In this edition:
- Niagara unemployment rate edges down to 6.7%, but data indicates people may be leaving workforce
- Chambers of Commerce call on Government of Canada to take “decisive action” over port strike
- Ontario calls on Bank of Canada to cut interest rates
- Niagara Falls Mayor’s Proposed Capital Budget Book available for public viewing
- Government of Ontario to hold webinar to help tech companies go global
- 18 residential units proposed for downtown Welland building
- Housing minister announces applications open for $1B critical infrastructure program
- Foodland coming to Garrison Village next year
- Focus on Technology
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Photo credit: snowing12 / Adobe Stock
Niagara unemployment rate edges down to 6.7%, but data indicates people may be leaving workforce
Niagara’s unemployment rate dipped to 6.7% in October, down from 7% in September, but a net loss of 300 jobs indicates that this may be due to people leaving the labour force. The workforce is defined as people working or actively seeking work, the number of whom dropped from 243,100 to 242,000 in the same time period.
Nationally, employment was little changed in October (+15,000; +0.1%) and the employment rate fell 0.1 percentage points to 60.6%. The unemployment rate was unchanged at 6.5%.
A report by the Canadian Chamber of Commerce’s Business Data Lab noted that, while Canadian employment had increased, that number had fallen short of market expectations, with labour force participation falling to the lowest since December 1997 (excluding the years 2020 and 2021, during the pandemic).
Photo credit: Rob Atkins / Adobe Stock
Chambers of Commerce call on Government of Canada to take “decisive action” over port strike
Business associations and chambers of commerce across the country, including the GNCC, have asked the federal government to take decisive action, using every tool at its disposal to resolve this dispute and limit the damage caused by the shutdown of British Columbia ports for a second consecutive year.
Canada’s West Coast ports handle $800 million worth of cargo every single day, accounting for approximately 25 percent of the goods flowing through the country. “Canadians cannot afford another labour disruption involving our critical infrastructure,” an open letter states.
The Honourable Vic Fedeli (at left) speaks at a GNCC roundtable | Photo credit: Brad Demers / Greater Niagara Chamber of Commerce
Ontario calls on Bank of Canada to cut interest rates
In a statement on the latest employment figures today, the Honourable Vic Fedeli, Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade, said that “while Ontario has seen nearly 200,000 jobs created this year alone, last month’s job numbers demonstrate that our ongoing economic recovery is fragile and that Ontario workers are counting on the Bank of Canada to lower rates to support job creation.”
Niagara Falls Mayor Jim Diodati | Photo credit: City of Niagara Falls
Niagara Falls Mayor’s Proposed Capital Budget Book available for public viewing
The City of Niagara Falls has announced that the 2025 Mayor’s Proposed Capital Budget Book is now publicly available, a copy of which can be found at the following link: https://niagarafalls.ca/city-hall/finance/budget/default.aspx
The Budget Book includes business cases for 125 capital project submissions with a total gross value of $70,599,500. Staff has reviewed and prioritized the projects based on current staffing capacity and financial capacity, resulting in 97 projects with a total gross value of $50,269,000 being proposed to be funded in 2025.
Photo credit: tippapatt / Adobe Stock
Government of Ontario to hold webinar to help tech companies go global
The Ontario Ministry of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade (MEDJCT) will host an exclusive webinar designed to empower tech companies with the essential insights and proven strategies needed for global expansion next week.
Speakers include founders and executives from Ontario’s home-grown tech companies ApplyBoard and MEMOTEXT, as well as export experts from MaRS and MEDJCT.
Registration is free.
Photo credit: Harold Stiver / Adobe Stock
18 residential units proposed for downtown Welland building
The City of Welland has issued a renovation permit to a numbered Ontario company that wants to create 18 dwelling units in a five-storey commercial building in the downtown core.
In addition to converting office space at the former Welland Business Centre building into residences, 49 Division Inc. also wants to develop a gym area as part of its development proposal.
Photo credit: Anne Kalagian / Greater Niagara Chamber of Commerce
Housing minister announces applications open for $1B critical infrastructure program
Applications opened Thursday for a $1-billion federal program to help municipalities and Indigenous communities build critical infrastructure.
The Canada Housing Infrastructure Fund set aside $1 billion in direct funding to communities to build or improve infrastructure to support drinking water, wastewater, stormwater and solid waste.
Photo credit: Google Streetview screenshot
Foodland coming to Garrison Village next year
Come this time next year, there’ll be a new place in Niagara-on-the-Lake to pick up everything you need to make breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Set to open late next year, the Foodland grocery store is currently under construction at the Village Centre, 111 Garrison Village Dr.
Did you know?
Focus on Technology
What the federal ban on TikTok’s Canadian operations means for you
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.
