In this edition:
- Bank of Canada launches public consultations on a digital dollar
- Ontario passes health-reform bill that expands private delivery of care
- Meta has team working to block news on Facebook, Instagram from Canadian users
- Arterra acquires Angels Gate and Kew
- St. Catharines fire deparment reminds businesses that permits are needed to sell fireworks
Bank of Canada launches public consultations on a digital dollar
The Bank of Canada is launching an online public consultation on the features that could be included in a digital Canadian dollar. The consultation opened today and runs until June 19.
The way Canadians pay for everything from the daily necessities to major purchases is evolving rapidly. As the world becomes increasingly digital, the Bank—like many other central banks—is exploring a digital version of Canada’s national currency.
“As Canada’s central bank, we want to make sure everyone can always take part in our country’s economy. That means being ready for whatever the future holds,” said Senior Deputy Governor Carolyn Rogers.
Click here to offer your input in the consultation.
Ontario passes health-reform bill that expands private delivery of care
Ontario has passed a health-reform bill that will allow more private clinics to offer certain publicly funded surgeries and procedures in an effort to cut long wait lists for care.
Cataract surgeries and diagnostic imaging and testing will be expanded while the government will create an entirely new system to perform hip and knee replacement surgeries.
The moves are part of the government’s plan to decrease wait times and reduce a massive backlog of surgeries, which stands at more than 200,000 procedures.
Meta has team working to block news on Facebook, Instagram from Canadian users
Tech giant Meta has learned from the mistakes it made blocking online news from Facebook in Australia, when it accidentally limited access to emergency services pages, a company representative said Monday.
Rachel Curran, head of public policy for Meta Canada, said the company has put together a content-blocking team that is getting ready to end the availability of news on its social media platforms Facebook and Instagram should the Liberal government’s online news bill pass.
Curran told the House of Commons heritage committee the company will remove news in a way that is careful, responsible and transparent.
Arterra acquires Angels Gate and Kew
Arterra Wines Canada, Inc. announced that it has acquired Angels Gate Winery and Kew Vineyards Estate Winery, two beautiful wineries located in the Beamsville Bench, the westernmost part of the Niagara Peninsula wine-growing area and home to some of the best vineyards in Ontario.
“We are excited about the future of Angels Gate and Kew now that they are part of Arterra Wines Canada. We are confident Arterra will continue the development of both wineries as producers of premium quality wines while maintaining the values that have always been at the heart of our culture,” said John Young, President of Angels Gate and Kew Vineyards.
St. Catharines fire deparment reminds businesses that permits are needed to sell fireworks
St. Catharines Fire Department would like to remind businesses ahead of Victoria Day that only licensed businesses with a permit are allowed to sell fireworks in the city.
Anyone interested in a permit to sell fireworks can apply by contacting the city. The by-law in St. Catharines only allows the use of fireworks around Victoria Day, Canada Day, and Diwali.
For more information visit stcatharines.ca/fireworks.
To apply for a permit contact 905.688.5601 ext. 4224 or fire@stcatharines.ca.
Did you know?
Shell, the world’s second-largest investor-owned oil company, began its life as an antiques store.
Focus on Small Business
Canadian SMBs are confident about the future, but rising costs remain a concern
Sage, the leader in accounting, financial, HR, and payroll technology for small and mid-sized businesses (SMBs), today unveiled the results from its annual global survey Small Business, Big Opportunity of approximately 12,000 SMB business leaders worldwide; including 1,200 in Canada. The new study finds that the majority of Canadian SMBs (72%) are confident in their current business1 success, up from 63% in 2022.
Want to position a small business to scale up—or get acquired? Here’s one easy step you can take to improve the odds of success
Dave Meadows and Mike Sovie are co-founders of ColdCallRX, a provider of outsourced cold-calling and lead generation services based in Tampa Bay, Fla., that they started in 2020.
One way they’ve positioned their company to scale up is by creating standard operating procedures, or SOPs. Entrepreneurs use these documents to describe how they do things in the business—whether it’s answering a customer service call or entering information into a database—so it is easier to train new hires.
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.
