still required to show proof of a molecular COVID-19 test taken prior to entering Canada and quarantine for 14 days.
Reading Recommendations
Canada’s economic growth slows to 3.1%: What you need to know
Financial Post
Canada’s gross domestic product increased at an annual rate of 3.1 per cent in the first quarter, compared with a revised rate of 6.6 per cent over the final three months of 2021, Statistics Canada said on May 31. Here’s what you need to know.
The Bank of Canada last month predicted first-quarter growth would come in at an annual rate of three per cent, and it reckons Canada’s “potential” growth rate — the pace at which the economy can expand without stoking inflation — is about two per cent. So, yes, 3.1 per cent is a pretty good number.
For what it’s worth, Bay Street’s average forecast ahead of the release was for growth of about five per cent, so there will be some disappointment, or maybe relief, considering growth at that pace would continue to fuel worries that the central bank had lost its grip on inflation. The Bank of Canada has been struggling to get a read on prices, but it appears to have a better idea of what’s going on with GDP.
Gas prices have never been higher — but Canadians still aren’t jumping on public transit
CBC News
Transit ridership across the country is still noticeably down compared to pre-pandemic levels, even as more people return to the office and gas prices hit record-setting highs.
While vehicle use and air travel have nearly fully recovered from the pandemic, transit use may still take a few years to return to normal levels, observers said.
The most recent ridership figures from Statistics Canada come from March 2022. This was the twelfth straight month of year-over-year growth in urban transit. Still, ridership is only 52 per cent of what it was at the beginning of the pandemic in March 2020.
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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.
